Synopsis:

A fun, Saturday-Matinee, Action/Adventure, tightly focused on Captain America, The Steve Rogers Cut quickens the pace, energizes the action, and re-structures the narrative in humorous and exciting ways to create a very different introduction to The First Avenger.

Intentions:

This is my first fanedit that is not trying to fix anything because I found Captain America: The First Avenger to be quite charming and old-fashioned fun. The Steve Rogers Cut is an alternative Fanmix to the original that gave me the creative freedom to work with a movie I already enjoyed. But even for movies I like, I have nitpicks: An over-exposed yet under-developed villian, a framing device that spoils the ending, some cringe-worthy dialogue and off comedic timing, a slow middle section, and action that never fully energized me. Additionally, there are some surprises along the way.

Change List:

- Cut the opening framing device - Moved Schmidt finding the cube to later in the film - Cut Steve Rogers’ enlisting attempt - Movie now opens during the War filmreel scene - Tightened Steve’s confrontation with the Bully to seem far more brutal, and for Steve to appear far more resilient - Cut Bully’s line “Do ya?” - Tightened the exchange between Steve and Bucky in the Alley and when talking about the double date in the next scene - Kept only one of the exhibition announcer’s lines - Howard Stark’s show starts a bit sooner - Moved Howard Stark’s line “You’ll be able to do just that” to after he has started the hover car - Car malfunctions while the show music is peaking - Cut Bucky turning around to discover Steve is missing - Trimmed the beginning of the random extra stepping on the panel, activating the portrait; scene starts with him already looking at himself in the portrait - Cut Bucky’s line, “This isn’t a back alley, Steve. It’s war.” - Re-arranged Steve and Bucky’s farewell to eliminate Steve’s line “How can I? You’re taking all the stupid with you.” - Trimmed some of Steve sitting in the examination room for pacing - Added jump cut from Steve reading “It is illegal to falsify…” sign to Steve hurrying across the room to get dressed. - Cut the section of the scene where Dr. Erskine walks to the exam bed and asks where Steve is from and tells Steve he’s from Germany. Steve now immediately asks if “this is a test?” - Cut whole scene of Red Skull harnessing the cube’s energy - Adjusted the comedic timing of Agent Carter knocking out the bully recruit - Re-arranged the training montage to start with more excitement and establish the flag pole earlier - Re-arranged the scene so that Steve has already unhinged the flag pole before being yelled at to, “Fall in!!!” - “He is the clear choice” is said during a shot of Steve struggling to do push-ups - “He’s making me cry” is said during a shot of Steve struggling to do jumping jacks - Steve yells “Get back!” sooner during the grenade test to add urgency - “He’s still skinny” is said off to the left of the screen after Phillips has walked away - Cut the scene of Red Skull talking to and then killing Hitler’s check-up committee - Removed footage of Red Skull when Dr. Erskine is telling Steve about the origins of Schmidt and his formula. - Cut Steve’s line, “To the little guys.” - Cut Red Skull getting his portrait made and revealing that he’s dispatched an assassin to the procedure. - “And that diner” is said over a shot of Agent Carter looking baffled. - Cut Steve’s line “The right partner.” Scene ends with Steve silently nodding after Carter asks “What were you waiting for?” - Cut all shots of suspicious characters outside the antique shop - Old woman enters from the back a bit sooner, and they enter the hidden chamber a bit sooner. - Cut Dr. Erskine’s line “Comfortable?” - Added shots of Steve becoming VERY nervous when he finds out Howard Stark created the machine and is in charge of the procedure - Cut the Senator’s line, “Somebody get that kid a sandwhich!” - Trimmed some of Erskine fiddling with the microphone - Cut Dr. Erskine’s line, “That was penicillin.” Erskine now sighs in response to Steve’s line, “That wasn’t so bad,” and then says, “Serum infusion… beginning in…” Steve looks at him baffled. - Cut Erskine checking on Steve, and Steve asking, “Is it too late to go to the bathroom?” - Altered the pacing of the transformation - Added the reaction shot of Howard Stark removing his glasses to after Steve’s new body is revealed, matching the way it was done in the trailers - Cut the shot of the Assassin leaving something in the booth, and his dramatic stare-down with Erskine. Explosion occurs just after Steve’s line, “Taller,” to take the audience by surprise. - Re-arranged the Assassin’s escape to give more time between Steve and Erskine. - Cut Steve’s two “Sorry” lines during the chase to maintain the gravity of the situation. - Schmidt finding the cube has been moved to right after the Assassin reveals he’s from Hydra and kills himself. - The entire sequence of Schmidt finding the cube has been trimmed down to a little over a minute long and to not show Schmidt’s face (I thought it more menacing