From the moment Chris Evans was introduced as Steve Rogers in Captain America: The First Avenger, people knew that he had been cast well. Over the years, Chris Evans has nailed his performances as Captain America, the Star-Spangled Man with a Plan, time and time again.
Despite the fact that Steve Rogers is a beloved character, there are parts of his character writing that haven't made total sense. Chris Evans pulls through, but there are some plot holes that can’t be smoothed over all the way. Now that Steve Rogers is no longer Captain America, fans are reflecting on a few things that just didn’t make sense about him in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
10 The Super-Serum Made Steve Rogers Huge
When Steve Rogers is first introduced, he’s not a very large man. He’s rather short and slim; he doesn’t have a lot of muscle mass, and he’s fairly sickly if his list of diseases and past hospitalizations in The First Avenger is anything to go by. When he’s chosen for the super-soldier serum, Dr. Abraham Erskine tells Steve that it’s because of the strength of his character, not his body.
What makes him special isn’t his physical appearance, but what he wants to do. Despite this, the serum turns Steve into a huge muscled man. Of course, everybody loves big Captain America, but this doesn’t make any actual sense.
9 Steve Was Willing To Risk S.H.I.E.L.D. Secrets
In Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Steve is faced with some complicated decisions regarding his future with S.H.I.E.L.D.. As a member of the Avengers, and as an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. in addition, Steve places his role as an agent very high on his priorities list.
However, in that movie, Steve Rogers also puts the last of S.H.I.E.L.D.’s secrets at risk: when Nick Fury gives him a flash drive of the information he needs to know before (supposedly) passing away, Steve needs to hide the flash drive. He leaves it in a vending machine of all places, and Natasha gets her hands on it easily. This is drastically out of character for Cap.
8 He Saved Bucky From His HYDRA Brainwashing
Much like Natasha Romanoff’s ability to save Clint Barton from his brainwashing at Loki’s hands (with the Mind Stone) simply by bonking him in the head, Steve Rogers does something similar for Bucky Barnes. Bucky has been brainwashed by HYDRA to be the unstoppable, mindless killing machine, the Winter Soldier.
Bucky has broken through his brainwashing a couple of times, but in The Winter Soldier, Steve is the one who coaxes him into doing so. Multiple times, Bucky breaks through fresh HYDRA brainwashing just at the sight of Steve Rogers. HYDRA should have stronger technology than this in theory; in practice, apparently not, which doesn’t make much sense.
7 Steve Doesn’t End Up With Bucky Barnes
Steve Rogers has a couple of relationships in the MCU. He’s romantically involved with both Peggy Carter and her niece, Sharon Carter. He also has some flirtations with Natasha Romanoff. However, many think that his closest romantic relationship is with Bucky Barnes.
The two of them knew each other for a long time before they even became Captain America and the Winter Soldier; they’ve been close forever, and their bond is incredibly strong. They also seem to flirt with each other, and Steve becomes a war criminal for his love of Bucky later in the MCU. The fact that the two of them don’t end up together doesn’t seem to logically track.
6 He Gave Up On The Future To Be With Peggy
In Avengers: Endgame, multiple main characters from the MCU and original teammates from the Avengers team left the franchise. Iron Man, also known as Tony Stark, passed away, as did Natasha Romanoff. Steve Rogers also made his exit in this movie, but the choice he made to do so didn’t make sense to a lot of audiences.
Instead of continuing on the path that Steve Rogers had been on, Steve chose to go back in time and live an entire life with Peggy Carter. In doing so, he changes both of their lives. This doesn't seem to track with the MCU’s Steve Rogers as fans knew him.
5 Steve Passed The Shield To Sam Wilson, Not Bucky
In the comics, Bucky Barnes became Captain America after Steve Rogers gave up the title. Because Bucky is Steve’s best friend in the MCU, and because the two of them have been inseparable for so long, it seemed that Steve would pass the title of Cap on to Bucky when he was done in the role.
Despite the fact that the two of them have fought together for a long time, Steve passed the Captain America shield on to Sam Wilson, a newer comrade in his superhero battles. Sam Wilson is a great choice to be Captain America, but he is definitely surprising — especially after that iconic shot of Bucky catching the shield in The Winter Soldier.
4 He Was Okay With Dating Sharon Carter — Peggy Carter’s Niece
In the past, Steve Rogers was in a relationship with Peggy Carter. Of course, that all changed by necessity when Steve went into the ocean and everyone assumed he was dead. He was in a sense, because he was frozen until he got thawed out and revived in the 21st century. By then, Peggy Carter had lived an entire life, aging into her elder years like any normal person would.
Steve doesn’t pursue Peggy as an elderly woman, respecting that she’s lived her life and loved others. However, he apparently has no qualms flirting with and kissing Sharon Carter. The two of them are even together after Peggy’s funeral, and not a long time after. It’s not something that Steve Rogers would likely do at that point in his life.
3 Steve’s Entire Story With Peggy Was Changed At The Last Moment
Before Avengers: Endgame, Captain America: Civil War provided a narratively and emotionally satisfying ending to Steve and Peggy’s story together. The two of them were able to say their goodbyes, and, when Peggy passes away, Steve lays her — and the past he once knew, along with the future he thought he would have — to rest.
However, Endgame changed that beautiful and real ending by sending Steve back in time. He decides to take Peggy’s future away from her, even though he had come to terms with it, and changes their lives in the process. This doesn’t make sense for the Steve fans had come to know after Civil War.
2 He Doesn’t Stay With Sam And Bucky
After everything that happened in the Infinity Saga, Steve Rogers knows better than anybody how important Captain America is to the world. It’s not just him, but it’s the presence of superheroes; the world needs defenders, and the galaxy needs the Avengers, to be quite frank. The MCU makes it clear how valuable Steve Rogers is over and over.
Steve Rogers taps out before his story has come to a logical end. He doesn’t even stay to help train up Sam or Bucky into the role. He simply passes on the shield and completely revamps his entire life for no apparent reason. This clunky ending for Steve, Bucky, and Sam doesn’t fit their relationship through the movies, for sure.
1 His Ending Doesn’t Fit His Arc
Steve Rogers proves over and over that he is the heart and soul of the MCU. While he started out as just a little guy from Brooklyn — and he stays that way inside — he comes to be known as a larger-than-life superhero that faces down Thanos and his entire army without a chance of winning, just because he could never stop fighting for the good of everyone.
The fact that Steve Rogers goes back in time to never be Captain America, the fact that he knows the future and doesn’t do anything, the fact that Steve changes everything about his values and choices — it just doesn’t make sense for Steve to end his own story that way.