Look, let’s preface this by saying that my feelings on Steve Rogers getting a happy ending in Avengers: Endgame are not necessarily based in purely objective fact. I’ve loved Steve since 2011, and after eight years of theories about his imminent demise, it felt nice for him to not kick the bucket and head off to the great Avengers tower in the sky. It wasn’t a perfect ending by any means, but I think it’s worth exploring why it wasn’t the worst ending in the franchise.
For those who haven’t seen Endgame yet, Steve has to time travel back in time to return the Infinity Stones to their rightful place in history. Rather than then return to the present day immediately, he goes back in time to get that dance with Peggy Carter, and lives his life with her before eventually growing old and catching up with the present day to give the mantle of Captain America to Sam Wilson.
Some people were not fans of the ending, and to be honest, at first neither was I. I didn’t know if this meant that Peggy’s mysterious husband, who we never met in the films but who many assumed was a character from Agent Carter, was erased. Others were mad because it seemed as though Steve was abandoning his friends in the present day. Neither the directors or the screenwriters seem to be able to agree on whether Steve created an alternate reality or if he was Peggy’s husband the whole time. It’s very messy, but you know what? There were worse decisions made, and Steve’s ending works at least on a conceptual level.
Peggy and the dance that never was has been a specter haunting Steve for most of his films. In fact, Steve has been chasing the past down for a majority of his films. If he’s not mourning his lost chance with Peggy, he’s desperately trying to return to normalcy with Bucky, who has been searching for his own identity beyond Steve. The man out of time, Steve’s attempts at forging a future for himself were either abandoned by the writers (see the way they treated Sharon) or he ignored. He never moved on.
This is not to say that Steve spent his entire time selfishly pondering what he’d lost. He fights. He throws himself into continuing to protect the world with the Avengers. He takes down Hydra. He gives up the shield but still keeps fighting. He’s always ready to give the ultimate sacrifice to save the world and to give others a fighting chance, which is why many (myself included) assumed he’d die on the battlefield in Endgame.
But would his death have been satisfying? I originally argued that it was the only way to seal off his tragic story, but after sitting with his survival for a month, it’s much more powerful that he lives and chooses his own life over continuously fighting. If we believe that he created an alternate timeline, he could have easily helped Peggy take down Hydra in the 1940s, rescued Bucky, and spent the rest of his life helping the world in that timeline while still getting the happily ever after he richly deserved.
On that note, he also did not abandon Bucky (or Sam, but more people seem to be obsessing over Bucky). Bucky is safe now. He’s been healing on his own, without Steve, and he’s got a support system in place. He’s better than he’s been in a long time. Steve didn’t just leave half-brainwashed Bucky in the dust. His friend was safe, so Steve opted to then prioritize himself. It’s okay that he did so. Steve does not have to live a life he never wanted, just because.
The execution of Steve’s arc is designed to build up questions about how it worked, so, therefore, it does fail on some level. If we’re asking if Steve erased Peggy’s family or if he stood by and did nothing as atrocities were committed in Hydra’s name, then it doesn’t necessarily land as well as either the writers or directors hoped. But the concept of Steve finally getting the ending he’s dreamed of since The First Avenger isn’t a bad ending.
I know I’m biased in this, because I really was dreading watching Steve’s noble end on the big screen. The idea of ending his story on a hopeful note, where Steve ultimately gets what he wants, isn’t a cop-out, but rather a sweet way to wrap up one of the core stories of the MCU. The man out of time finally gets to go home and rest, and get a happy ending that he very richly deserved.
(image: Marvel)
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