It’s no secret that Steve Rogers is one of the most popular and most complex characters in the MCU. Ever since that day he volunteered to be infused with the Super-Soldier serum, fans have been drawn in by his altruistic and heroic ways. However, that doesn’t mean he is perfect.
Although Steve was seen as a moral com for the Avengers, there have been some occasions where he has made some mistakes. Just like the other Avengers, Steve can be selfish and make the wrong choices. While he does strive to do the right thing, sometimes he can be too caught up in his own ideals, which can blind his judgment and rationality. It may not happen often, but Steve has participated in and committed to some pretty shameless deeds.
Shameless: Becoming a war criminal
This point is complicated because his reasons for going against the Accords were good in many ways, and he was also trying to protect people he loved like Bucky Barnes. However, this is technically a shameless thing he did because while it was technically against the law and many people disagreed with him, Steve didn't feel bad about it. The ethics of his actions can be debated, but Steve felt he was right to break the Accords and keep Bucky Barnes safe.
Proud: Taking down HYDRA/SHIELD
One thing the MCU did right with Steve as a character was giving him some interesting moral dilemmas. While he grew up believing in the ideals of America and trusted SHIELD because of Peggy’s involvement, he was also willing to burn it to the ground when he learned it had been corrupted. His choice to take down both of these institutions that had become so entwined was absolutely the right one. It was a momentous decision to the plot of the MCU, and it was also significant for Steve as a character as he had to rethink his perspective on the world.
Shameless: Lying to the army
Although Steve is considered to be one of the bravest heroes in the entire MCU, fans will agree that his own origin story is quite shameless. As many fans , Steve had been determined to the army and fight alongside Bucky on the front lines as he didn't like hearing what was happening overseas. However, due to issues with his health, Steve was rejected from service.
Instead of accepting defeat, Steve insisted that he would find another way. The viewers then learned that Steve had started lying on his forms in order to improve his odds, which was and still is a crime to do so. Not only was he jeopardizing his own health but he could also have risked his friends' lives too if he fell ill while on the battlefield.
Proud: Being willing to sacrifice himself to save others
While much of Steve’s journey sees him learn that not everyone and everything holds to their ideals as much as he does, Steve is always pretty set on sticking to his own code of ethics. He’s always willing to throw himself on the grenade for his friends, so to speak, just like he does in Captain America: The First Avenger.
However, fans will it that one of the noblest things Steve ever did was sacrificing himself to save others. When he takes the airplane into the ice to keep millions of people from dying, and this is just the most extreme of all the many times he tries to save others.
Shameless: Not telling Tony Stark about his parents
The relationship between Tony and Steve is a complicated one. They are sometimes teammates, sometimes friends, and sometimes rivals, and they often get under one another’s skin.
When Steve learned the truth of how Tony’s parents died at the hands of HYDRA, he should have told him about it. He might have been trying to protect him, but it did a lot more harm than good. And, Tony understandably felt betrayed by this.
Proud: Giving Sam Wilson the shield
While many characters have taken up the Captain America shield in the comics, Sam Wilson was the right choice to take up the mantle next in the MCU.
While Steve also cares about Bucky, Sam had also proved himself more than worthy of the shield, too. After all, he was shown to exert comion and had a good sense of morality, which was very similar to Steve's. By choosing Sam, he would have found great comfort in knowing that his friend would do his best to take up the mantle and protect the world.
Shameless: Kissing Sharon Carter
This is another decision that was clearly made because the creators of the MCU didn’t have Steve’s entire story mapped out yet. Otherwise, if they knew Steve would end up with Peggy, it seems unlikely they would have briefly had him be with Sharon.
Since Steve ends up back with Peggy, who is Sharon’s great-aunt, this whole relationship just feels off. Not only is their relationship largely ignored much in the movies, but Endgame does seem to suggest that Steve had never got over Peggy. This also makes it rather questionable that the only other person he shows a romantic interest in was someone who had been related to Peggy. Maybe kissing someone related to Peggy was his way of trying to recapture what he had with the SHIELD founder? If this was the case, then it was a little unfair to Sharon.
Proud: Defending Bucky Barnes
While some people might disagree, one of Steve’s biggest strengths is his loyalty to people. Over time, he sees that institutions can’t always be trusted so he places most of his faith and love into the people closest to him. And, Bucky is someone who means and represents a lot to Steve. His choices to do his best to save Bucky from HYDRA might not have been thought through perfectly, but he was trying to save his best friend from torture and death. It’s very in character for him to do this and it’s actually a good thing.
Shameless: Going back to the past and ruining a lot of lives
Probably the worst, and also most out of character, thing Steve Rogers does in the MCU is to mess with the established rules of time travel to go back to the past and be with Peggy. It goes back on his entire narrative arc which had him find a life in the modern world and develop friendships.
He also makes a decision to erase the life fans saw her lead in the movies and in Agent Carter. While viewers don't know for sure if Steve ended up feeling guilty for his decisions or not, given what they know of his character, it seems like his earlier self might.
Proud: Not g the Accords
While some people might also disagree with this, given the contents of the Accords, this was the right choice. While the idea of oversight might not be bad, Steve had seen how easily institutions like S.H.I.E.L.D could be corrupted.
The Accords also included information about controlling and tracking any “mutant” or person with powers, and given how Steve was around for World War II, his hesitation makes sense. It was much easier for people like Tony, who wasn’t actually super on a genetic level, to not be worried about this.
