Avengers: Endgame Writers Reveal Why Captain America Didn’t Change History

Avengers: Endgame may be a milestone achievement for Marvel Studios, but that doesn’t mean it was a perfect culmination of the Marvel Cinematic Universe‘s “Infinity Saga.” In fact, Endgame‘s ending leaves some big questions answered – and no doubt the one fans have been discussing the most is the ultimate fate of Steve Rogers / Captain America.

Well, one of Avengers: Endgame‘s writers has spoken up about the end to Captain America’s MCU arc, and why it doesn’t break the continuity of the franchise’s previous installments.

The final shot of Avengers: Endgame reveals that Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) completes his mission to return all six Infinity Stones to various points in history that The Avengers “borrowed” them from. However, instead of returning home when the mission was complete, Cap goes back to the 1950s to live out his lifetime with his love Peggy Carter. Falcon and Winter Soldier are then approached by an elderly Steve Rogers, moments after Cap ventured off to return the Infinity Stones, with Steve confirming that he instead chose to live a different kind of life.

Steve Rogers’ return to the past has been problematic for a lot of Marvel Fans, for several big reasons:

1. It’s hard to believe that Steve Rogers lived through all that time as Peggy’s husband and was never recognized.
2. It’s hard for fans to believe that Cap could live out that domestic life knowing all the terrible threats out there, and tragedies that will occur, without intervening.
3. There’s a lot of confusion about the rules of time travel that Endgame established, and whether Cap would created a new timeline for him and Peggy to live in, or whether he existed in the original MCU timeline.

We’ve already had it confirmed by Endgame writers Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely that Steve Rogers was in fact Peggy Carter’s husband who was alluded to in Captain America: The Winter Soldier, and during a panel as San Diego Comic-Con on Endgame‘s approach to science, Markus added this (via Screen Rant):

“Stephen [McFeely] and I are just so taken with the idea that Steve went back and somehow, therefore, has always been back. And he got to live his life. Because you get Captain Americaloyalists who say that if Cap goes back in time, he is honor-bound to fix everything he knows is going to happen. So he has to go save Bucky, he has to prevent the Kennedy assassination… he’s a very busy man. But that’s not why we sent him back. We sent him back so that he could become a whole person, and finally come home from the war. We didn’t want him to go back and just keep adventuring, we wanted him to rest. And the only way we could come to that solution is if there are two Caps. Which I’m okay with.”

This isn’t the first time we’ve heard the writers express the view that there are indeed two Caps in the main MCU timeline – even though it contradicts what the directors have said about Cap’s effect on the timeline. However, it’s new to hear the reasoning that post-Endgame Steve Rogers doesn’t become in the 1950s, due to his desire to truly “come home from the war.” That explanation makes sense for Steve following the massive trauma of The Snap, the five years afterward, and the miracle of restoring the world and destroying Thanos. It also is arguably sufficient explanation for why a strong woman like Peggy wouldn’t push Steve to still be Cap, either. Having been in WWII, Peggy would understand the concept of Steve “coming home,” and “leaving the war behind,” better than just about anyone. And Peggy being a top spy, she’d also know how to keep Steve off the radar.

So… that explanation works for us. How about you? Let us know in the comments!

Captain Marvel and Avengers: Endgame are now available on home video. Upcoming Marvel Studios projects include Black Widow on May 1, 2020, The Falcon and The Winter Soldier in fall 2020, The Eternals on November 6, 2020, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings on February 12, 2021, WandaVision in spring 2021,Loki in spring 2021, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness on May 7, 2021, What If? In summer 2021, Hawkeye in fall 2021, and Thor: Love and Thunder on November 5, 2021. Moon Knight, She-Hulk, and Ms. Marvel series have also been announced.