(Scene begins with a smartwatch screen and a finger as it taps the screen, and the 1994 American Gladiators plays as the scene cuts to a hand as it taps an app on his phone, as it opens a portal.)
(It cuts to James and the characters he’s played until it cut to his face and the credit of “James Faraci” is shown as it cuts to “The Last Of The Americans'” current iteration then slides away to different images of Paulo Fonseca, Brenda Fonseca, Rebecca Yaun, Nick Yaun and the characters they’ve played until it cut to their faces. The credits of “Paulo and Brenda Fonseca, Rebecca and Nick Yaun” are shown, then slide away to different images of Doug Yaun and Crosslyn Castillo, Nick Lopez and Jessica Lopez-Barkl, and the characters they’ve played, until it cuts to their faces.)
(After that, the credits “Doug Yaun and Crosslyn Castillo, Nick Lopez and Jessica Lopez-Barkl” are shown, as it then slides away to different images of Andrew Beach Eric Kurtzke, Renee Miller and Olivia Horvath. Following this, the credits of “Andrew Beach, Eric Kurtzke, Renee Miller, Olivia Horvath” are shown as the 0:00-0:21 mark of the theme song plays.)
(Everything becomes a swirl of reds, whites, and blues, as the credits “Produced by First Choice Entertainment Productions in association with Manic-Expression.com"; “Executive Producers: James Faraci, Paulo Fonseca, Brenda Fonseca, Rebecca Yaun, Nick Yaun, Eric Kurtzke, Renee Miller, Andrew Beach & Olivia Horvath”; “Editing by Eric Kurtzke and James Faraci”; “Written and Directed by James Faraci” are shown, as the 0:21-0:26 mark of the theme song plays.)
(We then see an image of James as he jumps through the portal and lands with half of his team on his right. The other half on his left is on a black background. Finally, the title “THE LAST OF THE AMERICANS” is shown Lazer etched into Titanium as the last six seconds of the American Gladiators 1994 theme song plays.)
(Cut to James in his office)
TLOTA:
I’m James Faraci The Last Of The Americans, the views I’m about to express are that of my own and some of yours. And it’s time once again for another “American Icon” (Cut to Guitar music like “American Idiot” plays as James Faraci and Paulo Fonseca on guitars, Andrew Beach on Bass Guitar, and Nick Lopez on the Drums and the set is like the set of “American Idiot” except the colors are Patriotically Red, White, and Blue)
James Faraci (Singing):
All year we’re cheering American Icons! (Guitars play the tune for three seconds.) Twelve months of heroes of Cinema! (Guitars play the tune for three seconds.) From John Wayne to Rocky Balboa (Guitars play the tune for three seconds.) Oh, hell yeah, we’re talking about them all! (The tune continues) [Chorus] Welcome to the two hundred and fiftieth, hoping we’ll see two fifty-one! And we can finally be Okay! Humans dream of a better tomorrow, knowing it won’t be hollow! For me that’s good enough! (Drums play and the music continues.) We’re going to show off the hard work! (Guitars play the tune for three seconds.) Even if it makes me look like a real jerk. (Guitars play the tune for three seconds.) Now everyone get ready to celebrate with us! (Guitars play the tune for three seconds.) And make sure you have a dose of common sense. (The tune continues) [Chorus] Welcome to the two hundred and fiftieth, hoping we’ll see two fifty-one! And we can finally be Okay! Humans dream of a better tomorrow, knowing it won’t be hollow! For me that’s good enough! (Drums play and the music continues with a guitar solo.) All year we’re cheering American Icons! Twelve months of heroes of Cinema! Information about them will be a lot, you’re going to know whether you like or not [Chorus] Welcome to the two hundred and fiftieth, hoping we’ll see two fifty-one! And we can finally be Okay! Humans dream of a better tomorrow, knowing it won’t be hollow! For me, that’s good enough! (Drums play, and the music continues and concludes, and the words “American Icons” are put up in different styles of text. The scene cuts to stills of Steve Rogers “Captain America,” John Walker “Captain America,” and Sam Wilson “Falcon/Captain America” from the MCU as James does a voiceover.)
