This OG Avenger’s Return in Doomsday Can Fix a Lingering (and Sloppy) Plot Hole

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Many fans are thrilled about Robert Downey Jr.’s comeback to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but Chris Evans’ confirmed return as Captain America is equally exciting. What makes this return particularly interesting is the potential to resolve a storyline from Avengers: Endgame. Specifically, it could explain how Steve Rogers passed his shield on to Sam Wilson.

Some argue that bringing back the original Avengers actors feels forced and diminishes the satisfying conclusions their characters previously received. The directors, Joe and Anthony Russo, recently hinted at a connection between their previous work and the new films. While fans worried the new story might undo past events, those concerns may be misplaced. Robert Downey Jr. is playing a completely different character, ensuring Tony Stark’s sacrifice remains meaningful. Plus, the teaser trailer didn’t show Chris Evans with aging makeup, suggesting his character already experienced the events of Doomsday and Secret Wars. These new movies could reveal the origins of the shield Sam Wilson now carries.

Steve Rogers Finishes Avengers: Endgame In a Deliberately Ambiguous Way

It’s important to distinguish between a plot hole and something left unanswered when analyzing a story. The disagreement among even the creators – the Russo brothers, Christopher Markus, and Stephen McFeely – shows it falls into the latter category.

The directors believed Steve and Peggy’s ending happened in a different reality, while the writers thought they ended up together within the main Marvel Cinematic Universe timeline. However, the sudden appearance of Captain America’s shield feels like a mistake in the story. Interestingly, with McFeely working with the Russo brothers again, this deliberately unclear part of the plot will probably be explained fully.

It’s actually quite logical that Steve Rogers appears in an alternate reality within the Multiverse Saga, potentially creating a dangerous situation called an incursion. Before the events of Doomsday, fans were free to speculate about what happened to him. Many enjoyed the idea that Steve secretly became Peggy Carter’s husband, completing a neat parallel. Some even believed an older man with gray hair briefly seen at her funeral could have been an older version of Steve Rogers.

Many fans disliked the thought of Steve retiring to a peaceful life instead of continuing to fight and save Bucky from HYDRA. The alternate timeline allows them to believe Steve altered history because, true to his heroic nature, he wouldn’t be able to live with the consequences if he hadn’t.

It’s possible this Captain America actually exists in the same universe as the Fantastic Four. His heroic deeds might have even played a role in building the peaceful, advanced society Reed Richards, Sue Storm, and the others enjoy. While the Fantastic Four are the only known superheroes in their world, they may have been inspired by Captain America to become the crime-fighting team we know.

Where Did Steve Rogers Get the Captain America Shield He Gave to Sam Wilson?

The discussion about whether Steve Rogers lived in a different reality than the main Marvel Cinematic Universe also explains where the new shield came from. If he was still in the main timeline, his original shield would have remained broken after fighting Thanos. But if he was in an alternate reality, the shield’s appearance isn’t a plot error – it simply raises a question about its origins.

The upcoming film, Avengers: Doomsday, might reveal the origins of vibranium. As Steve tries to change the past, he could connect with the people of Wakanda to learn where vibranium originally came from.

The series showed that T’Chaka gave the shield to help with the war, as Axis forces also wanted to control Africa. Essentially, the shield might have been available because its original owner in this alternate world either died or never existed. And since this is all happening within the Multiverse Saga, Steve Rogers will encounter other heroes when he gets involved in the conflict.

The shield Steve Rogers gave Sam Wilson in Endgame might have come from another version of himself or Sam, one who didn’t make it. Steve could have retrieved it from that alternate reality, used it himself, and then traveled back in time to give it to Sam as his successor. Alternatively, if the shield came from a different Sam Wilson, it could shed new light on a curious comment made during that scene.

The Easiest Answer Is that Sam’s Captain America Shield Is a Bootstrap Paradox

When Sam Wilson takes up the Captain America shield in Endgame, he comments that it feels like it doesn’t belong to him. Steve Rogers replies with a simple, “It isn’t.” While this could mean Steve believes Sam deserves to be Captain America, it might be a more direct statement. Steve could be telling Sam the shield actually comes from a version of himself he encountered in alternate realities like Doomsday or Secret Wars.

But there’s also a more complex explanation, similar to a Bootstrap Paradox, which we see in Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man. Just as Steve Rogers needed to complete a loop with the Infinity Stones, he might need to do the same with his shield – essentially creating a situation where the shield’s origin is circular and self-contained.

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Maybe the shield comes from Captain America in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, potentially after Steve Rogers passes away – either during the current films or much later. His final mission could involve retrieving the shield (which Sam already had) and sending it back in time. However, this still doesn’t fully explain where the shield originally came from.

A Bootstrap Paradox creates a circular cause-and-effect loop with no clear origin, but using this storytelling technique shouldn’t be seen as a mistake in the plot. When making Endgame, the filmmakers probably avoided lengthy explanations about the shield to keep the movie moving, given how much else was happening.

The ‘Doomsday’ storyline allows the writers to address a previous plot inconsistency and cleverly foreshadow future events in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Avengers: Doomsday is expected to debut in theaters on December 18, 2026.

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2025-12-26 18:09