When Marvel dropped the first trailer for Avengers: Infinity War, there was a lot of buzz surrounding it—the stakes are higher than ever as Thanos attempts to collect all of the Infinity Stones and destroy half of the universe. But one small detail stood out above all others for fans: Captain America had a beard!
This new look for Cap is a perfect reflection of the character’s arc in the MCU. He’s a man who has seen a lot of sh– and, thanks to Tony Stark’s Sokovia Accords, is now a wanted fugitive on the run from the government. But he still has his dignity and is willing to fight for the principles that made him so strong—a true hero in every sense of the word. His beard embodies that.
It’s easy to see why the beard has become so popular with fans, who flooded Tumblr and Pinterest with art and GIFs of the bearded Cap. It’s the kind of moment that brings you back to the first time you saw Steve Rogers and was struck by his unwavering commitment to truth, justice, and the American way.
However, it’s not as easy to keep up this level of hirsuteness if you’re a busy guy on the go. That’s why, when Joe and Anthony Russo announced that Cap’s beard was going to be absent from the Endgame trailer, the internet was shook. It turns out that Evans was already shooting Snowpiercer and couldn’t grow out the beard for the rest of filming.