WARNING: This article contains potential SPOILERS for Avengers: Infinity War
Captain America‘s new shield is getting an upgrade for Infinity War, and will have Black Panther to thank for it. It’s a theory we’ve been building since Steve Rogers showed up with a beard, darker suit, and grimmer demeanour than usual in The Avengers: Infinity War‘s first trailer. To some, the fact that Cap is without his signature shield may be a strong thematic layering, representing his heightened vulnerability now that he has only a handful of Avengers allies left. Or, perhaps a sign that Thanos has weakened Earth’s superheroes before his coming assault. While others…. just really want Cap to get his shield back.
For those who may not remember, Steve Rogers didn’t technically “lose” his shield, despite the past visions of seeing it shattered (and him along with it). Instead, it was surrendered. After deciding that Earth’s heroes should follow their own orders, and not be made subject to the greed, politics, or inaction of world governments, he became a fugitive. It led to some headaches in Captain America: Civil War, but the film’s climax actually had little to do with that ideology. Once his battle with Tony Stark became entirely personal, and Steve defended his brainwashed best friend, Tony decided to put his armored foot down.
The first Avengers Infinity War trailer was just amazing. It has shattered the previous records of the most viewed trailer in first 24 hours. The trailer finally showed The Mad Titan, Thanos, coming to Earth and starting his assault on the heroes along with his Black Order and the army of aliens.
The Infinity gems/stones are the most powerful objects in the entire MCU. The Mad Titan will locate all the Infinity gems, assemble them and create an all-powerful Infinity gauntlet, cause a world-wide catastrophe that will force Team Avengers and Guardians of the Galaxy to join forces and fight against the mad Titan.
Although the Infinity war cast is stacked up with superhero heavy-weights, but the most important comic-book character is Thanos. Till now, he has been teased in Marvel movies in post-credits of Phase 2, 3 films, but Infinity war will be the first major project where he is going to be the central antagonist pursuing his sinister ends.
In the trailer, we see Nomad Cap leading his new team of superheroes and warriors at Wakanda to prevent Black Order (Children of Thanos) from possibly getting their hands on the sixth Infinity Gem. Iron Man is seen in the Hulkbuster suit, Spiderman donning Iron Spider suit, Thor meets Guardians of the Galaxy for the first time and Thanos is stealing Infinity stones one by one and is preparing for an all-out assault.
There were many breath-taking moments in the trailer but after watching the trailer multiple times, a particular scene caught our attention and it has everything to do with Captain America who is featuring a new look and new weapon for combat, his new shield.
Steve Rogers dropped his shield when Iron Man says, “You don’t deserve it; my father made that shield” and walks away with Winter Soldier at the end of Captain America: Civil War. But the upcoming movie is all set to give him a new shield and it won’t be a typical circular shield like before.
A few weeks ago, the poster of Avengers Infinity War showed Steve Rogers sporting a beard and he is not in his usual attire of Captain America, instead, he is wearing Nomad suit from comics. Russo Brothers told Huffington Post that dropping his shield “is him letting go of that identity. It’s him admitting that the identity of Captain America was in conflict with the very personal choice that he was making.”
So how will the Super Soldier fight the Mad Titan? Well, according to the poster, he will take on the new alias Nomad which he adopted during 1970’s in Marvel comics. So yes, he will be fighting against Thanos and his ruthless alien invaders but as someone else.
We saw king T’Challa ordering his loyal soldiers to “Evacuate the city, engage all defenses and get this man a shield.” The man referred in here gotta be Steve Rogers as he is the one who uses the shield while fighting.
Later in the trailer, we saw two armies marching towards each other. One of Thanos’ aliens and the other Wakandan army joined by Black Panther, The Hulk, Black Widow, Winter Soldier, Falcon, War Machine and Captain America who is in the middle and what’s easily missed here was the thing on Captain America’s wrist. He is wearing some kind of gauntlet on each forearm which appears triangular in shape.
This is a new type of shield that Captain America is wearing that can be modified into a triangular shield if you pair both of them together. It’s the same kind of shield that was featured in the Captain America: Steve Rogers where Steve Rogers regains his super-soldier serum after the events of “Avengers: Standoff” and gives his circular shield to Sam Wilson. While he adopts a new one which can be separated into two pieces.
There is no doubt that if Black Panther has ordered his men to forge a new shield and they don’t make it. And a country full of rare Vibranium metal, it’s just a normal thing to see another shield being made in no time.
While we didn’t see any more visuals of him wearing those gauntlets, we hope to see him using his new shield in the next trailer.
