Huge Endgame Plot Hole Means Steve Couldn't Have Had A Quiet Retired Life

There are so many questions revolving around the specifics of Steve Rogers' final Avengers: Endgame fate, but regardless of the finer details, the character still wouldn't have been able to live the quiet retired life he wanted. Joe and Anthony Russo's 2019 Marvel Studios film marked the end of the Infinity Saga with the defeat of Thanos. It also functioned as the swan song for some of the MCU's founding heroes. But, unlike Iron Man and Black Widow who both sacrificed themselves for the greater good, the original Captain America was given the chance to hang up his shield after years of service.

However, Steve's retirement got a little bit complicated as it involved the concept of time travel. After accomplishing his final mission to return all the Infinity Stones used in the time heist, he opted to go further back in time to the '40s and reunite with his one-true love — Peggy Carter. The hero, who's significantly older compared to his last appearance, only returned to the present MCU day to officially choose Sam Wilson as his successor as the next Captain America. Aside from showing Steve and Peggy finally sharing their long-overdue dance, not much is known regarding their life together.

As poignant as the moment was, there are still pressing questions regarding how exactly Captain Rogers' ending worked in Avengers: Endgame. That includes whether or not the character created a branched reality for staying with Peggy in the 40s as claimed by the Russos, while writers Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely believe that he stayed in the Sacred Timeline. Up until now, Marvel Studios has yet to answer this query, but whatever the case may be, chances are that Steve wasn't able to live the quiet life he envisioned when he walked away from being Captain America. The decision to hang up the shield was partly motivated by Tony Stark's comment about Steve deserving to have a personal life outside of her superhero identity. That means that he spent his years with Peggy not meddling in public affairs. But even if Steve did want to do that, he wouldn't have been able to because of the U.S. government. As the chosen recipient of the super-soldier serum, Steve had the responsibility to fulfill as Captain America. Other people, except for Peggy, wouldn't have known that he had devoted his life to service since they're unaware of his time-traveling shenanigans.

Hypothetically, Steve and Peggy came up with the excuse that he was frozen and retrieved much earlier, the government would have still expected him to continue functioning as Captain America. That means either being at the forefront of missions again or be the organization's propaganda tool for a brand new message since the war already ended. Regardless, he would have still associated in some capacity with public affairs, which would've made it more difficult for him to limit his involvement and live the remainder of his life as a retiree. On the other hand, if the couple decided to keep Steve's existence in the '40s a secret, whether that would be assuming a different persona or something else, the chances of that succeeding would be significantly low. Captain America is a known wartime hero; he's recognizable in and out of the country. Considering his already established relationship with Peggy, who was involved in the Super Soldier Program, it's difficult to believe that no one would notice how her supposed husband bore a striking resemblance to Captain Steve Rogers.

Steve Rogers’ Endgame fate was well-deserved. He spent his life in the service of the people that it's only fair that he got the chance to live the life he long wanted. But, it has many loopholes which remain to be a favorite topic of conversation. Instead of Marvel Studios attempting to answer the questions surrounding the matter, it might be best to just leave it at that. This way, they don't risk creating more queries, potentially ruining a satisfying send-off to a beloved character.

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