Avengers: Endgame Directors Joke About Captain America and Red Skull's Reunion

Fan theories and speculation have run rampant since the credits rolled on Avengers: Endgame. People just can't stop wondering about Captain America's status and what sort of adventures he fell into while replacing the Infinity Stones. During a Reddit AMA on Wednesday, Avengers: Endgame Directors Anthony and Joe Russo had a little fun with the assumed awkward moment between the Red Skull and Cap when he had to return the Soul Stone.

Viewers will remember that first trip to Vormir in Avengers: Infinity War and a surprise appearance by the Red Skull. He became the guardian of the stone and resided near the top of those infamous cliffs on Vormir in both films. From the moment he appeared in Avengers: Infinity War, fans were waiting for Steve Rodgers to come face-to-face with his greatest enemy. Strangely enough, it never happened in Endgame as Black Widow and Hawkeye were the ones to visit the planet for the stone.

We’re Joe and Anthony Russo, directors of Marvel Studios’ Avengers: Endgame. AMA! from r/marvelstudios

During the recent AMA, the Russos decided to take a more playful route when addressing a reunion between the two. Anthony Russo said, "It was probably more awkward than you imagine it was. Red Skull felt slated because Cap didn't recognize him." This, of course, alludes to the fact that Hugo Weaving portrays the character in Captain America: The First Avenger and Ross Marquand takes on the role in Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame.

That admission sent the Reddit thread into a cycle of pretty humorous jokes about Captain Americajust straight-up forgetting about his archenemy. A possible reunion could have been a comedy goldmine, but it turns out there were other concerns that held priority in shaping the story.

On the commentary track for the film, Anthony Russo brought up the idea of what would happen if Cap would have to see the Red Skull first, asking the writers Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely whether they had considered the idea. "He would have to," McFeely said, and Markus added that he had considered the question "many times." The pair speculated that just because the Soul Stone was gone, does not mean the Skull would have been freed from his obligation to guard its location. It might, Markus reasoned, come back. McFeely seems slightly less sure, wondering what he would be doing, just trapped there and waiting for something that might never happen, but before the argument could get too involved, Russo concluded, "It's fun to think about," and the commentary moved on.

Even the people behind Avengers: Endgame can get lost in this narrative if nothing brings them back to center. Fans will have to accept that clear answers won't be on the way for some time. Rest assured, one day Captain America's journey will be explained, but until then we wait.