TLOTA (V.O.):
Steve Rogers, Sam Wilson, and regrettably, John Walker, these men have carried the shield and the title of Captain America for better… (show clip of John Walker killing a flag smasher) …and worse. But none the less these men have brought their own events that have made Captain America great and again… (show clip of John Walker killing a flag smasher) …not so great, and yeah I am going to use this clip again, since it’s going to be in the intro to the list to one of these ten iconic moments of the Star-Spangled Man with the plan. From “The First Avenger” to “The Avengers” movies, to “The Falcon and The Winter Soldier” and “Strange New World.” I’m counting them down. (Cut to James physically)
TLOTA:
While Steve Rogers says, “I can do this all day.” I want to get this to you so you can enjoy it all day. These are the top ten iconic moments of “Captain America” in the MCU. (Cut to clips of the different men to be “Captain America” as they throw the Iconic Shield and fight bad guys with the iconic “I can do this all day!” shifting to the shield itself and the words circulating around the shield “Top Ten Iconic Captain America Moments” as “Star-Spangled Man” at the 0:00-2:27 mark play in the foreground. The words disappear as the number appears in the center of the shield, and James does a voiceover.)
TLOTA(V.O.):
Number Ten
(Cut to all of John Walker’s time as Captain America/ “U.S. Agent” as James does a voiceover.)
10) John Walker’s run as Captain America in “The Falcon and The Soldier.”
TLOTA (V.O.)
I'm putting it this far down because we, as an audience, weren’t given any sign that John Walker was going to be given the title of Captain America, BY ANY STRETCH OF THE IMAGINATION! Especially when we got the first look at him in his Captain America suit and headpiece. Everyone compared his face in the headpiece to Carl from the movie “UP!” Then he started to act a little more like his comic book iteration, and yeah, I know I’ve played this clip already to death, but yeah, it bears repeating as John loses his friend at the hand of a Flag Smasher at the end of episode four, possibly hopped up on the serum, John goes cuckoo and then... (Show the clip of John Walker, “Captain America,” killing a Flag Smasher and the aftermath of it.) There’s no way John could come back from that as he is stripped of the title, only for Valentina to make him “U.S. Agent.” While John did redeem himself in “Thunderbolts*: The New Avengers,” further redemption for John may occur in the next two “Avengers” movies. His run as Captain America kept the title alive, so the rightful heir to the title of “Captain America,” Sam Wilson, could show the true meaning of “Captain America.” Makes John’s short run worthy of the list.
(Cut to clips of the different men to be “Captain America” as they throw the Iconic Shield as the number appears in the center of the shield as “Star-Spangled Man” at the 2:07-2:27 mark plays and James does a voiceover the clips associated with where it is on the list.)
TLOTA (V.O.):
Number Nine
(Cut to clips of Sam Wilson “Captain America” vs. Red Hulk as James does a voiceover)
9) “Captain America” Sam Wilson vs “Thunderbolt” Thaddeus “The Red Hulk” Ross in “Captain America: Brave New World.”
TLOTA (V.O.):
Looking back at the movie, it is the Square Peg of fitting the “World War Hulk/Red Hulk” storyline into the round hole of the MCU, but it works and the denumount of the whole thing is “Thunderbolt” Thaddeus Ross now being played by Harrison Ford becoming “The Red Hulk” and boy does this battle symbolize everything that was supposed to be the fight between Bruce Banner’s Hulk and Thaddeus Ross’s Red Hulk. The journey to discovering what Sterns had done to Ross is a highlight so when “Captain America” Sam Wilson had to take on The Red Hulk he knew what he had to do. While the fight was awesome, at some point, Sam was wondering what else he had to do to subdue the Red Hulk. Also, at some point, either Sam is going to be out of defenses, or Thaddeus will smash “Captain America,” leaving a big puddle of red, white, and Black and Blue. While Sam does outsmart The Red Hulk with the use of his daughter Betty, played by Liv Tyler, the way “Captain America” would and should stop something uncontrollable, which shows what “Captain America” is about
(Cut to clips of the different men to be “Captain America” as they throw the Iconic Shield as the number appears in the center of the shield as “Star-Spangled Man” at the 2:07-2:27 mark plays and James does a voiceover the clips associated with where it is on the list.)
TLOTA (V.O.):
Number Eight
(Cut to clips of “Captain America” Steve Rogers’s speech about Project Insight from “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” as James does a voiceover.)
