Captain America's Best MCU Quote Gets the Ultimate Upgrade
Captain America's greatest Marvel Cinematic Universe quote just got a huge upgrade. Every MCU fan knows Steve Rogers' signature line: "I can do this all day," which he drops in multiple movies. It signifies Cap's fighting spirit, which made him heroic even before the Super Soldier Serum turned him into a superhero. And the new version of the quote expands on that by orders of magnitude, testifying to the true scope of Rogers' fortitude.
The character first said "I can do this all day" in his MCU origin story, Captain America: The First Avenger. He later repeated it in Civil War, and then again in Avengers: Endgame. Each iteration of the quote is more of a fist-pumping moment than the last. And that's exactly what the vibe is in Marvel's latest callback to the quote.
In Marvel Comics, Steve Rogers has found himself in the one place you'd least expect him: hell. But it's true. The current "Hell's Angel" arc has Captain America and Doctor Doom teaming up in the underworld to fight Mephisto. As the latest issue ends, Cap is ready and eager for a fight, and if it takes longer than a day, that's fine with him.
Warning! Spoilers ahead for Captain America #14!
Captain America's Impactful Update To His MCU Catchphrase
Captain America #15, By Chip Zdarsky & Ton Lima
"I could do this for all eternity," Steve Rogers narrates at the end of Captain America #14, as Red Skull leaps at him wielding a flaming sword. It's an evolution of the line that has become synonymous with the hero, thanks to the MCU, in a wildly different context. There's the literal context for the line, of course; Cap is in the afterlife when he says it, facing eternity if he can't escape and return to the land of the living.
But there's obviously the larger context to the line that makes it even more significant. In the MCU, each use of the line "I can do this all day" is a character moment for Chris Evans' version of Steve Rogers; here, author Chip Zdarsky makes the line about Captain America, about his status as an iconic character. Marvel Comics might not last for an "eternity," but as long as they do, Captain American will have no choice but to fight in perpetuity.
As long as Captain America exists, he will be in for "one battle after another," to appropriate the title of last year's Best Picture winner. Even though Cap will win most of those fights, there will almost be more enemies to deal with. And in Captain America #14, the hero confirms he's at peace with that.
Marvel's Latest Callback Elevates Its Greatest Modern Catchphrase
Catchphrases used to be synonymous with superheroes. "It's clobberin' time!" "Oh my stars and garters!" "By the hoary hosts of Hoggoth!" (Yeah, Doctor Strange really used to say that last one.) That has gone out of vogue to a large degree in modern comics as a rhetorical device, but that doesn't stop organic catchphrases from cropping up here and there. "I can do this all day" from the MCU is arguably the sterling example of that for modern Marvel.
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01
The Avengers first assembled in Marvel Comics in 1963. In the original comic, the team formed to battle a villain who had been manipulated by his adopted brother. Which villain brought the original Avengers together?
✓ Correct! In Avengers #1 (September 1963), Loki manipulated the Hulk into going on a rampage, which led Iron Man, Thor, Ant-Man, and the Wasp to band together. They defeated Loki and decided to form a permanent team — the Avengers were born.
✗ Even the Hulk couldn’t smash that answer! The correct answer is Loki. In the original 1963 comic, Loki tricked the Hulk into a rampage, which brought together Iron Man, Thor, Ant-Man, and the Wasp. Ultron came later, Thanos is a cosmic threat, and Kang is a time-traveling villain.
02
In the MCU, Tony Stark famously declared “I am Iron Man” at a press conference, breaking the superhero tradition of secret identities. In which year’s MCU film did Tony Stark first appear as Iron Man?
✓ Correct! Iron Man (2008) launched the Marvel Cinematic Universe and starred Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark. The film’s post-credits scene with Nick Fury teased the Avengers Initiative, kicking off the most successful film franchise in history.
✗ Even the Hulk couldn’t smash that answer! The correct answer is 2008. Iron Man premiered on May 2, 2008, directed by Jon Favreau and starring Robert Downey Jr. It was the first film in the MCU and set the stage for everything that followed.
03
Thanos, the Mad Titan, sought to collect all six Infinity Stones to achieve his genocidal goal. In Avengers: Infinity War, he succeeded in his plan. What did Thanos do with the completed Infinity Gauntlet?
✓ Correct! With a single snap of his fingers, Thanos wiped out half of all living creatures in the universe. Known as “The Blip,” this devastating act erased trillions of lives and set the stage for the Avengers’ desperate time heist in Endgame to undo the damage.
