AVENGERS: ENDGAME Fan Theory Suggests Stan Lee Was Supposed To Be Old Steve Rogers All Along

I’ve got a fascinating fan theory to share with you today regarding Stan Lee and Steve Rogers in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The theory suggests that Stan Lee was actually old Steve Rogers the whole time in all those cameos that we saw him in.

I know this may seem a little weird and bizarre to hear at first, but the theorist provides some fun and interesting evidence that might leave you wondering and scratching your head. For example, there’s Lee’s cameo in Avengers: Age of Ultron where he's with his World War II veteran friends. There’s also Lee's character in Avengers: Infinity War who doesn’t seem surprised at all to see alien spacecrafts like he’s seen them all before.

I know that you are going to have a ton of questions that will make you doubt this. So do I! But the theorist address some of those questions as he explains his theory. In the end it’s just a fun theory to share that would be kinda cool and interesting if it was true. At the very least, I thought you all might find it entertaining.

The theory was shared on Reddit by MemTheDurgen and you can read the whole thing below:

In the end of Avengers: Endgame we see Steve go back in time to live out his life with Peggy, but we can assume he lays low as to not interfere with the future. But surely he would want to check and see how things were? And which old man has been in the background of every Marvel movie ever made, keeping to himself? Stan Lee. It may not have been from the beginning, but somewhere along the way Marvel planned to have Captain America go back in time for his happy ending and be played by Stan Lee in all of the movies, finally revealing himself in Endgame. Unfortunately, we lost Stan Lee last year, and the directors didn’t want to dishonor his legacy with a CGI clone playing such an important scene so they had Chris Evans play the role as old Cap instead.

Steve went back in time with 6 infinity stones, Mjolnir, and Pym Particles, so he could easily be in all of the off world locations Stan Lee was, like Sakaar.

One problem with this theory is that, as Professor Hulk pointed out, time travel doesn’t work like it does in other movies. You can’t go into the past to change the future, so why would Steve have to tiptoe around the Avengers for over 11 years? This is also a problem fans have had with Steve going back in general. But, recently, the directors stated that Steve went back and lived his life in an alternate timeline before coming back to talk to Sam. (I need a source for this, however) Lets say this is true, because it follows closely to what I already believed about the Marvel Cinematic Universe actually being the alternate universe Steve went to. If Steve was in an alternate timeline because there were two hims and that automatically alters the timeline, he would want to avoid altering it any further so that the Avengers of this timeline are guaranteed the mostly happy ending they get in the Avengers got in his original timeline.

Here are some notable cameos that support this theory:

Captain America: First Avenger This cameo would have been Steve later on wanting to visit himself in the past, perhaps for nostalgia, when he sees who he thinks is Captain America he says “I thought he’d be taller” because he thinks he’s looking at a younger him.

The Avengers Stan’s line “Superheroes in New York? Give me a break” could be Steve ridiculing the pastel look of the Avengers now compared to their gritty incarnation in Endgame, or just a remark of how inexperienced they were then.

Captain America: The Winter Soldier It makes sense for Steve to want to hang around his own exhibit as a guard, telling people about himself discreetly. It could have also been a job to help pay for the medical bills of an ailing Peggy Carter who we see in this movie.

Avengers: Age of Ultron Stan appears as a World War II veteran, just like Steve.

Captain America: Civil War “Tony Stank” is just Steve playfully jabbing at his old friend

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 Steve is telling the watchers about the great time he’s had messing with the Avengers over the years.

Avengers: Infinity War Steve has seen plenty of spaceships in his day, really, these kids shouldn’t be shocked.

Let me know what you think or what problems this theory has!

What do you all think about this theory? Do you think there could be something there? Or is it forcing pieces of a puzzle to fit together?