7 Marvel Cinematic Universe "What Ifs" That Should Have Happened
3. Cap And Peggys Out of Time Theme
I think out of all the phase 1 films Captain America: The First Avenger was hardest to watch as a solo film, specifically only for the ending which would come out of nowhere for those not familiar with the MCU. If they played that ending to their strengths instead of it seeming like a tie in to the Avengers, it would have been better. Imagine the film opening like a 1940s movie serial, or even just a bunch of documented interviews with the people in the story. Peggy Carter, Howard Stark, Colonel Phillips and other soldiers all the way up to current interviews with maybe even Coulson and Hawkeye would have helped perpetuate the fact that Cap became a legend, symbol, tall-tale hero and myth in everyones eyes. This would also give more weight to the fact that he's a "Living Legend" in the Avengers. Another character theme to help sell the ending is to have Steve be a man out of time even back in the 40's. Sure, everyone wants to go off to fight a war but Steve doesnt want to fight and kill Nazis; he just wants to end the war. Everyone else his age was popular, dancing with women and sociable but what if Steve was none of these things? Steve could have been a mild outcast before he got the serum and even after when he was only used as propaganda. When he finally starts leading men into battle maybe people only see him as a symbol instead of a human that might make a mistake, which leads to him still feeling like an outcast. What if the only person he truly finds as a kindred spirit (besides Bucky who dies anyway, adding to his isolation) is Peggy? A British woman in the American Military, already subject to oppression by the men she leads. This mutual isolation can just add to the reason they like/understand each other. This way, when Cap finds out they revived him and hes in the future at the end itll read as a bittersweet ending. Hes alone in a world he doesnt know with Peggy seemingly long gone. His feeling of isolation will be the thing that ties the movie together.