✗ Even the Hulk couldn’t smash that answer! The correct answer is that Thanos snapped away half of all life in the universe. His twisted philosophy of “balance” drove him to commit universal genocide with a single snap, making it one of the most shocking moments in cinema history.
04
In Avengers: Endgame, Captain America proved worthy of wielding Thor’s enchanted hammer during the final battle against Thanos. What is the name of Thor’s hammer?
✓ Correct! Mjolnir, forged in the heart of a dying star, bears the inscription “Whosoever holds this hammer, if he be worthy, shall possess the power of Thor.” Captain America wielding it in Endgame was one of the most celebrated moments in MCU history.
✗ Even the Hulk couldn’t smash that answer! The correct answer is Mjolnir. Stormbreaker is the axe Thor forged in Infinity War, Gungnir is Odin’s spear, and Jarnbjorn is an axe Thor used in the comics before Mjolnir. Mjolnir is the iconic enchanted hammer.
05
Black Widow, born Natasha Romanoff, is one of the founding MCU Avengers. Before joining S.H.I.E.L.D., she was trained as an assassin in a secret Soviet program. What is the name of this program?
✓ Correct! The Red Room was a covert Soviet training facility that turned young girls into elite spies and assassins known as Black Widows. Natasha was subjected to brutal conditioning and sterilization. Her escape and defection to S.H.I.E.L.D. was explored in the 2021 Black Widow film.
✗ Even the Hulk couldn’t smash that answer! The correct answer is The Red Room. HYDRA is a separate evil organization, the Winter Soldier Program created Bucky Barnes, and Department X is from the comics. The Red Room is the infamous Soviet program that forged Natasha into Black Widow.
06
The Hulk was created when Dr. Bruce Banner was exposed to massive amounts of radiation during a weapons test. What type of radiation transformed Banner into the Hulk?
✓ Correct! Dr. Bruce Banner was caught in the blast of a gamma bomb he designed, absorbing a massive dose of gamma radiation. This transformed him into the Hulk — a being of near-limitless strength whose power increases with his rage. Gamma radiation remains central to the Hulk’s mythology.
✗ Even the Hulk couldn’t smash that answer! The correct answer is Gamma Radiation. Cosmic Rays gave the Fantastic Four their powers, Pym Particles are Ant-Man’s shrinking technology, and Terrigen Mist activates Inhuman abilities. Gamma radiation is what created the Incredible Hulk.
07
In the MCU, after Steve Rogers retired as Captain America, he passed his shield to a new hero to carry on the legacy. Who became the new Captain America?
✓ Correct! At the end of Avengers: Endgame, an elderly Steve Rogers chose Sam Wilson — the Falcon — to carry on the Captain America legacy. Sam’s journey to embrace the shield was explored in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier series, and he fully took up the mantle as Captain America.
✗ Even the Hulk couldn’t smash that answer! The correct answer is Sam Wilson. While Bucky Barnes was Captain America in the comics, Steve chose Sam in the MCU. John Walker was temporarily given the shield by the government, and Isaiah Bradley was a forgotten super soldier from the past.
08
Ultron is an artificial intelligence who becomes one of the Avengers’ deadliest enemies. In the MCU’s Avengers: Age of Ultron, which Avenger inadvertently created Ultron?
✓ Correct! Tony Stark created the Ultron program as a global peacekeeping AI, using technology from Loki’s scepter (which contained the Mind Stone). The AI became sentient and immediately decided humanity needed to be eradicated. In the comics, Hank Pym created Ultron, but the MCU shifted this to Stark.
✗ Even the Hulk couldn’t smash that answer! The correct answer is Tony Stark. While Hank Pym created Ultron in the comics, the MCU changed this to Tony Stark. Bruce Banner assisted but it was Tony’s initiative. Vision was actually created from Ultron’s technology, not the other way around.
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It has been transposed into the comics before, but not like this. "I could do this for all eternity" is a refreshing spin, and a remarkable upgrade, for the classic quote. It speaks to the essence of what makes Captain America a legendary character while also fitting seamlessly in to the story that is being told.
Good callbacks are like threading a needle. It can't take the audience out of the story, or make them think of the other story being referenced too much. It has to give them that nostalgia hit while also serving to move the story forward. The latest Captain America issue nails that with its Marvel Cinematic Universe reference.
Captain America #14 is available now from Marvel Comics.