Avengers: Endgame is largely viewed as one of the best movies in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and in recent overall movie history. The accolades it has received are well-deserved, as the sheer scale of the Battle for Earth is an excellent climactic point for the first three phases of the MCU. But nothing is perfect and Endgame is no different.
While Tony Stark’s final sacrifice is viewed as a great ending to his character arc, Steve Rogers’ decision to return to the past wasn’t so well-received. Many consider it selfish, and they are perhaps not wrong. There are still plenty of things Steve could gave done in the present.
9 He May Have Kept Up His Work With The Brooklyn Support Group
During the harsh year after the Snap, Steve is an important member of the Brooklyn Support Group. Through this organization, the survivors of the Snap discuss their struggles, guilt, and losses.
The group remains active even after the Blip, as people now need to process a new massive change. If he hadn’t left, Steve could have been an important pillar of support for those struggling.
8 He Would Have Been The First To Target The Threat Of The Flag Smashers
The post-Blip turmoil extends at an international level, particularly since politicians don’t always handle the situation well. The refugees displaced by the return of Thanos’s victims receive very little in terms of support. This results in the rise of the terrorist organization the Flag Smashers.
Led by Karli Morgenthau, they seek to restore the world order to the way it was before the Blip. Naturally, this doesn’t come without bloodshed. Sam Wilson and Bucky Barnes end up hunting them down, but it isn’t without difficulty. Steve may have very well made a huge difference in this sort of situation.
7 He Would Still Be Carrying The Shield
After Steve returns to the present, now aged, he hands over his shield to Sam Wilson, whom he perceives as the perfect choice to become the next Captain America. Sadly, Sam himself doesn’t agree. He struggles a lot with the legacy of the shield, and instead of using it, he donates it to the Smithsonian. This leads to the U.S. government claiming the shield all over again and creating a whole new Captain America in the form of John Walker.
Despite being a highly qualified soldier, Walker is outmatched by the Flag Smashers, who all use the Super-Soldier Serum. He ends up taking the Serum himself, but it hinders more than helps. Following the death of Battlestar, John kills one of the Flag Smashers, permanently tainting the shield. This wouldn’t have happened had Steve chosen to remain in the present.
6 He Would Be Helping Bucky Barnes Through His Recovery
Leaving aside his work as Captain America, Steve’s most long-lived relationship has always been with his best friend Bucky. By his own admittance, even when he had nothing, he had Bucky. Bucky’s fall from the Alps emotionally devastates Steve, and he receives a similar blow when he learns Bucky was found by HYDRA and turned into the Winter Soldier. Throughout Captain America: Civil War, he seems completely dedicated to keeping Bucky safe and helping him recover.
Unfortunately, during Endgame, he changes his approach. He leaves Bucky behind, even if he had only just returned from the dead. With Steve gone, Bucky has no significant support other than, eventually, Sam, and he perceives the shield as the only family he has left.
5 He May Have Provided Wanda With Some Form Of Emotional Support
Bucky isn’t the only person who would have benefitted from Steve’s support while recovering from the tragedies they experienced. In the aftermath of Endgame, Wanda Maximoff is left completely alone, grief-stricken at the loss of Vision, and with no one to give her solace. The only one who makes a brief attempt is Clint Barton, but he also leaves her to go back to his family.
Wanda ends up going to Westview and enslaving the whole town as she creates her personal version of reality and an entirely new Vision. Had Steve stayed, he could have provided Wanda with the anchor she so desperately needed.
4 He Could Have Reunited With Sharon Carter
Sharon Carter’s romance with Steve is never all that enjoyable and convincing, but it is there nonetheless. It is a huge part of the reason why Sharon assists Steve in Civil War, compromising her own position as an agent to give him information and provide him with equipment. Her actions brand her as an enemy of the state, and she becomes so jaded that she eventually turns to a life of crime as the Power Broker in Madripoor.
Considering this, Steve’s reunion with Peggy is particularly distasteful as it certainly seems like Steve’s brief attachment to Sharon was meaningless. It really does Steve’s character no credit. In a way, it would have been better if he had moved on and tried to start a new life with Sharon.
3 He Would Have Continued To Hunt Down Hydra
After Captain America: The Winter Soldier, most of HYDRA has been brought down, destroyed alongside SHIELD at a great cost. However, HYDRA is a dangerous beast. Cut off one head, and two more shall take its place.
The organization has yet to be completely wiped out, and even after the Snap, some HYDRA cells remain active. Steve certainly would have wanted to finish the job he started, instead of allowing HYDRA to grow again, like it did after his fall into the ice.
2 He Could Have Kept The Avengers Together
With Steve and Tony both gone, the major pillars of the Avengers disappear. As a result, the team is practically dismantled, with every other Avenger going their own separate ways. While other heroes seem to be growing in importance, independently of any group, the Avengers still formed the backbone of the resistance against Thanos.
Countless threats are still headed toward Earth. It would have been better if Steve had stayed to keep the Avengers together, as the world will eventually need them.
1 He Could Have Fought To Uphold His Ideals In Modern Day Politics
The conflict in Captain America: Civil War may rotate around Bucky, but it also brings another issue into play. Steve and Tony are in disagreement over the newly created Sokovia Accords, with Steve arguing that it restricts their movements too much and Tony valuing the concept of responsibility. In the end, this leads to the original major rift in the Avengers, with Steve and his anti-accords supporters going on the run.
Unfortunately, Steve’s actions don’t really make a difference in the big picture. The Accords are still ratified and form part of modern-day politics in the MCU. Steve should have stayed to properly defend his opinion and the people’s right to choose. He chooses to flee to a simpler time, leaving the Avengers who supported his stance to handle the situation alone.
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