In Avengers: Endgame, Captain America (Chris Evans) originally didn't shave his beard off until after the opening mission. Evans made his debut in the Marvel Cinematic Universe via Captain America: The First Avenger in 2011, and has since starred in not only the Captain America film series but all four Avengers installments. For his first five MCU movies, the actor had a clean-cut appearance as Steve Rogers, but when Evans' Captain America beard debuted in Avengers: Infinity War, fans quickly latched onto the different style for the Star-Spangled Man. From a character standpoint, the beard represented Steve's move away from the Captain America persona and toward Nomad, a mantle he took on in the comics.

Following the cliffhanger ending of Infinity War, Captain America returned in Avengers: Endgame, but he was without his beard. The story of Endgame picks up a few weeks after Thanos used the Infinity Gauntlet to wipe out half of all life in the universe, and Steve's first shown in the bathroom after shaving his beard. Along with the other remaining Avengers, Captain America goes on the mission to track down and kill Thanos, then Avengers: Endgame jumps five years ahead. While it didn't totally make sense that Captain America shaved his beard before the mission to kill Thanos, it's now been explained that originally he would've shaved during the time jump instead.

Related: How Endgame's Ending Would Be Different If Captain America Did The Snap

During an Instagram Live stream, Avengers: Endgame directors Joe and Anthony Russo spoke about the scene early on in the movie when Steve is depicted in a bathroom of the Avengers HQ just after shaving his beard. According to the Russos, Captain America's beard was meant to return in Avengers: Endgame, with Steve keeping it until after the mission to kill Thanos. However, the filmmakers needed Evans to film a scene as Steve without a beard and, though they tried to use beard prosthetics for the scenes early on in the movie, they ended up scrapping that idea when the fake beard didn't look good. The end result was Captain America's beard getting shaved earlier than originally planned.

Steve Rogers in the Avengers compound in Avengers: Endgame

Funnily enough, Endgame isn't the first time Evans has worn prosthetics on his face for an MCU movie. For The Avengers post-credits scene, the filmmakers had to put prosthetics over Evans' beard so he could film as Captain America in the shwarma scene. He'd grown out the beard for his role in Bong Joon-ho's Snowpiercer and couldn't shave it off to film the short scene for The Avengers. While Endgame would've been the opposite situation - adding a fake beard instead of covering up a real beard - it's clear from the Russos' comments the prosthetics still didn't look good and unlike the Avengers stinger, they wouldn't have been able to hide half of Evans' face with some staging and camera tricks.

Ultimately, the Russos no doubt made the right call in nixing Captain America's beard prosthetics, and during their Instagram Live they said the shaving scene worked as a good lead in to Tony Stark's (Robert Downey Jr.) return to Earth. Those who enjoyed seeing Captain America sporting a beard in Infinity War may be disappointed to learn they could've had even more bearded Evans in Endgame, but it didn't end up working out. We may not know what the beard prosthetics looked like, but fans will have to take the Russos' word that clean-shaved Captain America looked better on screen. Though we didn't get bearded Captain America in Avengers: Endgame, at least we'll always have Infinity War.

Next: Captain America Theory: Endgame's Repaired Shield Proves Steve Changed Timelines

Source: Russo Brothers/Instagram

Key Release Dates