8) “Captain America’s speech about the difference between freedom and fear in “Captain America: The Winter Soldier”
TLOTA:
“Captain America” Steve Rogers while in the middle of another “SHIELD” mission discovers Natasha “Black Widow” Romanoff, played by Scarlet Johanson, gathering data and ignoring Steve Rogers's orders and confronts Nick Fury, played by Samuel L Jackson, about what Natasha’s goals were when Nick shows Steve “Project Insight” a counter terrorist project consisting of Three Helli carriers retrofitted by Tony Stark’s Repulsor tech and enough ammo to wipe every single insurgent off the map. However, Steve feels that this is the wrong thing to do. Holding weapons on people, and calling it protection, doesn’t sound like it to either Steve or me. This is something I discussed in my Top Ten Episodes of “The Orville.” Just because we can do this doesn’t mean it’s right. And Steve pointing out that this isn’t freedom and that it’s fear and so close to what the bad guys are doing, helps set the rest of the movie up perfunctory.
(Cut to clips of the different men to be “Captain America” as they throw the Iconic Shield as the number appears in the center of the shield as “Star-Spangled Man” at the 2:07-2:27 mark plays and James does a voiceover the clips associated with where it is on the list.)
TLOTA (V.O.):
Number Seven
(Cut to clips of “Captain America” Steve Rogers as he leads “The Avengers” in combat with the Chitauri in the first “Avengers” movie as James does a voiceover.)
7) The moment The Avengers united and Captain America leads the fight in “Marvel’s The Avengers.”
TLOTA (V.O.):
Watching this moment when “Captain America” Steve Rogers begins to coordinate how far the fight should go in Manhattan. Telling the NYPD to set up the perimeter at 39th Street to keep the civilians out of the line of fire and getting the team together, that includes Bruce Banner, as they all suit up and prepare to fight the Chitauri together. Now, while Tony Stark, who is still holding a sibling-like grudge towards Captain America at this point, puts it away enough for him to allow “Captain America” Steve Rogers to lead the team effectively, containing the battle within the perimeter, putting the team where they can be the most effective, and keeping the casualties down to a minimum. All because Captain America took the leader’s spot in “The Avengers.”
(Cut to clips of the different men to be “Captain America” as they throw the Iconic Shield as the number appears in the center of the shield as “Star-Spangled Man” at the 2:07-2:27 mark plays and James does a voiceover the clips associated with where it is on the list.)
TLOTA (V.O.):
Number Six
(Cut to clips of Isiah Bradley meeting Sam and Bucky in “The Falcon and The Winter Soldier” as James does a voiceover)
6) Isiah Bradley; The forgotten first Black “Captain America” in “The Falcon and The Winter Soldier.”
TLOTA (V.O.):
Hearing the tail of Isiah Bradley, played by Carl Lumbly, who was given the Super Soldier formula at the time of the Korean War and met Bucky (who doing his service to HYDRA as “The Winter Soldier”) and by the end much like the Korean War itself, was forgotten. It was a tale like those who served in that war. This also served as a warning for Sam before donning the “Captain America” suit and title. By the end of “The Falcon and The Winter Soldier” Sam helps Isiah be recognized for his services as “Captain America” but knowing that someone outside of Steve Rogers was worthy of the title, even though he didn’t have the suit, the shield or the recognition, left the poor man broken which also left Isiah hurting others from his pain. However, being finally recognized after being forgotten is worth all he had been through more than others who had been recognized for their services as Captain America.
(Cut to clips of the different men to be “Captain America” as they throw the Iconic Shield as the number appears in the center of the shield as “Star-Spangled Man” at the 2:07-2:27 mark plays and James does a voiceover the clips associated with where it is on the list.)
TLOTA (V.O.):
Number Five
(Cut to the clips of “Captain America” Steve Rogers as he goes into the ice in James does a voiceover.)
5) “Captain America” Steve Rogers goes into the ice in “Captain America: The First Avenger”
TLOTA (V.O.):
Everything Steve Rogers has been in “Captain America: The First Avenger” from getting hit with the Super Soldier Serum, losing Dr. Erskine in a HYDRA attack, and all the losses he suffered at the hands of The Red Skull and knowing that Red Skull’s last attack was going to wipe out the eastern seaboard, “Captain America” Steve Rogers knew he had no other choice but to take the fighter out of harm's way and far out of human contact. Thus, having no other option but to crash the fighter into the North Pole. Something tells me that Steve Rogers is going to have to do a lot to get off Santa’s Naughty list for crashing the fighter near his workshop. But I digress, knowing that this was going to be Steve’s last moments. He wanted to share them with Peggy Carter with whom he had the closest thing to a romantic relationship this movie could possibly give us, knowing that this is their goodbye. Seeing the crashed ship go down in the North Pole and everyone celebrating the victory of HYDRA’s destruction, the end of the second World War happened because one man chose to sacrifice himself and goes to the North Pole to possibly never emerge. Of course he does in the next scene, but in a world different than his. A moment worthy of this list.
