Endgame Steve Rogers
It’s a long read, but written by someone with an understanding of PTSD and depression.
I know a lot of people are saying that Steve going back in time to be with Peggy completely destroys his character growth, however, I believe it fits right in with who he is after coming out of the ice. I have been studying PTSD and depression in veterans for years. It is pretty clear to me that Steve has a severe case of both. Yes he’d been in the modern world for roughly seven years, but in all that time he never truly assimilated. The core part of him longed to go back home, to the time and people he knew. In “Avengers” (2012) he lived in a tiny, barely furnished apartment staring at pictures of dead people. He had flashbacks to the war and talked about people long dead as if they were still alive. In “The Winter Soldier” they made it clear that he spent almost all of his time at work. He had little to no social life. A singular focus on one aspect of life is a common coping technique for someone suffering from PTSD. He wandered around a museum staring at displays of Bucky and Peggy, arguably the two most important people to him. When Sam asked him what makes him happy he answered that he didn’t know. His determination to free Bucky is another indicator that he hasn’t moved on. Bucky was his best friend, but he was also Steve’s only link to his past and the life he grew up with. In “Age of Ultron” Steve invited WWII vets to the party, not modern-day people. In his vision he went back in time to Peggy. In “Civil War” he was notified the moment Peggy died. He obviously spent enough time with her, that whoever was with her when she died knew to tell him. Even him kissing Sharon Carter is am indication of his failure to assimilate. He chose someone who reminded him of Peggy. He threw away his reputation as America’s Hero and Golden Boy away for Bucky, his link to the past. Everything Steve has done from the moment he woke up till the moment he went to be with Peggy screams of a man who never learned to be happy in the modern world. I think in our haste to lift him up as the great, unselfish hero, we forgot that Steve is essentially a young man who lost his entire world. He made friends, and did his duty as Captain America, but he was never truly happy or even content. In the end he was given happiness with the person he loves, which is a truly wonderful gift.
Wonderfully written, and it sheds light on a side of Steve people rarely look at. Thank you!