<P> Rogers awakens in a 1940s - style hospital room . Deducing from an anachronistic radio broadcast that something is wrong, he flees outside and finds himself in present - day Times Square, where S.H.I.E.L.D. director Nick Fury informs him that he has been "asleep" for nearly 70 years . In a post-credits scene, Fury approaches Rogers and proposes a mission with worldwide ramifications . </P> <Ul> <Li> Chris Evans as Steve Rogers / Captain America: A frail, sickly young man who is enhanced to the peak of human ability by an experimental serum in order to aid the United States war effort . Evans, who previously worked with Marvel as the Human Torch in the Fantastic Four film series, said he declined the part three times before signing a six - picture deal with Marvel, explaining that, "At the time, I remember telling a buddy of mine,' If the movie bombs, I'm f--- ed (sic). If the movie hits, I'm f--- ed!' I was just scared . I realized my whole decision - making process was fear - based, and you never want to make a decision out of fear . I can't believe I was almost too chicken to play Captain America ." Evans ultimately agreed to the role, saying, "I think Marvel is doing a lot of good things right now, and it's a fun character...I think the story of Steve Rogers is great . He's a great guy . Even if it (were) just a script about anybody, I would probably want to do it . So it wasn't necessarily about the comic itself ." Regarding the extent of the character's abilities Evans remarked, "He would crush the Olympics . Any Olympic sport he's gonna dominate . He can jump higher, run faster, lift stronger weight, but he can be injured . He could roll an ankle and be out for the season . He's not perfect, he's not untouchable . So a lot of the effects, if I'm going to punch someone they're not going to put them on a cable and fly them back 50 feet, but he's going to go down, probably not getting back up, which I think humanizes it . It makes it something that, again, I think everyone can relate to a little bit more, which I really like ." Theater actor Leander Deeny was the body double in some shots for Steve Rogers' pre-transformation physique as well as appearing as a bartender . </Li> <Li> Tommy Lee Jones as Chester Phillips: A colonel in the United States Army and member of the Strategic Scientific Reserve who heads the project to create super soldiers . The character was updated from the comics, where Phillips was the one to recruit Rogers to join Project Rebirth that made him Captain America . Jones described the character as "the one you've seen in a thousand movies: the gruff, skeptical officer overseeing a team of talented, slightly sarcastic, specially talented soldiers". </Li> <Li> Hugo Weaving as Johann Schmidt / Red Skull: Adolf Hitler's head of advanced weaponry and commander of the terrorist organization Hydra, whose own plan for world domination involves harnessing the power of the magical object known as the Tesseract . Weaving stated that he patterned Red Skull's accent on those of Werner Herzog and Klaus Maria Brandauer . About the character, Weaving remarked, "I think the major difference between Skull and Cap, they've both had the serum, and the serum seems to augment certain qualities that each of them have . Cap is much more in tune with other people I think . Schmidt is in tune with himself, and his own needs, and his own ego, so I suppose it augments that . From that point of view, they're quite opposite ." </Li> <Li> Hayley Atwell as Peggy Carter: An officer with the Strategic Scientific Reserve who works with Phillips on the super soldier project . Regarding her preparation for the role, she said, "I'm training at the moment six days a week to make her a bit more military and make it convincing that I could kick butt ." About the character, Atwell stated, "I likened her character to that famous Ginger Rogers quote . She can do everything Captain America can do, but backwards and in high heels . She's an English soldier through and through, although she always looks fabulous . She might stand there with a machine - gun shooting Nazis, but she's obviously gone to the loo beforehand and applied a bit of lipstick . She doesn't need to be rescued . That's exciting to me--her strength ." She added, "I think she's quite stubborn, a slightly frustrated woman who struggles with being a woman in that time . But more importantly she's a modern woman and she sees something in Captain America that she relates to, and becomes kindred spirits . He treats her very differently to how she's been treated by lots of men, in this kind of dominated world she lives in . So she's very much a