A Nerd Post

 

I'm going to take a break from any serious thought to discuss a Marvel movie. No, I'm not here to point out all the flaws and strengths of the Black Widow movie (by the way, for those afflicted, like me, with arachnophobia, no spiders in the actual movie which is a relief). I was thinking this morning about the end of Endgame. If you haven't seen it by now and haven't heard about the ending but still care then I'll warn of spoilers and look at you kinda strange like.

Cap'n Amurica decides to go back in time and return the stones to their original locations. This requires that he holds the stones in a briefcase and that he goes to 5 places to return 6 stones. To move from place to place requires something called "Pym Particles" (which, if it hasn't happened already, should be the name of a candy). He and Tony Stark stole some Pym particles from an army base in the early 1970's -- how much? I'm not sure, but it would have to be a lot. Or maybe, off screen, they knocked on Hank Pym's door and asked for more. I don't know.

So, poof goes Steve, briefcase in tow. Now how did the actual returns work? Sure, if he popped onto the Sanctuary's roof and saw Tilda Swinton, she wouldn't be freaked out at all, but does he show up while Bruce Banner is there (and if so, wouldn't we have seen this on screen when the Sorcerer Supreme GAVE the stones to Banner?) Maybe it was 10 minutes later so Bruce makes his exit and then Steve Shows up.

How does this play out for the other stone in NY at the time? It was in Loki's staff I think. How did he return it? To whom and at what point?

Then he is off to Morag to, um, put the stone back in its magnetic prison from which Peter Quill will steal it (leading to the Guardians of the Galaxy movie)? He would have to put it back in the egg holder and then back within those glowy lines. But is that when and where it was taken? Not sure -- Don Cheadle and Nebula knocked Quill out on his way to the stone. Would he remember that? It could happen.

Then, over to Asgard to reinject Natalie Portman with red gas even though he is holding a stone? That must have been awkward. Did he have to swab the injection site?

A short jump over to Vormir for a (probably) tense conversation with Red Skull. (Red Skull: Heard you crashed your plane.  Cap: Did you like apples? Well, how 'bout these apples? I got the stone!). Did he have to make the arduous climb that Natasha and Clint made to get there or did he materialize at the top of a cliff, skip the soul stone across the water (counting jumps, no doubt) and leave? Did he get an extra soul returned to him because he brought back the merchandise or did he need some sort of receipt? Inquiring minds want to know.

Finally, to NJ where he breaks in to that building, finds the right container (though he wasn't there to see it in the first place) and puts the stone back in after Tony steals it (how soon after? Tony spends 10 minutes getting out with Howard and making small talk, meaning that there were 2 stones there for a while). Does he then knock on Peggy's office door and announce himself. He had been gone for almost 30 years by then. Was she surprised? Did he explain time travel to her? Had she already shacked up with someone? The answer is "no."

Based on the cars driving by the house in the final dance-off scene between Steve and Peggy (it was a tie) he went BACK to her in the 50's which means he had even more Pym particles handy to make that extra jump, or he computed exactly and he used up his last ones to go back, making going into the future impossible unless he hung around for a bunch of years, went into the army base in the early 70's and stole more particles. So he goes back to the 50's, says "Hi Peggy, I know the last we spoke I was crashing a plane into the ice, but here I am, let's dance" and she says "OK Steve, no questions or anything - I have this house on my military salary, so you can just move in but we should buy you some clothes because all you have is that ridiculous white time travel suit on."

Then you can ask all the questions about how he lived his life in anonymity, watching evil flourish and knowing that his younger self was still stuck in the ice. So, yeah.