Hi everyone — I’m Molly Freeman, ScreenRant’s Superheroes Senior Editor. For the last 11 years, I’ve covered film and TV for ScreenRant, with a personal interest in all things Marvel. As a fan, I’ve been following the Marvel Cinematic Universe since day one, having seen Iron Man in theaters when it first launched the franchise. But there’s one particular MCU movie that’s a cut above the rest: Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Think I’m wrong? Let’s settle it in the comments.

Superhero cinema has changed a great deal since the Batman serials of the 1940s, especially since the launch of the Marvel Cinematic Universe in 2008 gave rise to the modern, interconnected comic book franchise. In the 17 years of the MCU’s existence, Marvel Studios has produced a number of beloved and wildly successful superhero movies, from its inaugural entry, Iron Man, to the mᴀssive culminating chapter of Avengers: Endgame.

However, only one Marvel Studios film can be named the best MCU movie of all time, and that’s Captain America: The Winter Soldier. It’s the movie that changed everything for the MCU, but it’s also a simply flawless masterpiece of superhero cinema.

Captain America: The Winter Soldier Has Perfectly Well-Executed Action

In conversations about the best action scenes in the entire MCU, Captain America: The Winter Soldier‘s elevator fight sequence always comes up — and for good reason. It’s a short, but exceedingly thrilling sequence where Chris Evans’ Steve Rogers takes down SHIELD’s entire STRIKE team in the small confines of an elevator. Part of what makes it work so well is the buildup, in which Steve smartly deduces the trap before they have a chance to spring it, leading to one of his best lines, “Before we get started, does anyone want to get out.”

But the sequence is just one of Captain America: The Winter Soldier’s excellent action scenes. There’s also the ᴀssᴀssination attempt against Samuel L. Jackson’s Nick Fury, in which he puts his heavily armored SUV to good use; the brutal hand-to-hand fight between Steve Rogers and the mercenary Batroc (Georges St-Pierre); the bridge fight sequence where Captain America finally faces off against the Winter Soldier; and the final fight between Steve and Bucky where he tries to get his oldest friend to recognize him.

Captain America: The Winter Soldier isn’t a superhero movie with only one excellent action scene; despite the elevator scene being most often referenced, it’s an MCU film that’s so loaded with well-choreographed and well-planned set pieces, you’d be hard-pressed to find one that drags. Nor does The Winter Soldier fall prey to CGI overload like many superhero movie action scenes, especially in recent years. All that’s to say, all of the action in Captain America: The Winter Soldier is excellent.

Captain America: The Winter Soldier Is A Masterclass In Character

But action isn’t the only thing to make an MCU movie great, it’s also the character at the heart of the film. The Winter Soldier is a well-written, deeply poignant exploration of Steve Rogers at this specific point in his MCU story. He’s a man out of time, clinging to every bit of his past he possibly can, who’s faced with the best friend he thought he lost, all while reckoning with his idenтιтy as a soldier and how that conflicts with Dr. Erskine’s instruction to be a good man.

The Winter Soldier is ultimately Steve’s story, but the movie also devotes plenty of time to building out the characters surrounding Captain America. Scarlett Johnᴀsson’s Black Widow is given her first true chance to shine, and to break down some of the walls around the spy. Jackson’s Nick Fury demonstrates why he’s such a force to be reckoned with, and the ultimate spy. Anthony Mackie’s Sam Wilson gets a fantastic introduction to the MCU and Sebastian Stan’s Bucky Barnes has a small, but impactful role as the struggling Winter Soldier.

The MCU has had many great movies that have tried to balance an ensemble of characters to underwhelming effect. Captain America: The Winter Soldier is a remarkable example of how important it is to get the characters right, and to make their stories compelling in order to deliver a great superhero movie.

Captain America: The Winter Soldier Redefined The MCU

In 2014, when Captain America: The Winter Soldier released, Marvel Studios had successfully pulled off its first major crossover with The Avengers, but back then, it was still uncertain whether the studio would be able to keep their momentum going. The Winter Soldier was the first real indication that not only could Marvel keep it up, they could produce great comic book movies that stand on their own, while still being part of the MCU.

But what was so particularly revolutionary about Captain America: The Winter Soldier was how it blended everything great about superhero movies with everything great about movies in general. The MCU didn’t need to be beholden to the idea of a superhero movie. It could release a spy-thriller, or a space opera, like Guardians of the Galaxy, which debuted a few months later. The MCU could be anything, and the first time we truly saw that was in Captain America’s second solo outing.

Captain America: The Winter Soldier has also stood the test of time. Even over a decade later, Captain America: The Winter Soldier holds up. The story of Hydra — a ficтιтious, radical offshoot of Germany’s Nazi party — infiltrating a government organization and needing to be rooted out remains prescient in today’s political climate. As does the story of good people trying to do what’s right, even in the face of overwhelming odds.

Ultimately, Captain America: The Winter Soldier is well-written, well-acted and well-directed; it fits within the larger MCU narrative and stands on its own. It’s everything a Marvel movie should be — exciting, thrilling, and full of heart. It’s the greatest MCU movie of all time because it’s simply a great movie, and if you don’t agree, debate me. But be warned, I can do this all day.