(Show the ending of “Captain America: The First Avenger” as Steve sees our modern world and tells Nick Fury, “I had a date.” Cut to clips of the different men to be “Captain America” as they throw the Iconic Shield as the number appears in the center of the shield as “Star-Spangled Man” at the 2:07-2:27 mark plays and James does a voiceover the clips associated with where it is on the list.)
TLOTA (V.O.):
Number Four
(Cut to the clips of the finale of “The Falcon and The Soldier” as Sam Wilson takes the shield and mantle of “Captain America” as James does a voiceover.)
4) Sam Wilson’s debut as “Captain America” in “The Falcon and The Soldier”
TLOTA (V.O.):
It was the moment we knew was coming after John Walker had done what he did as “Captain America.” and it was awesome. Seeing someone with all the internal attributes to be “Captain America” to wear the suit and carry both the shield and mantle. The moment the Flag Smashers decided to try and overthrow the United Nations, it was the right moment for the right Captain America, FOR SAM WILSON TO DON THE SUIT, CARRY THE SHIELD AND BRING THE HONOR OF CAPTAIN AMERICA BACK FROM PEOPLE THAT HAD NO IDEA WHO OR WHAT CAPTAIN AMERICA IS! And he had to take on not only the Flag Smashers he had to do a lot of work to rescue their hostages and prove that he was worthy of what he had earned. All the while dealing with his predecessor, John Walker, trying to be in the mix, proving he is better than Sam, though he does show he was good enough to be a hero; he’ll never truly be Captain America again. Though this moment in this gets a chuckle out of me. (Show the clip of Sam Wilson’s Captain America as he says, “Boy, you’ve done earned this asswhuppin.’” Cut to clips of the different men to be “Captain America” as they throw the Iconic Shield, as the number appears in the center of the shield as “Star-Spangled Man” at the 2:07-2:27 mark plays and James does a voiceover the clips associated with where it is on the list.)
TLOTA (V.O.):
Number Three
(Show the moment as Mjölnir as it rises off the ground, hits Thanos, and goes to Captain America Steve Rogers in “Avengers: Endgame” and audiences cheer in excitement. Cut to the clip on its own and the aftermath of it as James does a voiceover.)
3) Captain America Steve Rogers becomes worthy of Mjölnir in “Avengers: Endgame.”
TLOTA (V.O.):
When this moment happened, briefly set up in “Age Of Ultron,” as Steve Rogers just begins to pull it off the table. Seeing Mjolnir lift on its own and hit Thanos several times only to come to “Captain America” Steve Rogers. The audience's reactions are still measured on the Richter Scale to this day! Seeing Steve Rogers wield Mjolnir was a great moment in his character’s arc. He was still the young man who wanted to be a hero and protect the people. He didn’t care about glory or if he was worthy of it. He wanted to do what was right because it was right and all the trials and tribulations he had along the way made it clear that when the moment came, he would be worthy of everything a hero was worth. But this is also the lead into the moment when Steve Rogers thought he was going to take on Thanos and his army alone when... (Show the clip of the heroes dusted in “Avengers: Infinity War” coming back and standing with The Avengers one last time to end Thanos) The audience reaction to this moment turns into one of the biggest reactions in cinema ever. Every... Single... hero up to this point is being led by a kid from Brooklyn with a broken shield and the powers of a Norse God. An Iconic moment that still holds up and worthy of this list.
(Show the moment as “Captain America” Steve Rogers shouts “AVENGERS!” catches the hammer and says “Assemble” and both sides begin to collide as it cuts to clips of the different men to be “Captain America” as they throw the Iconic Shield as the number appears in the center of the shield as “Star-Spangled Man” at the 2:07-2:27 mark plays and James does a voiceover the clips associated with where it is on the list.)
TLOTA (V.O.):
Number Two
(Cut to “Captain America: The First Avenger” as “Captain America” Steve Rogers vs Johan “The Red Skull” Schmidt on the plane as James does a voiceover.)
