Steve Rogers, a.k.a. Captain America, has been one of the most important characters in the massive Marvel Cinematic Universe. From foiling the Red Skull’s plan to bomb major American cities during WWII to saving the world from the Chitauri to bringing down HYDRA to, well, just being an amazing superhero across multiple movies, Captain America has been involved in some of the biggest and most impactful storylines in the MCU. But it’s not just Cap’s enhanced abilities or his shield that have made him such an amazing hero – it’s also his heart. While his old-fashioned morality may have made him stand out compared to his more modern teammates in the Avengers, Captain America’s “always do the right thing” mentality established him as one of the most honorable heroes in the MCU.
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However, despite his prominence in the series, there’s still quite a bit about him that we don’t know, leaving audiences with plenty of questions that have yet to be answered. After disappearing following the events of Avengers: Endgame, we haven’t heard or seen anything from Rogers, other than the occasional reference to him, leaving several plotlines involving him a mystery to us, and it doesn’t seem Marvel Studios has any plans to give us answers. Let’s take a look at three Captain America cliffhangers that the MCU will never resolve.
What Happened During His Quest to Return the Infinity Stones
A major part of Avengers: Endgame involves Earth’s Mightiest Heroes going on a time heist to retrieve the Infinity Stones so that they can bring back everyone lost from Thanos’ fateful snap. After a mission well done, Steve Rogers is tasked with going back in time to put the Infinity Stones back in their proper places to ensure the timeline isn’t impacted. Steve does come back to the present, but not as his youthful self – he appears nearby, and considerably older, when it’s revealed that he went back to his past to marry Peggy Carter and live happily ever after.
It’s a beautiful way to wrap up Cap’s MCU storyline, but it leaves us with so many questions. Did he experience any hiccups traveling across time to drop off the Infinity Stones? After all, he would have had to confront his old nemesis the Red Skull when dropping off the Soul Stone on Vormir. And how did he reconnect with Peggy? For all she knew, he had died in the plane crash seen at the end of Captain America: The First Avenger. How did she take the news that not only did he survive, but that he came from the future?
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What Steve Rogers Has Been Doing After the Events of Avengers: Endgame
When Steve is seen at the end of Avengers: Endgame, he makes it pretty clear that his superhero days are over, having chosen married life and giving up the mantle of Captain America to Sam Wilson / the Falcon. Even though he had disappeared from public life, Steve is still very much remembered by the world. The Falcon and the Winter Soldier featured numerous characters speculating about his whereabouts; Spider-Man: No Way Home saw a massive red, white, and blue shield being erected on the Statue of Liberty; and there’s even a Broadway production about Captain America called “Rogers: The Musical” that was seen in Hawkeye.
But other than some references and nods to Steve, we’re never given any information as to what he’s been up to since returning from his mission to return the Infinity Stones. The guy certainly deserves a happy retirement, but would it kill the powers that be at Marvel Studios to simply have a character say something like, “Cap called me, he said he had a nice time fishing in Bermuda,” or something? What’s even weirder is that it seems like he hasn’t even been in contact with any of his Avengers colleagues. The occasional text would be nice, Steve.
Why He Picked Sam Wilson to Take Over as Captain America Instead of Bucky
When the elderly Steve Rogers appears at the conclusion of Avengers: Endgame, he gives his shield to Sam Wilson / the Falcon, indicating that he wants him to be the next Captain America. Sam is understandably reluctant to take on the title, and this plays a major role in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, wherein he doesn’t fully accept the responsibility until towards the end of the series. Sam, of course, will still be Captain America in the upcoming film, Captain America: Brave New World.
Steve passing on the title of Captain America to Sam actually happened in the comics, so it’s nice that the MCU is staying true to the source material in that regard. However, do you know who took on the role of Captain America before Sam in the comics? Bucky Barnes, a.k.a. the Winter Soldier. Steve has known Bucky for far longer than Sam, so why did he pick Sam to follow in his footsteps? Perhaps the two had a conversation about this before Steve revealed his decision to Sam; Bucky’s mind has been tampered with by HYDRA, so it’s possible that they concluded that Bucky’s somewhat unstable mental state would disqualify him from the role. Whatever the case, some clarification on the matter would be nice.
