The newly released Hawkeye trailer gave a glimpse into what high-stakes shenanigans Clint Barton and Kate Bishop are getting themselves into in the upcoming Disney+ series. Along with that, the footage offered a surprise cameo from another Avenger, who is finally making his Broadway debut. Although no longer present in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, that world’s Broadway is dedicating a stage show to Captain America’s legacy with Rogers: The Musical.
The fictional show actually accomplishes something that started in the mid-1980s with a planned Captain America musical. Long before the short-lived Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark was even a thought, Marvel Comics’ Sentinel of Liberty was intended to star in his own Broadway show, in which a 60-year-old Captain America underwent a midlife crisis while being joined by a girl sidekick.
Marvel Comics advertised a contest that invited girls between the ages of 10 and 14 who could sing, dance and act to apply for the role of Cap’s sidekick. However, those plans fell apart, and Captain America never made his Broadway debut, which is probably for the best. Instead of seeing Cap deal with a midlife crisis while belting on stage, fans will now get to see what will likely be a recap of Captain America’s life.
Hawkeye‘s version of Cap’s musical may even feature some other Avengers if its story touches on their team-up moments. Hulk might just sing a soliloquy as he throws the Chitauri around the stage. Of course, the musical could actually reference its real-life counterpart by giving Steve Rogers a young girl sidekick to navigate the show.
With Bucky Barnes and Sam Wilson being the closest thing to living relatives Steve has, it’s unlikely they provided any information on Steve’s life for the show’s writers to use. The final script may include the writers’ guesses as to what actually happened in Captain America’s life for moments the fictional public isn’t aware of while giving real-life audiences a good chuckle.
The biggest question now is whether or not the play is any good. Superhero musicals had a bad reputation prior to the 21st century thanks to shows like It’s a Bird, It’s Plane, It’s Superman! flopping upon release. That reputation sunk even deeper after Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark, which featured a plethora of actor injuries and controversy that swept away any good reviews the show had. Perhaps Rogers: The Musical will succeed where its real-life Broadway counterparts have failed and provide a fun and accurate depiction of Steve Rogers’ life.
To witness the likely hilarious Rogers: The Musical, Hawkeye hits Disney+ on Nov. 24.
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