Summary

• Captain America's decision to spare Vision in Infinity War ultimately led to the Snap and the destruction of half the universe.
• Steve Rogers prioritized one life over the needs of the entire universe, which was a costly mistake for the Avengers.
• The Avengers learned the hard way that sometimes sacrifices must be made to save the universe, as shown in their actions in Avengers: Endgame.

It's safe to say the most traumatic experience the Marvel Cinematic Universe has endured is Thanos' Snap from Avengers: Infinity War. The moment drastically changed the direction of the franchise, with half of the universe wiped out, forcing The Avengers to travel back in time in an attempt to bring everyone back. However, despite the heroes' victory in Avengers: Endgame, The Marvels director Nia DaCosta has fired a shot at Captain America, blaming him for The Snap.

Of course, DaCosta seems to be partly kidding in the Inverse interview, but her words hold some water. She goes for the jugular by pointing out that Steve Rogers' need to protect one life is what jeopardizes all reality.

"Something I like to say a bit flippantly about Captain America is that the Snap is all his fault, because he was trying to do his best, trying to do the right thing. There is a world in which he's a villain because, at the end of the day, he should have just sacrificed Vision. He chose one robot's life, albeit a sentient one, over literally the entire universe. There's a sort of anti-hero in that if you want to look at it through that lens."

Updated by Jordan Iacobucci on February 12, 2024: Avengers: Infinity War remains one of the most crucial moments in the history of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, as Earth's Mightiest Heroes found themselves unable to stop the Mad Titan Thanos from completing the Infinity Gauntlet and destroying half of all life in the universe. Left to rebuild over the next five years, the question remained etched in the Avengers' memories: was it their fault that Thanos won?

Why Did Vision Want to Sacrifice Himself?

Not yet realizing just how difficult it would be to defeat Thanos, the Avengers made all the wrong choices in Infinity War. With the knowledge that Thanos was coming after the Mind Stone, the Avengers had a tough choice to debate in Wakanda. Vision was willing to give his life if it meant destroying the Mind Stone before Thanos retrieved it. As a being created to be an "all-knowing" machine, Vision calculated the risks and outcomes. Yes, Vision does act off emotions at times, but deep down he's an A.I. that was literally built to correctly solve complex problems like these. But the other Avengers were against this idea. Notably, as the man in charge in Tony's absence, Steve was the one people looked to for answers, and he ultimately decided against the sacrifice for an alternative solution.

Needless to say, the alternative wasn't a success and would prove to be the Avengers' greatest failure in the MCU. Thanos' army arrived sooner than expected, and Shuri's plan to remove the Mind Stone without killing Vision was moving at a snail's pace. These were obstacles that Steve should've considered as a former soldier, but he let his emotional Avenger mindset overshadow his logical, military mindset.

Should Captain America Have Sacrificed Vision in Infinity War?

To be fair, Steve's actions make sense when considering his military background, as being a soldier meant he had to hedge bets and weigh the probabilities. However, by having Scarlet Witch destroy the Mind Stone in Vision's head, Thanos could not have completed his Infinity Gauntlet in Wakanda, and The Snap would not have occurred.

It's a solid argument, one which even Vision was willing to enact, as he knew his life wasn't worth the potential death toll if Thanos was to succeed. He wasn't as selfish as his colleagues, who stuck to the "no man left behind." Understandably, Wanda was resistant, but Cap, as a leader and strategist, needed to grasp the needs of the many over the needs of the few. And in this case, one artificial life in exchange for untold billions of others was the only logical option.

Using logic rather than emotion should have been a no-brainer, especially when it was clear Thanos was on a genocidal path after Hulk saw him murdering Asgardians. But instead, Cap made the stance for everyone to follow. And it cost them virtually everything, as Thanos would reverse time after Wanda tried to enact the plan too late, acquire the gem and complete his mission.

It was only five years later that the remaining Avengers came to realize that they needed to do whatever it took to rectify the past. This forces Steve to lead a time heist, which could have been equally dangerous, painting him as a desperate man. After all, he knew he had to atone for his sins, and trying to save Vision was definitely atop the list.

Captain America's Decision Ended Up Meaning Nothing

Since Endgame, most MCU projects have focused on the aftermath of Thanos' Snap and the battle against the Titan. Countries are still attempting to rebuild their economy with half the population reappearing, and the ordinary public's gratitude for the Avengers has grown to an obsession status. But because of Captain America's one questionable decision to spare Vision, the heroes themselves have struggled mentally and emotionally.

Steve's revulsion for the "one life for many" philosophy, while at its foundation heroic and well-meaning, ended up being for nothing after Endgame. The heist mission to exact the Avengers' wrongs cost the lives of Tony Stark and Natasha Romanoff, both of whom were not prepared to die but accepted their fate nonetheless. They became heroic figures in the world, with murals and plaques rightfully held in their honor. But Vision, who was initially the only person willing to sacrifice themselves for the cause, is rarely remembered. Vision's death isn't remembered as a sacrifice because he was never given that chance thanks to Steve, and it more or less sent Wanda down a grief-stricken path that unleashed the Scarlet Witch and caused utter chaos wherever she walked.

The consequences of his decision also extended to the loved ones of Tony and Natasha, which indirectly destroyed their lives. Spider-Man: Far Way Home created a mess for Peter Parker as he tried to follow in Iron Man's footsteps, ultimately leading to his cover being blown and having to reset his entire life in No Way Home. Natasha's sister, Yelena, was left to grieve her sister alone and harassed Clint Barton and Kate Bishop on her quest for vengeance.

This isn't to say that if Steve had never intervened these events wouldn't happen. Time is a funny and complicated concept in the MCU, and it's possible Tony and Natasha would've met their ends in some other way too early in their lives. However, there's no changing the fact that Vision was robbed of giving his death meaning thanks to Steve, and the world is still in recovery mode after Thanos' Snap.

Endgame Proves The Avengers Were Wrong In Infinity War

Following on the heels of Avengers: Infinity War, Endgame proved that the Avengers' first strategy to fight Thanos was completely wrong. In Infinity War, each time Thanos was about to attain an Infinity Stone, someone was forced to choose between sacrificing someone else's life. Loki chose to save Thor by surrendering the Space Stone. Star-Lord couldn't bring himself to kill Gamora when Thanos took the Reality Stone. Thanos proved willing to sacrifice his daughter to obtain the Soul Stone. Doctor Strange traded Iron Man's life for the Time Stone. Finally, the Scarlet Witch was forced to kill Vision to keep the Mind Stone out of Thanos's hands. Each time, the Avengers could have saved the universe by choosing to trade one life for many. However, by the time the heroes finally realized this, it was already too late and Thanos managed to get the Mind Stone anyway.

By Endgame, the Avengers could do nothing to stop Thanos but were instead forced to undo the damage he had already done. However, to do so, they had to be willing to sacrifice lives, as Thanos had in his original crusade. Earth's Mightiest Heroes were wrong to value their own lives over those of the entire universe and finally corrected their fatal error. However, unlike Thanos, who would kill someone else to achieve his goals, the Avengers proved willing to sacrifice their own lives for the rest of the universe. Both Black Widow and Iron Man laid down their lives to stop Thanos once and for all, proving themselves to be true heroes after all.

As noble as the sentiment was, Captain America was wrong when he told Vision that they wouldn't trade lives. The Avengers ultimately had to learn the hard way that lives must sometimes be sacrificed to save the universe. Luckily for the inhabitants of the MCU, the Avengers learned this lesson in time to reverse their greatest mistake.