One of Hawkeye‘s big highlights was Rogers: The Musical. It makes a ridiculous amount of sense that Broadway would attempt a toe-tappin’ adaptation of Steve Rogers’ life and the show brought Captain America to the stage in style – so much so that the full unedited clip was eventually presented to viewers as a ‘Christmas Present’ mid-credits scene after the finale.
But MCU fans have been wondering why it’s titled ‘Rogers: The Musical’ and not ‘Captain America: The Musical’ – as well as why the shield-wielding Statue of Liberty makes no reference to “Captain America”.
An interesting theory is that in the wake of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier the name is tainted. That show saw John Walker being officially christened as the new Cap by the government, only to end his tenure in disgrace after his homicidal behavior was captured in 4K.
The PR fallout means Sam Wilson has a big job ahead of him in rehabilitating the image of the mantle, though his actions in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier‘s finale probably already went some way towards that.
My thinking is that it’s entirely possible that the show was focused on Rogers because of these negative associations, but it’s also likely that the fact there’s now been three official ‘Captain America’s in the MCU may mean they just want to be specific (and it may simply be a Hamilton joke).
Whatever else, Cap’s shield seems to still be a symbol of hope and triumph in the MCU, as proven by it sitting in pride of place in Lady Liberty’s hand. Here’s hoping that Captain America 4 addresses some of this and hints what the future is for the mantle as it rests heavily on Sam’s shoulders.
Published: Dec 28, 2021 05:58 am