AVENGERS: ENDGAME Writers Explain How Two Captain Americas Existed In The MCU At The Same Time

AVENGERS: ENDGAME Writers Explain How Two Captain Americas Existed In The MCU At The Same Time

The writers of Avengers: Endgame confirm that two versions of Captain America existed in the MCU at the same time, while shedding light on how that would have worked & whether Steve was at Peggy's funeral.

By JoshWilding - Aug 03, 2019 03:08 AM EST
Filed Under: Avengers: Endgame
Source: Backstory Magazine (via ComicBook.com)
Since Avengers: Endgame arrived in theaters, there's been some speculation about whether Steve Rogers' decision to remain in the past means that there were two different versions of Captain America in the Marvel Cinematic Universe at the same time. Well, the writers have now confirmed that's the case, and shed some light on how it would work. 

"Here’s how we reconcile it. We think there have always been two Caps from 1945 to, say, now, and we just didn’t know that. That’s the loop, right?" Stephen McFeely explains. "It’s not Back to the Future rules, it’s branch reality rules. This is not stepping on a butterfly that turns the world into Biff’s casino. You can’t alter your future by going back to the past."

"We sort of created our own time travel rules wherein, as the Ancient One says, if you remove an Infinity Stone from a timeline, that creates a branch reality,"
he added. 
 
McFeely went on to say that after Rogers returned the Infinity Stones to their rightful place in history, "[He] jumped to 1948 and decided to stay. So, his younger self is on ice somewhere and it’s only in 2011 that there are technically two Steves running around — to the point where if you were to look closely at Peggy’s funeral, there’d be an old man in the back named Roger Stevens."

McFeely was quick to point out that you can't actually see the hero there if you rewatch Captain America: Civil War, but did note that the dance we see between Steve and Peggy takes place "sometime after the second season of Agent Carter."

What are your thoughts on the writer's theory? 

Hit the "View List" button to check out
some awesome Avengers: Endgame BTS images!

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This moment is bound to go down in history as being pretty momentous as it's the first time our new Captain America wielded his shield. As you can see, the rebuilt version has been redesigned. 
 
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As you'll see by watching the featurettes on the digital release of Avengers: Endgame, when Cap is swinging Mjolnir in the movie, there's actually no hammer on the end of the weapon's handle!
 
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This behind the scenes shot puts the spotlight on Robert Downey Jr. as he takes advice from the Russo Brothers for what was a pretty momentous moment as he recorded a farewell message.
 
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The diner scene was added in reshoots when the filmmakers decided to scrap Bruce Banner's transformation into Smart Hulk in Avengers: Infinity War. Here, we get to see how that was set-up.
 
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This costume didn't last particularly long, as it was only used in Captain Marvel's post-credits scene and Avengers: Endgame's opening sequence with Iron Man and Thanos on Titan II. 
 
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This was hard to see unless you watched an IMAX version of Endgame, but when Carol Danvers was hanging around the Avengers Compound, she actually had the suit on beneath that tank top.
 
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When the final battle was being shot, Carol Danvers may have had shorter hair, but she was decked out in her original suit. Those tracking marks were there to change it in post-production, though.
 
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The cast stops for a brief moment of levity on the movie's set. It's amazing to see the changes these characters go through in the post-production stage (Iron Man and Spider-Man, for example). 
 
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Marvel Studios' own Trinity assembles here and, as you can see, Robert Downey Jr. isn't even decked out in his armour! Thor, meanwhile, has yet to undergo his Viking-like transformation.
 
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A-Force assembles! These female heroes coming together was a great moment and one that definitely would have inspired a lot of people out there regardless of what gender they happen to be.
 
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Marvel Studios clearly didn't want the paparazzi getting any shots of these characters, hence why massive green screens have been constructed. These shots definitely would have got fans talking!
 
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Who said Brie Larson never smiles, eh? (well, trolls mostly). In this image, we see the Oscar-winning actress holding the Stark Gauntlet as she races through the battlefield.
 
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Marvel Studios clearly didn't ever plan on making practical versions of the Team Suits, which is why the heroes are decked out in their regular outfits for the costumes to then be added down the line. 
 
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Gwyneth Paltrow finally got the chance to suit up in Avengers: Endgame, but just like Robert Downey Jr., she only had to wear the top half of the armour as the rest was added with visual effects.
 
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A-Force runs into action here, and what an awesome sight it makes for. Fans are hopeful that an all-female team could assemble down the line, but nothing has been confirmed yet.
 
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The women of A-Force come together to celebrate finishing their scenes. For these stars, it must have been quite an occasion and things really are changing for female superheroes on screen. 
 
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What a transformation for the God of Thunder! He was completely unrecognisable by the time we caught up with him after that five year time-jump and clearly in a deep stage of depression. 
 
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And now we know how the hunky Chris Hemsworth was transformed into the "Bro" version of Thor. That suit can't have been light, but it's shocking how realistic it looks on the Aussie actor. 
 
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Hawkeye's transformation into Ronin will be explored in his solo series on Disney+, and this stunning behind the scenes shot from his reunion with Black Widow serves as a pretty nice teaser. 
 
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This is clearly from a costume test as Chris Hemsworth's God of Thunder sits back in his new attire and a rather snazzy pair of Crocs. Who could have guessed we'd ever see this on the big screen? 
 
