What If…? Explains The Truth Behind Steve Rogers’ MCU Tony Stark Feud

Steve Rogers and Tony Stark’s rivalry grew throughout MCU Phases 1 to 3, culminating in Captain America: Civil War, but Marvel’s What If…? episode 1 explained what’s truly behind their feud. Steve (Chris Evans) and Tony’s (Robert Downey Jr.) first meeting in 2012’s The Avengers already highlighted how the two had very different approaches to teamwork and superhero work. However, Cap and Iron Man’s differences only grew more pronounced as they worked consistently to defend the world against enemies as Earth’s mightiest heroes, becoming irreconcilable in Captain America 3, as She-Hulk hinted at. While that might be ascribed to their differences, What If…? episode 1 actually showed how it’s the opposite.

While The Avengers exposed Steve Rogers and Tony Stark’s opposite approaches when summoned to fight to defend the Earth, with one closely following orders and the other questioning everything, MCU’s overarching narratives for the characters also showed how similar they always were. Just like Steve jumped over a grenade to defend his fellow soldiers in Captain America: The First Avenger, Tony ended up sacrificing himself to defeat Thanos in Avengers: Endgame. However, What If…? episode 1 went even further, essentially confirming that, had Steve not received the super soldier serum, he would have shared Tony’s fate by becoming the Hydra Stomper, technically appearing and fighting like a proto-Iron Man. This highlights that at the core of their rivalry lies the fact that they are just too similar for their own good.

What If…? Proved Stark & Rogers Are More Alike Than They Think

Cap and Iron Man’s differences encompass strategic choices, as Avengers: Age of Ultron’s Steve/Tony debate finally settled by Doctor Strange 2 proved, as well as their backstories and identities. Steve’s upbringing was humble, contrary to Tony’s wealthy early life as a result of his father Howard’s inventions and subsequent business dealings. Even their path to becoming superheroes brought them different outcomes, with Steve getting actual powers while Tony managed to build a suit that gave him exceptional abilities. Although some might have viewed one as more technically “superhero” than the other, Tony not only proved continuously to care about people, but he also sacrificed himself to beat Thanos.

Tony’s ultimate sacrifice and Cap’s similarly extreme actions at the end of Captain America clearly highlight the similarities between them. However, What If…? episode 1 showed their path would’ve been even more similar if only Steve hadn’t received the super soldier serum. Agent Carter becoming Captain Carter changed Steve’s path, nevertheless, he was still able to become a hero in his own right, thanks to Howard repurposing the Tesseract as an energy source for the Hydra Stomper suit. Therefore, What If…? proved that under similar circumstances, Steve and Tony would have used the same means to do what was right and become superheroes, proving they were more alike than they thought.

What Happens To Tony Stark In Captain Carter’s Universe?

Steve getting an indestructible suit in What If…? episode 1 changed Tony’s path in Captain Carter’s universe. Although What If…? episode 1 didn’t specify how, the fact that it was Howard Stark the first one to build such a suit instead of his son Tony proved how Tony’s Iron Man could have been even more powerful. After all, if he wanted to become a superhero in this universe, the technology Tony used to build Iron Man’s suit would have already become obsolete, considering Captain Carter’s universe already included Howard’s Hydra Stomper suit. If Tony were to pursue that road to becoming a superhero, he would have had decades of research on indestructible suits.

However, a clearer answer is given in Captain Carter, where Tony appears at the right moment to help Captain Carter in her fight against countless soldiers in volume 3. While Captain Carter volume 3 establishes Tony’s status as that of a wealthy inventor and a superhero, it’s volume 4 that expands on his backstory, explaining that only Tony’s brain and spine are his, while the rest of his body is synthetic, making him actually made of metal, instead of having an indestructible suit. Although that still hasn’t been confirmed by What If…?, Captain Carter’s universe’s Tony could still make a future appearance, further showing how he and Steve are similar.