Warning: This article contains spoilers for What If...? episode 8.
Marvel's What If...? just turned Captain America into the President of the United States, showing the Marvel Cinematic Universe doesn't understand his arc. Ultron (voiced by Ross Marquand) finally took over the MCU in What If...? episode 8, setting out to destroy everything with the help of the Infinity Stones. The villain even becomes aware of the Watcher (Jeffrey Wright) and fights the god-like narrator of What If...? across time and space. Finally, in a desperate attempt to save the Multiverse, the Watcher turns to a corrupt version of Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) to ask for help.
Captain America (voiced by Josh Keaton) has had a topsy-turvy journey thus far in What If...?. In the premiere, he doesn't get the Super Soldier Serum. Instead, Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell) takes on the experiment, becoming the MCU's Captain Carter. However, proving he was a hero all along, Cap dons a metal suit and becomes the first Iron Man. Then, in episode 5, Cap's story takes a darker turn. While trying to prevent a zombie virus from spreading in the MCU, Cap gets infected and joins the army of the undead. Unfortunately, Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan) is the one forced to take him down.
Captain America's new story in What If...? episode 8 has a confusing character twist. During the episode, the Watcher and Ultron battle through several different worlds. They fight through various deserts, fiery terrain, and Ultron even eats a galaxy at one point. Eventually, the Watcher falls into a world where Steve Rogers is becoming President of the United States. "I, Steven Grant Rogers, do solemnly swear," he says as onlookers watch him on a giant screen. Though the Watcher and Ultron ignore Rogers' swearing-in ceremony, the moment shows the MCU may not fully understand Captain America's arc.
Steve Rogers would never willingly become President. In Captain America: The First Avenger, Rogers sees firsthand what it's like to become a tool for propaganda, pushing Series E Defense Bonds while smiling and performing for crowds. Then, in Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Rogers learns about Hydra infiltrating SHIELD, realizing the very people he believed in and fought for were corrupt. Captain America: Civil War takes things a step further. At this point, Cap has become completely disillusioned with the power structures he once served. He opposes the MCU's Sokovia Accords because he'd rather trust his decision-making than a politician with an agenda. Captain America would never want to become a politician with a shifting agenda, and his entire MCU arc repeatedly shows that.
Though Rogers isn't an ideal candidate for President, there is one scenario where it works. In Captain America #250, Rogers turned down a chance to become President because it would take away from his role as a hero. So if Rogers accepts the presidency in one timeline in the Multiverse, it's likely because his universe achieved a new level of peace. With the world secure, he can set his sights on other ways to help. Of course, the arrival of Ultron and his Infinity Stones likely shatters that peace and cuts his time in office short, but it's nice while it lasts.
Marvel's What If...? releases new episodes Wednesdays on Disney+.
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