Few superheroes give better speeches than Avengers: Endgame. But while Steve Rogers may have a way with words, some of his speeches don’t exactly hold up to scrutiny... including one of his most famous, which was also adapted to the movies.
In the Iron Man playing villain on the side favoring the law, and Captain America leading the side opposed to it. Giving Steve the moral high ground... with one massive catch.
Spider-Man finds himself caught in the middle of the larger Civil War dispute. First pulled onto team Iron Man, Peter Parker publicly unmasks but later defies the SRA, and finds himself being hunted by heroes and villains alike. Fortunately Captain America finds him first, and Peter asks him for some much needed advice. Cap responds with one of his most iconic speeches ever. And on the surface, his most noble, principled, and patriotic.
This speech was so highly regarded that it was even included in the MCU’s Peggy Carter, not Steve Rogers. The problem is: the logic is seriously flawed. And so flawed, it actually makes Steve seem less aware of the nuances of independence and freedom of speech, not more. While it’s always irable to stand up for what you believe in, “no matter the odds or consequences,” Cap’s speech ignores a simple yet crucial stipulation--what if you’re wrong?
People make mistakes, and often don’t have all the facts they need to make an informed decision. Is it not better to be open-minded and willing to it that maybe, just maybe, if everyone else believes something, they might have a point? That isn't to say anyone should sacrifice their individuality or that the majority is always right, but if everyone always followed Cap’s logic, there would be no reasonable discourse. Everyone would firmly entrench themselves in their beliefs, no one would learn anything, and no progress would ever be made. So while this speech may sound epic, patriotic, and unwavering (especially because it comes from Captain America), he’s really advising Peter to be stubborn.
Captain America's speech may be somewhat problematic, but that doesn’t mean there are no good takeaways whatsoever. Following your heart and resisting peer pressure are certainly good qualities, Steve, but being open-minded is important, too.
