The first trailer for Avengers: Infinity War is full of amazing moments and seemingly promises a film that will live up to a decades-worth of buildup. One of those moments that sent chills down the spine of many a Marvel fan was when T'Challa points to Steve Rogers and beckons for someone to "Get this man a shield." Cap laid down his shield at the end of Captain America: Civil War, so he will definitely need a replacement when he helps defend Wakanda from Thanos' invading forces. But having left the stars and stripes behind, what would a new shield look like? Thanks to some action figures, we may have an idea.
It's funny how in this day and age of hyper secrecy around blockbuster films, no one says a peep, but product tie-ins and toys that need to be produced ahead of time often let out a few juicy details. The images of these Marvel Legends action figures for Avengers: Infinity War come to us from Twitter user Alfred Murphy, and they clearly show Cap will be using a much different-looking shield. The vibranium shield sports a more regal look than the traditional one, which makes sense given that it was commissioned by a Wakandan king. It evokes more of a knightly aesthetic. If we analyze this action figure's shield along with the Infinity War trailer, we begin to get a clearer picture about how not only will Cap's aesthetic be different in this film, but his fighting style as well. Take a look at this still from the trailer and look at Steve Rogers' forearms.
Without knowing what to look for, it could be mistaken as some sort of armor, but if we look at the action figure and this image together, we get a better idea about how Cap's new shield will function. This is still speculation, of course, but I think that the Wakandan shield Cap gets will split into two halves, which attach to his forearms. It doesn't look like this new shield will be the aerodynamic boomerang like his previous one was, so this will alter how he fights with it. Instead of ricocheting his shield off his enemies and surroundings, this new shield looks as though it will function, ironically, much like gauntlets, providing protection as well as an offensive application. The points on the end of the action figure's shield look like they will be more than stylistic too. When Cap is fist fighting with Thanos' Black Order, these shields will be piercing their alien hides. It's very cool.
The shield is an integral part of the Captain America identity, and getting a new one devoid of the stars and stripes just shows how this character is evolving and changing after his disillusionment in Civil War and subsequent status as a fugitive. While this double shield isn't exactly part of the Nomad identity that has been hinted at, it still shows that Marvel is making interesting visual changes to the Cap character to reflect his internal ones. You can catch Steve Rogers and whatever weapons he's using when Avengers: Infinity War hits theaters on May 4. For all the latest in action figure analysis, stay tuned to CinemaBlend.
