CAPTAIN AMERICA'S ENDGAME

After being snubbed for screen time in Avengers Infinity War, Chris Evans returns as Steve Rogers/ Captain America in Avengers Endgame with the most screen time in the film, where the character is developed significantly and goes on a journey to see some closure, which I will discuss, and his future in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. So spoilers ahead for Avengers Endgame.

Recap of Captain America

With the surviving Avengers all back on Earth, Steve leads the Avenergers (except Tony) to Titan II to find Thanos and undo the snap. The team finds out that Thanos destroyed the stones, and Thor kills him.

Five years later Steve is at supporting groups telling people to move on. When Scott comes out the Quantum Realm, Steve takes him to see Tony and Bruce to see if they can undo the snap. Bruce, Scott, and eventually Tony develop the quantum technology and achieve the possibility of time travel.

With the Infinity stones tracked down in history, Steve goes with Tony, Scott, and Bruce to New York, 2012. Steve goes to retrieve the Mind Stone from Jasper Sitwell, who he gets the stone from by saying he’s a Hydra agent. Steve then has to fight his past self to get the Mind Stone and take it back to 2023.

With the stones collected, Steve and the rest of the team learn that Natasha is dead. Bruce then puts on the Stark gauntlet and snaps his fingers, bringing everyone back. 2014 Thanos time travels to 2023 and destroys the Avengers compound. Steve fights Thanos alongside Tony and Thor. When Thor is being held down, Steve saves him by wielding Mjolnir, proving that he has always been worthy.

Steve fights Thanos, who destroys his shield, and Steve is left as the last man standing against Thanos. Steve getsa message in his earpiece from Sam who says “on your left.” A portal opens up, and Black Panther, Okoye, Shuri, and the Wakanda army walks through. Other mystical portals open up and all of the universe’s mightiest heroes show up to fight Thanos as Steve finally says “Avengers Assemble!”

After the final battle, Thanos is defeated, and Tony is dead. Steve goes back in the Quantum Realm to return the Infinity Stones to their timelines as well as Mjolnir. Instead of coming back to 2023, Steve goes back to 1947 to spend the rest of his life with Peggy Carter to have his dance.

Back in 2023, old man Steve shows up and presents Sam with a new Captain America shield.

Review of Captain America

In the film, Steve’s progression carried over from Infinity War, where Steve believed he could save everyone. Steve thought everyone could go home, and no sacrifice had to be made to bring half the universe back to life. That is why it was really sad when Steve learned that Natasha had to sacrifice herself to secure the Soul Stone. Not only did Steve had a long running friendship with Natasha, with her being the person that helped him ease into his 21st century life, Natasha’s death was an event which showed that maybe you can not save everyone, no matter how much you try.

Steve going back to 2012 was one of the highlights of the film in my opinion. Not only is the first Avengers one of the favorite films of all time, there were so many amazing regencies and callbacks in that scene reguarding Captain America. In the scene we saw current day Steve encounter a few Hydra agents insides SHIELD at a time that they weren’t found out, such as Brock Rumlow, Jasper Sitwell, and Alexander Pierce. I also did love Steve saying “Hail Hydra.” I freaked out when Steve said this because it was not only a reference to Steve knowing who the Hydra agents are after the events of Captain America the Winter Soldier, but it was also a reference to that time in the comics a couple years ago where Steve was a Hydra agent.

One of the biggest cheers from audience when I saw Endgame was when Steve was worthy and wielded Mjolnir. In the comics Steve has wielded the hammer before, and in Avengers Age of Ultron when the team was trying to pick up the hammer for fun, Steve was the closest to picking it up. I did love Thor’s reaction to Steve picking up the hammer. “I knew it!” When Steve was using Mjolnir, he also used some of the lightning powers. That is because in the first Thor film, Odin did state that whoever holds the hammer shall be worthy of the power of Thor, which includes the ability to command lightning. That doesn’t mean that Thor isn’t useless, he still is a source of lightning, while Steve controlled the lightning as it came from above.

Over the past seven years, everyone has wanted Captain America to say his famous words from the comics, “Avengers Assemble!” The line has been used so many times through the comics, and has been teased various times throughout the films, such as Steve saying it, before being cut off at the end of Avengers Assemble. When Steve said it in Endgame, the line felt earned. My only complaint with the scene was that Black Widow wasn’t here. It was really sad having her absent from the scene which had everyone in one shot. But nevertheless, it was great seeing Captain America lead Iron Man, Thor, the Hulk, Hawkeye, Rescue, the Guardians of the Galaxy, Scarlet Witch, Bucky Barnes, Ant-Man, the Wasp, Doctor Strange, Wong, Black Panther, Shuri, Spider-Man, and even Howard the Duck.

I did previously discuss Steve’s mission in returning the Infinity Stones to their timelines, and the possible refund possibilities with the Soul Stone, so click on the image below to see that.

Steve going back to live a life from Peggy after being inspired from Tony’s life was a great ending for the character, a neat callback to the dance he missesd out on at the end of Captain America the First Avenger. Steve going back to live a life with Peggy reminds me of what Yinsen said to Tony in the first Iron Man film,that being the line, “Don’t waste your life.” Steve realized that the mission was over, and he could go home. After all the loss he witnessed in his life, he could finally get a win, knowing that the sacrifices that Natasha and Tony made were in vain.

Future of Captain America

At the end of the film, Steve is an old man who lived out his whole life in a different timeline, and returned back to the original timeline. There isn’t too much for Steve to do, I guess he is just going to be sitting on a bench looking at a lake for the rest of his time.

The mantle of Captain America was essentially passed down from Steve to Sam as symbolized the shield. This happened in the comics back in 2015, and we will be seeing this story carry over in the Falcon and Bucky Disney Plus series.

I personally wish that Sam didn’t get the shield. I would have preferred if Steve handed the shield to Bucky who gave it to Morgan Stark. It would have been a neat and proper closure to Civil War, and the crimes that Bucky committed as the Winter Soldier. It also would have set up a possible future Avengers film were Morgan grows up to be a Captain America in an Iron Man suit.

In the MCU, Chris Evans will be returning in the animated MCU ‘What If’ series where he will voice an alternate Steve who never got the super serum.

If Steve really had to be bought back, say in secret wars, they could potentially have time run through Steve, like what happened to Scott when Bruce first tried the Quantum technology. But in all honesty, I would like to see old man Steve in a future film instead of a prime time Steve.

In conclusion,Captain America had some of the best scenes in Endgame, from wielding Mjolnir, and saying “Avengers Assemble!” I am glad where the first Avenger ended as a character, and he finally got to go home to live a life with Peggy.

Comment your thoughts on the character in Endgame down below.

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