In Avengers: Endgame we find out that Steve Rogers AKA Captain America went back in time and lived out his days with the love of his life, Peggy Carter.
Peggy and Steve first met during World War II, but their time together was cut short when Steve was forced to crash Red Skull’s ship into ice. However, they were later reunited when Steve was unfrozen, but it didn’t last long as Peggy sadly passed away from old age. In Endgame we find out Steve actually lived a full life with Peggy, we just never knew.
This means that after Steve goes back in time there are technically two Steves in the MCU, the one we see in all the movies and another one who was with Peggy, at least according to the film’s writers.
Writers Stephen McFeely and Christopher Markus wrote Captain America: The First Avenger, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame, so it’s safe to say they know Cap very well. And they’ve previously said they’ve had the idea of Steve returning to be with Peggy for a long time.
So, this means that when Peggy sees Steve in Captain America: The Winter Soldier she knew about his future and was lying to him, reports ScreenRant.
In the movie, Steve visits Peggy in hospital and she tells him her only regret was that Steve didn’t get to live his life. However, she knows that Steve will live a full life with her one day.
She tells him, “The world has changed and none of us can go back. All we can do is our best and sometimes the best we can do is to start over.”
This feels very different once you know Markus and McFeely’s explanation about wanting them to be together.
This scene in Winter Soldier is where the time travel set up first happened. It was for this reason we never saw any photos of Peggy and her husband.
In an interview with Peggy from 1958, she says that Steve saved the man who would become her husband back in WWII. She says, “Even after he died, Steve was still changing my life.”
As we know, he didn’t die, he was just frozen, but it’s pretty crazy watching that back now knowing they got married.
Peggy had to lie to Steve, because if she told him what happened his mindset and decisions would have likely changed.
However, she could have maybe told him not to pursue a relationship with her great-niece!