The Marvels Director Nia DaCosta Has Some Surprising Words About Captain America
Any devoted Marvel fan can remember their first time watching "Avengers: Infinity War." Seeing Thanos pull off his plan to eliminate 50% of the world's population was shocking to say the least, and it's an event that continues to reverberate throughout the rest of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. While the Infinity Saga may be over and MCU fans are now looking towards a more cosmic, multiversal future for the films, the moment of watching our heroes in Wakanda devastated by defeat remains one of our most memorable movie moments.
In the years since "Infinity War," fans have speculated what the Avengers could have done differently to stop Thanos. What if Star-Lord didn't lose his temper when Thanos was under mind control? What if Thor had "gone for the head?" What if the Eternals had intervened?
Recently, "The Marvels" director Nia DaCosta shared her own unexpected take on the Snap. In an interview with Inverse, she shared her thoughts on the superhero ethos, remarking that oftentimes these heroes are forced to become unwilling martyrs, or even anti-heroes. She explained her point by discussing Captain America's choices during the end of "Avengers: Infinity War," saying, "a bit flippantly," that "the Snap is all his fault" and "there is a world in which he's a villain." What exactly does she mean by this surprising take?
Nia DaCosta believes Captain America should have let Vision die
In her interview with Inverse, Nia DaCosta elaborates that Captain America was trying to do the right thing by saving Vision, who was gravely injured during the final battle in Wakanda. If Steve had let Vision die, Wanda could have destroyed the Mind Stone with less anguish before Thanos arrived in Wakanda, lessening the Mad Titan's chances of completing the Infinity Gauntlet and executing the snap. By this logic, Steve choose to save his friend rather than the entire universe. "There's a sort of anti-hero in that if you want to look at it through that lens," DaCosta said. Recognizing the controversial nature of her statements, she admitted, "People would say I'm crazy for thinking that way, but there's something connected to the journey of the anti-hero and the hero.'"
Captain America, more than any other Marvel hero, was driven by his commitment to doing the right thing, and letting a friend die was certainly not in his nature. Furthermore, as "Infinity War" showed us, wielding even just five of the Infinity Stones made Thanos unstoppable, and it's very likely he would have brought Vision back and taken the Mind Stone himself regardless, just as he did in the film's timeline. However, as "What If...?" showed us, even small choices can have massive effects. That said, we're glad Steve stuck with his core principles to aid Vision, and we certainly don't think he's a villain for it.