Memorandum
- From
- Connor Quincy via IGN Articles
- Date
- Filed
- Culture·3 min to read
- Re
Russo Brothers Considered Showing Steve Rogers Return the Infinity Stones
ReRusso Brothers Considered Showing Steve Rogers Return the Infinity Stones
Joe and Anthony Russo say they long discussed a scene showing Steve Rogers returning the Infinity Stones after Avengers: Endgame, but decided it was too complicated for a montage and never filmed it.
Joe and Anthony Russo have confirmed that they spent considerable time considering whether to show Steve Rogers returning the Infinity Stones to their proper places across the Marvel Cinematic Universe timeline. The directors of Avengers: Endgame said the idea was discussed repeatedly but ultimately set aside because it could not be contained within the film's conclusion.
In Endgame, Rogers agrees to travel back through time to restore the stones after the Avengers use them to undo the Blip. The film then jumps ahead to show him choosing to remain in the past and live a quiet life with Peggy Carter. His journey to return each stone — a mission that would have taken him to Asgard, Morag, Vormir, New York, and other points in MCU history — was never depicted on screen.
Joe Russo told CBR that he and his brother «did have that conversation» about showing the journey. «I think we toyed around with an idea of like, 'Is there a montage where he puts the stones back?' We felt like it just played past the ending,» he said. «We were like, 'It seems like much more complicated than a montage could sustain.' And so we didn't do it.»
Anthony Russo added that the concept was revisited over a long period. «We did circle it for a long time, that idea,» he said. When asked about the persistent fan demand for a Disney+ series following Chris Evans as Rogers returns the stones, Anthony Russo appeared to dismiss the small-screen route while keeping the door open for something larger. «I think that's a great idea,» he said. «How about a movie?»
The directors' comments align with past remarks from Evans, who has said he received multiple pitches to return to the MCU but did not move forward with them because he was waiting for an idea substantial enough to justify coming back. Marvel rarely discusses abandoned projects, but the Russos' account suggests a Rogers stone-return story was at least considered internally.
For now, there is no indication that the journey will be shown. The Russos are occupied with Avengers: Doomsday and are entering pre-production on Avengers: Secret Wars. Doomsday is set to pick up Rogers' story after his Infinity Stone mission, when his life with Peggy Carter is interrupted by a visit from Loki. That moment has already been seen in the extended version of Avengers: Endgame currently playing in theaters.
What follows will not be revealed until Avengers: Doomsday arrives on December 18. The film will continue the multiverse saga and, according to the Russos, will treat Rogers' post-Endgame life as a starting point rather than an ending. The directors' latest remarks offer a rare glimpse into the creative decisions that shaped the final chapter of the Infinity Saga — and the stories that were left untold.
5