2) Captain America vs The Red Skull
TLOTA (V.O.):
In Captain America Steve Rogers’ first outing in the MCU, everyone wanted to see the moment in which Cap takes on the Red Skull, played by Hugo Weaving, in the fight to stop HYDRA once and for all. When the two meet at the start of the third act, The Red Skull asks Steve what made him so special and worthy of the formula that made him “Captain America,” and Steve's response is simple. “Nothing, he was a guy from Brooklyn,” and as someone who has family and whose father lived in Brooklyn, there’s more like my father and Steve Rogers. So, when he lets the Red Skull have it, he’s representing those like him. Fighters with heart, Brooklyn, someone who will stand up and not back down from the fight. Yet what is at the No. 1 spot is the fight that we all saw coming.
(Cut to clips of the different men to be “Captain America” as they throw the Iconic Shield as the number appears in the center of the shield as “Star-Spangled Man” at the 2:07-2:27 mark plays, and James does a voiceover of the clips associated with where it is on the list.)
TLOTA (V.O.):
And the Number one Iconic moment of “Captain America” in the MCU is...
(Cut to every ounce of buildup and the battle between “Captain America” Steve Rogers vs “Iron Man” Tony Stark as James does a voiceover.)
1) The fight between “Captain America” Steve Rogers and Tony “Iron Man” Stark in “Captain America: Civil War.”
TLOTA:
From the first “Iron Man” movie, to the moment they first meet in “Marvel’s The Avengers” to the minor skirmishes between the two philosophically in “Avengers: Age Of Ultron,” the producers of the MCU set this up perfunctorily. So, when it came time to bring about the third entry of Captain America, they knew they had to adapt “Captain America: Civil War.” And the moment that caused the two to finally come to blows wasn’t the Sokovian Accords, nor was it the collateral damage that happened in the movie. It was a moment between the two as the truth as how Howard and Maria Stark bought it at the hands of “The Winter Soldier” James Buchanon “Bucky” Barnes, every ounce of resentment, every ounce of time, years for Tony being made to live up to the standards Howard had for Tony as to what Steve Rogers meant to Howard. Seeing all that rage now boil over when the moment is discovered, set the two to fight in a brawl that broke the hearts of the audience. For Tony Stark, Steve Rogers was, for all intents and purposes, the oldest son of Howard Stark, and eventually, brothers must scrap. The intensity of the fight showed everything about the two. Tony was always secretly jealous of how Howard always talked about “Captain America” Steve Rogers and all the poking that he did in the first “Avengers” movie and in “Age Of Ultron” as Tony was basically creating the enemy that they had to fight as an idea to end the fight to basically say “I made something better than when dad made you! Neiner! Neiner! Neiner!” to the moments between the two where they were disagreeing on EVERYTHING when it came to the Accords, even though it looked like they would work it out in the end when one of them (Tony mostly) saying or doing the one thing too far. But the denouement was when the fight ended and Steve Rogers threw down the shield in disgust towards what Tony was really like behind the helmet of “Iron Man.” Though at the end of the movie as Tony returns to The Avengers building in upstate NY and it’s empty knowing that he doesn’t have the team to back him should the worst happen. Steve does leave a message to Tony apologizing for not telling him about what happened, wishing they had agreed on the Accords, and letting Tony know that if he needed Steve and his team, they’ll be there. But damn if this battle was every ounce of what their relationship was for all intents and purposes. Yeah, by “Endgame,” they did fully bury the hatchet, but every ounce of their relationship was encapsulated in “Civil War,” and the final fight between Tony and Steve is the number one “Captain America” moment in the MCU. (Cut to James physically)
TLOTA:
Are there any moments that you think should be on this list? Let me know in the comments. As for any further reasons why the idea of “Captain America” is an Icon of America? Well... (Cut to clips of all the people who were Captain America in the MCU as James does a voiceover.)
TLOTA (V.O.):
He represents the person we should be. He stands like an oak tree in a world that compromises itself for a greater good that isn’t. Captain America is willing to support the country and disagree with the President. Captain America, much like Superman, is a figure of moral certainty. He will stand against the N*ZIS and tell the President that he is a monster that he is. Captain America represents the little man and will make sure that everyone makes it back, and no one will stop him because, as Steve Rogers says, “I Can Do This All Day.” (Cut to James Physically)
TLOTA:
I’m James Faraci The Last Of The Americans and That’s my opinion. (James walks away and says off-screen, “So, what’s next on the docket? CRAP!)
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