The MCU's Darkest Easter Egg Everyone Missed In Endgame

Marvel's epic superhero crossover film Avengers: Endgame is officially the gift that keeps on giving – even when its presents are pretty bleak.

Since Endgame hit theaters in April 2019, it's become the highest-grossing movie in the history of cinema, not to mention one of the most beloved films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Not surprisingly, Endgame has also become the MCU's top dog in terms of winking nods to story arcs, fabled objects, and Marvel characters who've yet to appear in the collective film and television franchise. But even with the many Easter eggs that have already been discovered in Avengers: Endgame, it seems there are still plenty left to uncover.

The latest find came when a particularly sharp-eyed Endgame viewer (via Screen Rant) noticed that at a certain point in the film, Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) can be spotted wearing an Army uniform with the name "Roscoe" on the chest. This occurs when Steve and Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) travel back to the 1970s in hopes of getting their hands on the Space Stone that's needed to make their Infinity Gauntlet work. To find the Stone and help reverse Thanos' (Josh Brolin) fateful "snap," Cap and Iron Man infiltrate an Army base, where Cap eventually lays eyes on his beloved Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell) and Tony shares a moment with his long-lost papa Howard (John Slattery).

It seems that en route to concealing their identities on the base — and successfully liberating the Space Stone from its vault — Cap also ended up stealing a uniform from a grunt by the name of Roscoe. 

For a brief period in the Marvel comics' run, a brave soul called Roscoe Simons carried the Captain America mantle. If you're wondering how and when Roscoe Simons came to be Captain America, his moment arrived after Steve Rogers abandoned the persona to become the Nomad.

Per Roscoe's backstory, the character was actually a lifelong fan of Steve Rogers' Captain America. Naturally, after Steve dropped the title — and a pair of other alt-Caps failed to carry on the legacy — Roscoe stepped up to become the next version of the first Avenger. Surprisingly, Roscoe proved a more than capable fighter — eventually winning the approval of Steve and his pal the Falcon, and even earning the right to wield Captain America's near-indestructible shield. 

Unfortunately, Roscoe's time as Captain America was brief, as the character was eventually captured and brutally murdered by Red Skull. Upon discovering that Roscoe wasn't the real Captain America, Red Skull killed him and then left a cautionary message that the same fate awaited any other "fake" Captain Americas. As tragic as Roscoe's death was, it proved the catalyst for Steve to again pick up the shield and bring down Red Skull once and for all — so at least some good came of Simons' demise.

It appears that the Russo Bros. may have been so moved by Roscoe's story that they felt compelled to acknowledge him in Avengers: Endgame. In an intriguing little side note, Roscoe's run as Captain America occurred in the books' mid-70s run of issues, so seeing the character referenced in a '70s-set moment in Endgame is sort of a double Easter egg to boot. 

Now, what are the odds that we'll ever get to see Roscoe Simons on any kind of screen? The answer lies in what the future holds for the Captain America moniker. 

As fans will recall, the final moments of Avengers: Endgame saw Steve Rogers traveling to various moments in the past to return the Infinity Stones to their rightful places in the timeline. However, Steve reappeared as an old man with silver hair, a wedding ring on his left hand, and a gift to give to Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie), otherwise known as the Falcon. As Steve's longtime pal Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan), the Winter Soldier, looked on, Sam told Steve he was "bummed" he'd have to "live in a world without Captain America." That's when Steve told Sam to try on his silver, red, and blue shield — signaling the transference of the Captain America moniker.

Both Sam and Bucky have been Captain America in the comics, and the two are top-lining their very own Disney+ series, aptly entitled The Falcon and the Winter Solider, which will indeed pick up after Sam was handed the Captain America mantle. Many Marvel fans believe that the show will not only feature Sam as Cap, but also Bucky as the Star-Spangled Avenger, given the comics history. It's confirmed that The Falcon and the Winter Soldier includes yet another character to stylize as Cap: John Walker, a.k.a. U.S.Agent, a militaristic version of Captain America deployed by the U.S. government. Wyatt Russell portrays him on the series.

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier sounds like it's shaping up to be Show of a Thousand Captain Americas, so there's a slim chance that Roscoe Simons could be a part of it. It seems most likely that, if anything, he'll be mentioned in conversation rather than seen in the flesh, particularly if tons of alternate Caps crop up after Steve Rogers' retirement. Perhaps the series will incorporate character inspired by Roscoe, a Captain America fan who's killed by some hero-hating villain. Who knows?

In any case, Captain America mantle will live on in the MCU — and so will the memory of Roscoe Simons, thanks to this sneaky Endgame Easter egg.