fighter ." </Li> <Li> Sebastian Stan as James Buchanan "Bucky" Barnes: A sergeant in the United States Army, Rogers' best friend and member of his squad of commandos . Stan has signed on for "five or six pictures". He revealed that he did not know anything about the comic books, but watched a lot of documentaries and films about World War II in preparation for the role, calling Band of Brothers "very helpful". About the role, Stan stated, "Steve Rogers and Bucky are both orphans and kind of like brothers . They kind of grow up together and look after each other . It's a very human, relatable thing...I also wanted to look out for how their relationship changes once Steve Rogers becomes Captain America . There's always a competition and they're always one - upping each other . I paid attention to how Bucky is affected by Steve's change and suddenly Steve is this leader". </Li> <Li> Dominic Cooper as Howard Stark: The father of Tony Stark, who worked on various government projects dating back to the World War II era . About the role, Cooper stated, "It's an opportunity where you can see his future because I know the guy who becomes my son and I see myself as an older version in Iron Man 2 which is great for an actor to have those tools . All I know of him is that he's a fantastic engineer and inventor and a very slick Howard Hughes type that's into aviation and women!" </Li> <Li> Neal McDonough as Timothy "Dum Dum" Dugan: A member of Steve Rogers' squad of commandos . McDonough said he grew Dugan's trademark mustache and wore the character's signature bowler hat . About his role in the film he remarked, "Oh, I'm going to see a lot of action . (I'm) the go - to guy, so I'm very happy with that ." </Li> <Li> Derek Luke as Gabe Jones: A member of Rogers' squad of commandos . Luke said he was cast without a script or much of a description of the character . As to why he took the part, "I just believed that Marvel was doing some really great work, great messages in films . The good versus evil and I was just like,' How can I be down?"' </Li> <Li> Stanley Tucci as Abraham Erskine: The scientist who created the Super Soldier Serum . Tucci said that what drew him to the role was the opportunity to do a German accent, which was something he always wanted to try . </Li> </Ul> <Li> Chris Evans as Steve Rogers / Captain America: A frail, sickly young man who is enhanced to the peak of human ability by an experimental serum in order to aid the United States war effort . Evans, who previously worked with Marvel as the Human Torch in the Fantastic Four film series, said he declined the part three times before signing a six - picture deal with Marvel, explaining that, "At the time, I remember telling a buddy of mine,' If the movie bombs, I'm f--- ed (sic). If the movie hits, I'm f--- ed!' I was just scared . I realized my whole decision - making process was fear - based, and you never want to make a decision out of fear . I can't believe I was almost too chicken to play Captain America ." Evans ultimately agreed to the role, saying, "I think Marvel is doing a lot of good things right now, and it's a fun character...I think the story of Steve Rogers is great . He's a great guy . Even if it (were) just a script about anybody, I would probably want to do it . So it wasn't necessarily about the comic itself ." Regarding the extent of the character's abilities Evans remarked, "He would crush the Olympics . Any Olympic sport he's gonna dominate . He can jump higher, run faster, lift stronger weight, but he can be injured . He could roll an ankle and be out for the season . He's not perfect, he's not untouchable . So a lot of the effects, if I'm going to punch someone they're not going to put them on a cable and fly them back 50 feet, but he's going to go down, probably not getting back up, which I think humanizes it . It makes it something that, again, I think everyone can relate to a little bit more, which I really like ." Theater actor Leander Deeny was the body double in some shots for Steve Rogers' pre-transformation physique as well as appearing as a bartender . </Li> <Li> Tommy Lee Jones as Chester Phillips: A colonel in the United States Army and member of the Strategic Scientific Reserve who heads the project to create super soldiers . The character was updated from the comics, where Phillips was the one to recruit Rogers to join Project Rebirth that made him Captain America . Jones described the character as "the one you've seen in a thousand movies: the gruff, skeptical officer overseeing a team of talented, slightly sarcastic, specially talented soldiers". </Li>

Who plays captain america in the first avenger