Spoilers ahead for Avengers: Endgame. Don't read on if you haven't seen it!
After a long year of waiting, Avengers: Endgame is in the midst of its theatrical run, and making an insane amount of money in the process. The Russo Brothers managed to do the impossible, surpassing Infinity War, and cramming in everything and the kitchen sink in the process. While the stakes were at an all-time high in the wake of Thanos' snap, there were still plenty of comedic beats put into the massive blockbuster.
One of the best recurring bits in Avengers: Endgame were focused on Captain America's superpowered butt. Dubbed "America's ass" during the film, it's a joke that pays off big time in the time heist. When Steve Rogers fights and defeats a past version of himself, he admires the doppleganger's backside. Now Endgame writer Stephen McFeely has opened up about that joke's origin, saying:
It's a little meta. Chris Evans has never been comfortable with that outfit from the first Avengers movie. And so in the rearview, it's a little way to wink at how that was then, and this is now. And then it sort of just built from there. By the time we got to the fight scene where he defeated himself, his butt is on the ground and he was just sitting there for a callback.
Joss Whedon's The Avengers might have made history and blown our minds when it hit theaters in 2012, but there was an issue that Chris Evans had: his costume. And it's that disdain that ultimately fueled "America's ass" to get one final laugh during Endgame's second act.
Stephen McFeely's comments to LA Times shows how organically things can develop in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. While there's still a larger narrative to consider, directors and writers are given the freedom to do their jobs, and make creative choices. Avengers: Endgame talks about Captain America's butt quite a few times, but the bit wasn't simply written for the movie. It came from a real life conversation between Chris Evans and the creative team of the movie.
Related: Paul Rudd Has A Valid Concern Over Ant-Man And Thanos’ Butt Theory For Endgame
As far as Captain America's costumes go, the one used in The Avengers is definitely more cartoonish. It's super colorful and carries less armor, in stark juxtaposition to the tactical gear he rocked in later appearances. But while the newer costumes may be more gritty and cool, you've got to admire just how colorful Joss Whedon made the first Avengers movie. It's too bad Chris Evans hated how his butt looked in the suit.
Avengers: Endgame's time heist was bigger and more ambitious than anyone of us could have imagined, and The Battle of New York from The Avengers ended up being a very important setting. Three different stones were in the city at that point, and a sizable team of Avengers traveled back to procure them. This put the modern Captain America in contact with Crossbones of 2012, as well as a past version of himself.
Two Captain Americas duking out was a wild and thrilling sequence, and the callback to Steve Roger's ass was icing in the cake of a masterful sequence. And the joke about Cap's backside likely worked so well because it came from a place of truth.
Avengers: Endgame is in theaters now. Be sure to check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.