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Some have accused Marvel Studios of using Bro Thor solely for comedic purposes, but his story arc was a lot of fun and his transformation into this version of the God of Thunder was definitely awesome. 
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Imfunnyhow
Imfunnyhow - 8/3/2019, 3:20 AM
Can somebody explain to me how two Marvel movie Universes existed for so long at the same time.
Glad thats over
Origame
Origame - 8/3/2019, 3:32 AM
1) yes, you cant change the past and effect the present, but how does existing in the past not change it? Especially since he's spending that time with someone from the past. Did time itself just let steve change the timeline just so he can be with peggy specifically in the main timeline?

2) nowhere in the movie did they say the only way you branch the timeline just by removing an infinity stone. In fact the concept of branching reality only came up with the killing baby thanos plan, that killing thanos prior to the events of infinity war wouldn't change the main timeline and only create a new thanosless timeline. This is the logic YOU came up with to justify the plot of your movie. Its so frustrating that everyone tells these guys steve staying in the past makes no sense but instead of just moving on they gotta double down and be like "no it does make sense" then just proceed to contradict the rules more and more.
storyteller
storyteller - 8/3/2019, 8:05 AM
@Origame - Not sure is Wilding is once again quoting the same quote he did back in April. The directors are clear on the time travel mechanics. The writers are not.The directors just say he created another alternate timeline which has no impact.
Origame
Origame - 8/3/2019, 12:46 PM
@storyteller - yeah. The Russo's explanation still has holes (it requires him finding a new way back to the main timeline but then why didn't he just use the device) but at least they remembered the rules and who cap is as a character.
ImmovableForce
ImmovableForce - 8/3/2019, 3:33 AM
There might be two Steve Rogers in the timeline, but if so, then events wouldn't unfold the same for the younger one. To think they would is ridiculous. The tiniest change causes ripples in the chain of events and creates huge changes for all. To say the older Steve was always there is to say that there was never a reality in which he wasn't always there, and that can't be. Somewhere at the beginning of this alleged loop, there must have at some point been a Steve Rogers living in a timeline where there was only one Steve Rogers. An original timeline. I'd explain further, but I'm very tired atm. I know I'm right on this. It's a number of things that leave me at a disconnect with the MCU lately, and this time travel illogic is a big one. I know it was in the comics and their logic was weird too. I think there was an opportunity to make something that actually works using time travel, and they missed their chance.
TanukiTrooper
TanukiTrooper - 8/3/2019, 3:45 AM
@ImmovableForce - I was on a very similar mindset but I don't see it as impossible, just that the MCU we know isn't the start of the loop. There would be an origin timeline with one Cap, which would have been a slightly different universe, like maybe Peggy grew old with someone else. But this universe would be the instigator and the first instance of time travel that caused the big bang effect that broke time and set in motion an infinite loop of alternate copies of the 616 universe where he lives out his life with Peggy for the first time.
Chewtoy
Chewtoy - 8/3/2019, 4:40 AM
@TanukiTrooper - Yeah, I suspect that we should anticipate a revelation of a time-traveling King having been a part of past MCU history as in the comics, where he was the pharaoh Rama Tut. So if a time-traveling Kang could have just suddenly appeared in the MCU’s past and played a role in creating the history that lead to the MCU that we saw, there’s no reason that a time traveling Cap couldn’t have just suddenly appeared and secretly married the MCU Peggy.
TanukiTrooper
TanukiTrooper - 8/3/2019, 3:35 AM
The writers perception of time only changing if you remove a stone makes no sense with the rules they gave and being adamant that it's not BttF. They say over and over in the film, if you change the past it creates a branch, it shouldn't matter how little the change was, each trip caused a branch. I think the Russos have a better understanding for the rules created than the writers themselves. It makes more sense for Steve to have lived out his life in alternate timeline. But who is not to say that there wasn't a Steve from a precursor timeline who grew old in the 616 timeline so that history repeats itself. That the 616 timeline was always meant to have 2 caps. We are just assuming that 616 is the birth of the branches, but it could be an infinite loop. So it's either the old Cap that gives away his shield is returning from the alt timeline, or he is precursor Cap who lived out his life in 616. They are essentially the exact same person who made the exact same decisions but exist on separate stages of the loop. And because he goes back so far in time before the meddling of the time heist he creates a new "pure" 616 copy branch. Where everything plays out the way it did before.

That's the only way I can see a Cap living out to old age in the 616 timeline to give his shield to Falc.
Mclane
Mclane - 8/3/2019, 3:57 AM
I think the time travel explanations are beginning to get warped with new versions leaking in to explain other fiddly bits that then break other things, personally I think its time to stop the explanations before it makes an arse of the film. That said the notion that Steve Rogers is at Peggy's funeral as old Cap seems perfect but lets call it a day on asking the writers and directors how x works because its going to turn in to a load of old BS mess.
Roodi
Roodi - 8/3/2019, 4:10 AM
LOL the dudes wrote the thing and are confused with how things played out. That's why when the directors and writers came out with different explanations to Cap I sided with the directors. Their explanation is what I arrived at when I first saw Endgame. Steve goes to a branch reality and lived out his life with Peggy. The writers aren't all that wrong either because there'll be another Cap in that branch reality as well. I just don't side with their notion that it's the same main MCU reality. Everything that happened up to the point of Cap returning the stones was already set in stone in that reality. "You can't change your past". Plus, the shield with the different design is what does it for me that Steve spent his life in an alternative reality before going back to the spot at the bench.
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