talk to me about your thoughts on steves fighting style - from captain america: first avenger to infinity war I (trailer) & how it differs from 616 (:
this is a really fantastic question ! i want to prefix this by saying --- i wish i could give you a really good answer but my knowledge of fighting styles is pretty limited for someone who writes one of the greatest fighters out there.
i will say, though, i don’t think there are huge differences between mcu and 616 steve’s fighting styles. but that’s not to say these differences don’t exist. 616 has far more experience than mcu steve. he also had more formal training when he initially got the serum. 616 steve had the chance to train with teachers, learn fighting styles, and understand what he was capable of doing before he was ever shipped overseas. mcu steve mostly had to make things up as he went along.
but in both universes, steve is a self-teacher. he finds the time to learn more fighting styles and to attune his body to different kinds of techniques. what makes steve a great fighter is that he is very receptive of what his opponent is doing. he can spot weak points and recognize patterns so he can disrupt them. he can block shots, not just because he has fast reflexes, but because he can see where they’re going to come from before they happen. it isn’t a super power or an ability gifted to him by the serum, it is purely something he has learned through experience and through paying attention to his opponent. so in that way, 616 and mcu are pretty much the same.
they also both have this ability to be incredibly light on their feet while simultaneously being absolute battering rams. no one who moves so quickly and swiftly should hit that hard but he does it !
as for his style changing throughout the movies, i’m just going to go ahead and pretty much disregard avengers. it’s really not the best example of his fighting style. i can brush it off as steve being fresh from the ice and overwhelmed by everything going on but tbh i think whoever was in charge of fighting choreography took a nap on cap’s days.
but in catfa, steve’s fighting style is very thought out and purposeful from the movie making standpoint. you can watch him fight and almost see exactly where he would’ve learned that. even after the serum, he still fights like he’s scrappy, for lack of a better word. he throws punch after punch, kicks and pulls. he’s still a great fighter but there’s a very clear lack of experience. it is unorganized but almost artful how they conveyed it because it is truly the fighting style of a man who is only beginning to understand his own strength and only had basic training.
but by the time we see him in catws, his fighting style has matured tenfold. that opening scene of steve on the ship was absolutely put there to remind people what a goddamn powerhouse he is. he’s fast but poised and will do serious damage if he wants to. all of his motions are thought out and flow together well because it is effortless to him at this point. he’s gotten more training and practice in and has probably taught himself more or met with people who could teach him more styles and that is very evident in his fighting style.
steve’s fighting style in aou is honestly ridiculous. and as much as i kind of loathe that movie, his fighting style is one of my favorite parts of the movie because the things he does when he’s fighting are so freaking unnecessary. like throwing a motorcycle or doing a midair plank to kick his shield through a robot’s neck? not needed. totally extra. also completely implausible. but i don’t really mind it. i think, it shows more of the comic-y side of his fighting style which does get a little silly.
cacw is a different ballgame. i loved every fight scene in this movie. especially the opening scene with crossbones and the airport scene. but mostly i want to focus on the last fight with iron man because that’s when the stakes are highest. and in my opinion, you get the culmination of steve’s fighting styles because he has all the skills and know-how of catws but that rawness of catfa. he’s fighting against someone he cares about for someone he cares about. so steve isn’t pulling any punches, literally. he fights back with every bit of himself so that he can stop the fight. i really adore that fight scene and i wish i could break it down in a more articulate manner because it really is the most Steve Rogers shit they’ve been able to put on screen.
i’m really looking forward to his fighting style in infinity war because he’s not going to have the shield. and for both mcu and 616 steve, the shield becomes a bit of a crutch for him. so i’m excited to see how he manages without it. i like what i’ve seen. he seems like he’s maintained that cacw-esque fighting style which is still really fast and raw. i like seeing steve get angry. i like seeing him fight tooth and nail for something. which is what we saw in catfa and i really think iw will bring that back around to that.
again, i really like this question. i wish i had more technical know-how to really break it down!