After Avengers: Endgame busted many a fan theory, the MCU fandom proved that canon moments still couldn’t kill the most popular theories surrounding Captain America. It’s only logical, given the fact that the Marvel comics are always rebuilding characters, changing timelines, and rendering everything we know to be a lie. Don’t believe me? Remember how it felt to read “Hail Hydra” come from Steve’s lips?
That’s why these fun fan theories about Steve Rogers will live on, disproven or not, proving not only that fans deeply care about their favorite characters, but that sometimes the stories fans apply to them are the most enjoyable of all.
Peggy Carter Became Captain America
It happened in the comics, but, sadly, Peggy Carter did not become Captain America in the MCU, as many fans had hoped for. It was already a long shot, and many are satisfied with how things turned out between her and Steve, but many a fan had hoped to see Hayley Atwell don the Cap’s mantle and kick some serious butt as an Avenger.
Many fans are also content with Falcon becoming the next Captain America. He’s a great choice for the role and has already demonstrated his abilities and commitment, and there have been plenty of memes about him being America’s… you know what.
Steve Could Use The Infinity Gauntlet And Survive
One popular fan theory about Captain America was that he could use the Infinity Gauntlet and survive, but we never got to see him try. Given how poorly it affected Bruce, it’s unlikely that this cool theory would have tested out anyway, but both Steve and Thor would have been better off as the saviors of the universe rather than Tony.
Sure, it appeared as Tony’s ultimate redemption and Downey, Jr. was certainly finished with the MCU, but Cap is the heart and soul of the team and Thor lost the most and was dying to make up for it. Either would have been more satisfying.
Cap Makes An Appearance On The New Show
Falcon and Winter Soldier are set for their new show on Disney+ and rumors about Steve’s possible cameo on the show are already running rampant. This fan theory would make many people cheer since Steve is seemingly gone for good, but he’s really an old man and has the potential to reappear if Chris Evans is ever game.
He might be able to reappear as a mentor figure for the Avengers, or maybe we’ll even get to see some of his exploits during the years he went back to live a more normal life with Peggy. We’ve got our fingers crossed and hope to see Cap again in any capacity.
The Punisher Is The Winter Soldier
Given that an R-rated film featuring Jon Bernthal as The Punisher may be in the works and Sebastian Stan will be starring in the new Falcon and Winter Soldier show, it’s extremely unlikely, and there’s very little support for it as it is, but the idea of The Punisher being the Winter Soldier is a really fun one to play with in your mind.
Joe Russo’s cryptic comments about Nick Fury being hit by someone with a specific set of skills is what set off the theory, but it’s such a generic description that he could have been referring to anyone. Fans still find this theory to be an interesting one that could mean a lot of different things to the MCU.
Ant-Man Was In Earlier Movies Alongside Steve
It’s such an enjoyable theory to play with: the original Ant-Man, Hank Pym, was fighting baddies long before Scott Lang tried on his suit, so it would make perfect sense for him to have been fighting at a microscopic level, possibly alongside his wife, Janet. It’s entirely plausible that he could have been working on a mission at the same time as Cap without Steve ever being the wiser.
Picturing the scenes in which this could be occurring while re-watching the films has become something of a hobby for many a fan, and, at this point, if an executive came out and denounced the entire theory the fandom would blow a big raspberry and keep on believing. It’s just that much fun to imagine.
Stan Lee Is The Watcher
A fan theory that Stan Lee’s appearances in Captain America and other Marvel films is much more than a cameo certainly deserves consideration. The idea is that he’s actually The Watcher, or Uatu, the alien in the Marvel comics who very rarely intervenes on events in the mortal world. He’s The Watcher for a good reason, after all—he usually just watches. He’s like the Facebook lurker on threads about vaccines and false flags, just without the popcorn.
There’s not really a lot of evidence to back this one up, and we’ve sadly said goodbye to Stan already, but doesn’t he deserve an actual role other than “cameo” in the movies?
He Couldn’t Lift Mjolnir Because Of His Tiny Rule Breaking Moments
By now, we’ve all gotten goosebumps from watching Cap lift Mjolnir, Thor’s hammer, in Avengers: Endgame, a moment that has been teased and anticipated since Steve attempted to lift it and failed in Age of Ultron. Fans love the theory that the reason why Steve failed the first time wasn’t because he was inherently unworthy, but because he was known to break small rules here and there, like not wearing his helmet per the law.
Fans of the comics know that Steve’s lifted the hammer before, and while there have been other explanations since the film was released this remains one we like to pretend is canon.
Bucky Will Be Cap
It’s happened in the comics, but Captain America didn’t pass his shield to Bucky this time around, opting for Falcon instead. It’s a safe choice, but Bucky fans still wish that he could have his day to atone for the sins he committed that were never truly his own and redeem himself in the eyes of the world.
James will still be able to do this at Sam’s side, and fans have high hopes that the series featuring the two will ring of the wholesome adventures of Captain America with a modern twist, a perfect opportunity for Bucky to work on overcoming his past.
Cap Was A Skrull
It’s highly unlikely, but, if Captain America were a Skrull during all or some of his time during the MCU, it might make opening up the timelines to change things possible, if not more plausible. It wouldn’t be the first time that Cap was a Skrull, and as many heroes have been Skrulls over the years, it would make a canon story.
That said, after Captain Marvel’s events, Skrulls are seen in a much more sympathetic light, which was a refreshing twist that made this fan theory one that will probably never come to fruition. It’s still fun to speculate about changing up the entire MCU, since that’s what the comics do all of the time.
Cap And Bucky Are An Item
Many fans ship Steve and Bucky as their OTP and wish that “Stucky” had become more than a popular fan theory, but Endgame definitely blew that candle out. The two definitely had enough chemistry to make it work but Marvel is a sentimental company, and it’s no surprise that Steve went back to live a life with Peggy.
Steve was part of the first real LGBTQ moment in the MCU while he worked counseling people after The Snap, but it was a hollow moment for many fans, especially after the missed opportunity of highlighting Valkyrie as a lesbian. Casual inclusion of diverse characters is great, but central characters are needed much more.
