alt=Herb ScribnerWarning: This article includes minor spoilers for the fifth episode of “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.”
We may have finally learned the fate of Steve Rogers during Episode 5 of “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.”
The last time we saw Steve Rogers
Questions about what happened to Steve Rogers popped up since the beginning of the “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.” The latest time we saw Steve Rogers was at the end of “Avengers: Endgame,” when he handed the Captain America shield over to Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie).
At the beginning of “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier,” Wilson hands the shield over to the Smithsonian, giving up the role that Rogers had given to him.
Since then, there have been questions about what happened to Rogers. Did he pass away after “Avengers: Endgame” or did he just retire off somewhere?
We finally got an answer in Episode 5.
What happened to Steve Rogers?
During the episode, Sam Wilson and Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan) return to the United States after spending weeks overseas seeking out the leader of the Flag Smashers rebellion group. When home, Bucky meets with Sam Wilson to help him fix Sam’s sister Sarah’s ship. During that time, Bucky tries to explain to Sam that Rogers wanted Sam to take on the role.
Sam denies the idea of becoming Captain America, though. And he sees that Rogers is gone, and that people don’t need to keep thinking about what Steve wanted. Sam tells Bucky that Bucky keeps looking to other people — like Steve — to tell him who to be. Bucky needs to develop his own identity and not adopt the one that Steve would have wanted for him.
So it’s not clearly stated whether Rogers is dead or not. But, according to Sam, Rogers is “gone.” This suggests he might be dead, but it could mean he’s simply retired.
Will Steve Rogers return?
There were some reports back in January 2021 that Chris Evans would return as Steve Rogers and Captain America in future Marvel projects, which I wrote about for the Deseret News.
The deal for Evans’ return was for “one Marvel property with the door open for a second film,” according to Deadline.
- That said, Evans later denied the rumor, tweeting a shruggy emoji and said, “News to me” at the same time.
- It’s unclear if Rogers will return. But Marvel — by referencing that Rogers is “gone” — suggests that the door is open for an eventual return.