Kevin Feige compares Old Captain America’s return in Avengers: Endgame to the reappearance of Luke Skywalker’s old lightsaber in Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Culminating the MCU’s sprawling Infinity Saga, Endgame had the gargantuan task of giving several of the franchise’s longtime icons fitting sendoffs. Understandably, a bulk of the plot focused on the Original Six Avengers who have been around since the Phase 1 days, including Tony Stark and Steve Rogers. In the latter’s case, he was able to travel back to the past, live out his life with Peggy Carter, and return as a peaceful old man to pass down the Captain America mantle.

The image of Steve finally getting his dance with Peggy was extremely cathartic and great payoff for Captain America’s arc, but it raised a number of questions. Fans continue to debate if Steve went to an alternate dimension to be with Peggy or remained in the prime MCU timeline (something even Endgame’s writers and directors don’t agree on). One would hope that Feige, architect of the MCU, would be able to provide some clarity, but instead he cheekily has some fun with fans.

Speaking with Empire to promote Endgame’s home entertainment release, Feige was asked about Old Captain America’s return to the park bench. Rather than providing a definitive answer, the super producer referenced one of the most infamous lines in Star Wars: The Force Awakens:

Feige, of course, is alluding to one of the great unsolved mysteries of the Star Wars sequel trilogy, which has puzzled fans since 2015. Luke’s old lightsaber, which was lost during his duel with Darth Vader on Cloud City, was magically there in Maz’s castle with no explanation as to how or why. Though Maz teased the question could be answered at a later date (meaning another movie), it seems unlikely the films will dive too deeply into this, making the plot hole worse than it ever needed to be. It’s possible The Rise of Skywalker could surprise viewers, but right now it looks like Maz’s response to Han Solo’s question is just shorthand for “don’t worry about this,” and filmmakers now have a go-to way out whenever they’re pressed to reveal something fans are dying to know.

“That’s a good question, for another time… Who says that? Maz Kanata in The Force Awakens in regard to, how did Luke Skywalker’s lightsaber get in your castle. Ever since I heard that line I said, I’m gonna use that – a lot!”

For some viewers, it doesn’t matter how Steve came back to the present day. The biggest takeaway was that he got an opportunity to live the life he was robbed of, which is satisfying for both the character and the fans who have been following him for the better part of a decade. While it would be nice to get some resolution on the exact specifics, in the grand scheme of things it’s somewhat similar to the ending of Inception. Viewers continue to debate if Cobb was in a dream or reality, but what mattered most was that he was happily reunited with his kids. Whether Old Steve came from an alternate timeline or the prime past, he got what he wanted, which is enough to help sell the Endgame finale.

More: Avengers: Endgame’s Directors’ Explanation of Steve Rogers’ Ending Makes It Worse

Source: Empire

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