and fun this way). Scene ends when Schmidt opens the box with cube inside - Cut scene of Steve behind stage saying, “I don’t know if I can do this.” Musical montge now begins with Steve being abruptly shoved on stage - A full minute and twenty seconds has been cut out of the Musical Montage (was 3 minutes, 50 seconds; now 1 minute, 30 seconds) - Sped up the soldiers turning on Steve’s theatrics; cut the mooning soldier - Cut Steve walking back stage - Simplified Steve’s conversation with Agent Carter backstage - Tightened Steve’s conversation about the POW’s. Scene now ends with Steve saying, “Yes, sir” - Cut chorus girl looking for her helmet - Cut “So… do you two… Fondue?” Steve now gives an awkward nod after asking, “So… do you two…?” - Cut Steve’s line, “The hell I can’t! I’m a Captain!” Instead Steve just grins when Carter says, “You can’t give me orders!” - Cut the scene of Schmidt in the factory. - Cut scene of POW’s being put in their cells - Cut Steve’s line to the two guards when he jumps in the truck - Cut the guard staring at the shield for 3 seconds. Guard removes the tarp and is instantly knocked out when seeing the shield. - Cut Steve running around the outside of the base. - Steve takes out the guard in a single punch. No door slam. - Cut Steve’s line to the prisoners, “I’m…uh… Captain America.” - Cut “We taking everyone?”/ “I’m from Fresno, Ace.” - Trimmed Schmidt starting the timers so you don’t see his face - Re-paced the action of the escape a tad - Cut the line before Bucky’s, “Is it perminent?” - Cut Steve punching Schmidt, and Schmidt punching the sheild and getting kicked. Dr. Zola now pulls the lever to separate the bridge before Steve and Schmidt can meet in the center, depriving Steve of a revenge lick. - Trimmed the scene to show as little of the Red Skull make-up as possible after Schmidt removes the Elron mask - Cut Red Skull and Zola in the elevator, Red Skull’s chopper escape, and Zola taking the car. - Scene between Carter and Phillips begins with Phillips’ line, “Go get a cup of coffee, Corporal.” - Carter now responds, “I had faith,” to Phillips’ line, “Because you had a crush.” - Cut Phillips walking through the crowd. - Shortened the shot of the Bully coming out of the tent - Moved the Medal of Valor ceremony to later in the film. - Cut Steve pointing out the bases/ Carter’s, “Well, no one’s PERfect.” - Simplified Steve’s conversation with Phillips and the subsequent bar scene for pacing - Cut Steve’s line, “I don’t know. It’s starting to grow on me.” - Cut Carter’s line, “the right partner.” - Intercut Howard Stark testing the cube energy with Steve being hit on the blonde secretary to improve pacing, create a metaphor, and for entertainment. - Cut Carter’s line, “You still don’t know a bloody thing about women.” - Carter grabs the gun quicker for added comedic effect - The Medal for Valor Ceremony now opens the war montage in a fun way - Cut Red Skull angry behind the wheel of a car. - Simplified Red Skull’s “Apparently not” scene at the end of the montage - Re-paced the action in the train sequence - Cut all instances of Dr. Zola over the intercom during the train trap. - Re-placed the greenscreen shot of Bucky falling with a shot of the empty cavern below - Cut the whole scene of Phillips interrogating Zola - Cut the motocycle chase - Re-paced the climax - Cut Steve’s line, “You’re late.” - Cut Steve’s speed-ramped tarzan swing - Cut Steve murdering two men in the aircraft (the knife in the back and throwing another out the plane) - Added reaction shot of pilot when other guard is shredded in the propeller blades - Cut Red Skull’s line, “You don’t give up, do you?” (Too ‘On-the-nose’ in relation to the opening bully scene) - Cut as many shots of the exterior of the aircraft as possible to keep the action inside the plane - Steve’s line, “Not MY future!” is now said as he’s throwing the shield at Red Skull - Cut Steve’s line, “This is my choice.” - Cut Carter’s line, “at the _____ club.” - “To the Captain” line has been muted during the toast. - Added reaction shot of Carter after seeing Steve’s picture. - Cut all dialogue between Nick Fury and Steve. Film ends with a silent, emotional realization of what’s happened. - Credits start with “Captain America: The First Avenger”

Additional Notes:

-Removed the Opening Framing Device -Excised the Majority of Red Skull’s Scenes; Delayed his First Scene; His Face is not seen until Steve Rogers first Encounters Him -Cut Any Sign of Trouble Before the Super Soldier Procedure -Revamped the Film’s Action -Excised or Modified Particular Lines of Dialogue that were Inappropriate for the Tone of Select Scenes (Example; “Someone get that kid a sandwhich!”) (This includes ‘On-the-Nose’ lines, such as “The right partner.”) -Re-arranged/Re-worked the Middle Section of the Film in Entertaining Ways -Removed the Dialogue from the Ending Scene; Film Ends with a Silent Realization -Credits Now Start with “Captain America: The First Avenger”

Other Sources:

Special Thanks:

Raymonster88 for feedback and advice during the editing process. The Avengers Initiative.