Steve Rogers and Margaret “Peggy” Carter are one of the most iconic pairings in the MCU, perhaps only trumped by the godfather Tony Stark himself and his longtime love Pepper Potts. When their romance first sparked in the star-spangled man’s inaugural film debut in the MCU—Captain America: The First Avenger—fans would’ve been remiss to believe these star-crossed lovers had any chance at a happy ending.
Fortunately, due to the immense success of the MCU under the visionary direction of Kevin Feige, the First Avenger and S.H.I.E.L.D. founder finally reunited after seventeen more sequels in the climactic Avengers: Endgame. Yet, the story of how Captain America found his way back to his first love is a long and tumultuous one.
9 Steve And Peggy’s Couple Fight After Lorraine Kisses Steve
It’s not true love if there isn’t a good, old-fashioned fight to show how much two people care for each other. While Steve and Peggy never reach official couple relationship status in The First Avenger, several moments underscore the romantic tension between the pair. But when Agent Carter witnesses Steve and U.S. Private Lorraine making out at the Strategic Scientific Reserve, she takes off in a huff.
When Steve catches up to her, she retorts to him that he doesn’t seem to have trouble finding the “right partner,” twisting the words he once said to her. Steve reveals his own jealousy by suggesting she and Stark have been “fonduing,” not realizing that fondue is melted cheese. As Peggy rightly snaps back, Steve clearly doesn’t understand anything about women, although it’s clear he’s trying hard to make sense of his relationship with the British agent.
8 Steve’s Compass Holds A Photograph Of Peggy Carter
One of Steve’s most treasured keepsakes is his compass, which he actively used in his campaign against HYDRA during World War II. While his campaign was being filmed, one clip prominently featured said compass, which also happened to hold a picture of Peggy. After realizing the compass and picture were being filmed, Steve quickly moved the compass out of frame, embarrassed.
The compass and Peggy’s photograph are also the last things Steve sees when crash landing the Valkyrie into the North Atlantic. These mementos don’t resurface in the MCU again until Endgame, where Steve pulls them out aboard the Benatar before setting off to kill Thanos. The fact that Steve has kept the compass and picture is a testament to his dedication to his first love.
7 “I Had A Date:” First Thoughts After Discovering It’s 2011
After crashing into the ice, Steve awakens in a mysterious room that first appears to be an apartment in New York City. However, he quickly becomes suspicious when he hears the Brooklyn Dodgers game on the radio. The First Avenger quickly breaks out of the simulated environment and runs out into the streets of the Big Apple, only to find himself in a vastly unfamiliar world.
The super-soldier is quickly surrounded by S.H.I.E.L.D. personnel and approached by Nick Fury, who breaks the news that Steve’s been asleep for nearly seventy years. As the shocking truth sets in, Steve admits to the S.H.I.E.L.D. director that he had a date. Although it’s likely only been a short while for Steve, the fact that his date with Peggy was the first thing that came to mind speaks to its personal significance.
6 Remains With S.H.I.E.L.D. Because Peggy Was A Founder
Sometime after Steve slowly began acclimating to his new world, he discovered that Peggy Carter was still alive. After being disillusioned by Project Insight, Steve decides to pay his old flame a visit for inspiration. It’s here Steve confesses to Peggy that the only reason he stayed on with S.H.I.E.L.D. following the Battle of New York from The Avengers was because Peggy was one of its founders.
Although he had long been skeptical of the organization’s practices, Steve also knew Peggy to be a woman with a strong will and sharp mind—if she believed in the good that the organization could do, then her ideals had to be worth fighting for (even if he would go on to dismantle the organization following the HYDRA uprising).
5 Reluctance To Rejoin The “Dating Game” After Waking Up
During Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Natasha Romanoff teases and flirts with Steve several times on their missions. However, the most notable tease comes early on in the film when the two Avengers and the members of STRIKE prepare to board the Lemurian Star in the Indian Ocean, where Natasha unsuccessfully tries to hook Steve up with a date.
After Natasha cycles through several possibilities, Steve quips that he’s simply too busy with work and proceeds to jump out of the plane without a parachute, effectively ending the conversation. However, given his recent acquaintance with the modern world he now finds himself in, it is implied that Steve uses this as an excuse to avoid talking about his love for Peggy.
4 Wanda Reveals Steve Wishes He Lived A Full Life With Peggy
When the Avengers square off against Ultron outside of Johannesburg in Avengers: Age of Ultron, they are taken by surprise when the Maximoff twins reveal themselves to be allied with the villainous A.I. program. While Pietro matches the physicality of some of the team’s stronger members like Thor, Wanda presents the real danger as she quickly subdues most of the team by trapping them in nightmarish visions.
For Steve, Wanda’s vision transports him back into an alternate version of the 1940s, where he never went into the ice and instead celebrates the war’s end with his close comrades. As he looks around in confusion, he’s approached by none other than Peggy herself, asking him for a dance. However, Steve turns around to discover an empty ballroom, implying the reality is that the First Avenger is unable to move on from Peggy or his past life.
3 Steve Allows Himself A Moment To Cry At Peggy’s Funeral
Captain America: Civil War is packed to the brim with a loaded cast and explosive action. It’s surprising, then, that the Russo brothers found time to pay homage to Steve and Peggy’s relationship. Although the funeral scene only plays a minor role in the grand scheme of things, Sharon Carter’s speech gave Steve the resolve to stand against the Sokovia Accords, thereby setting the stage for Civil War‘s conflict.
The scene also offers Steve a chance to grieve at his first love’s passing. As he participates in the funeral processional as a pallbearer for Peggy’s casket, the camera makes sure to linger on his tear-stained face to highlight a rare moment of emotion from the usually stoic Avenger.
2 Steve Remains In The Past To Cash In On His Raincheck
The most definitive moment that proves Steve’s undying love for Peggy is his choice to stay in the past in the final minutes of Endgame. After Iron Man sacrifices himself to save the universe, Steve volunteers to take the Infinity Stones that caused so much trouble back to their respective places in the timeline.
However, when Professor Hulk moves to trigger the return mechanism, Steve doesn’t return, much to his and Sam Wilson‘s confusion. As it turns out, Steve decided to take his late friend’s advice and live some of the life he always dreamed of. While he eventually returns to that moment as an old man to pass on the mantle of “Captain America,” Endgame reveals where the first super-soldier’s true priorities lay.
1 Steve Encourages Peggy To Embrace Her Role As Captain Carter
In an alternate timeline, Heinz Kruger jumps the gun in his assassination attempt of Abraham Erskine and injures Steve in the process. After killing Kruger and recovering the serum, Peggy discovers Steve isn’t able to complete the experiment due to his injuries, and has Stark inject her with the serum instead.
Peggy quickly discovers, however, that her decision isn’t well-received, particularly by U.S. Colonel John Flynn, who declares women aren’t made for the front lines of war. With Steve’s encouragement and Stark’s assistance, Carter sneaks behind enemy lines and secures the Tesseract. With this achievement, Peggy secures herself the title of “Captain Carter,” with Steve remarking that “the outside finally matches the inside.”
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