Avengers: Endgame — In defense of Steve Rogers

Marvel Studios’ AVENGERS: ENDGAME..Nebula (Karen Gillan)..Photo: Film Frame..©Marvel Studios 2019

Steve Would Not Have Hurt Bucky or Peggy

Steve would not go back in time to be with Peggy while allowing Bucky to be taken by Hydra. Steve Rogers would not abandon the Avengers. He would not allow Hydra to continue to exist. He would not erase Peggy’s work with the SSR or SHIELD. He would not erase her husband and children. And I don’t think Steve did ANY of these things by going back to be with Peggy.

Endgame established its own set of time travel rules. They explained the rules, and illustrated them, multiple times. It turns out Back to the Future, and every other time travel movie you can think of, had it all wrong. According to Bruce Banner, changing the past doesn’t change the future. If you travel to the past, that past becomes your future and your former future becomes the past. The Ancient One also introduced the idea of branch realities or alternate timelines.

After explaining this loopy time premise, they go so far as to illustrate it multiple times, but most beautifully with the character of Nebula. Nebula from 2023 goes back to 2014 Morag and is captured by 2014 Nebula, Gamora and Thanos. 2014 Nebula impersonates 2023 Nebula to go back to 2023 and then brings 2014 Thanos and Gamora and imprisoned 2023 Nebula back to 2023, thus bringing the final battle. When 2023 Nebula convinces 2014 Gamora to fight with her, the two Nebulas go head-to-head and 2023 Nebula kills 2014 Nebula. By movie’s end, 2023 Nebula has rejoined the Guardians of the Galaxy.

Nebulas from two time periods interacted. They impacted each other’s realities because they interacted, but having 2023 Nebula in 2014 did not erase 2014 Nebula or her story. 2014 Nebula was just as lost, sadistic and desperate to please her father as she ever was. Killing 2014 Nebula in 2023 didn’t erase the version of Nebula we know now. When 2014 Nebula died, 2023 Nebula kept breathing and rejoined the fight.

Having Steve go back to a time period in which he already existed doesn’t erase the Steve Rogers we know. The Steve Rogers who fought Hydra, was frozen for 70 years, and joined the Avengers still exists. That past was not erased. Hell, we saw two Steves interact in 2012. Two versions of the character can exist within the same time. We know Steve’s actions at the end of Endgame did not erase his work as Captain America because he’s with Sam and Bucky. Both of whom were dusted by Thanos. If Steve’s work as Cap had been erased, neither of them would be alive.

Old Steve had the shield. A whole, intact shield. We saw the shield destroyed earlier on the battlefield. One could argue that Steve took up the shield and fought Hydra in his new life with Peggy, as Peggy continued her work with the SSR and co-founded SHIELD. He just avoided going into the ice this time and likely lived out his life with a new identity in his new timeline. He also likely saved the Bucky in that reality from his Hydra fate. For all we know, branch reality Bucky and Steve maintained their friendship throughout the decades. I like to believe that Bucky lived next-door to Steve and Peggy and was godfather to their children.

Which brings me to Peggy’s family. It was established in Captain America: The Winter Soldier that Peggy married and had children. When Steve visits Old Peggy she has pictures of her children at her bedside. Her husband is never named or seen. Changing the past doesn’t change the future. There are two ways to look at this. One: Steve was Peggy’s husband in the past all along. Steve didn’t erase her husband and children from existence by going back to be with her. It was his destiny to go back and be that husband and father to those children all along. Or, if you prefer to go with the branch realities explained by The Ancient One: Steve and Peggy lived out their lives in a branch reality, without altering the life and existence of Peggy’s family.

Steve declined to tell Sam about his wife when Sam noticed the ring. Instead of an explanation, we were only gifted with a scene of Steve and Peggy finally sharing a dance. Time travel rules are strange. Go with the one that makes the most sense to you. The point is, there are ways to look at it where Steve Rogers is still the good man we know him to be.