The person in charge of the props at the Marvel Studios revealed the reason for the change in Captain America’s shield design at the end of Avengers: Endgame. The shield has been the weapon of choice for Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) since he took on the role of Star-Spangled Avenger. He finally decided to hand over the shield to Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) at the end of the Endgame.

However, the observant viewers were quick enough to notice that the shield Sam currently used was different from what his predecessor flaunted. As loved as Avengers: Endgame was, several questions were not answered. A lot of them were about Captain Rogers’ ending, comprehending his choice to hand over the shield to Sam. 

It was worth noting that during Steve’s one-on-one fight with Thanos (Josh Brolin) during the movie’s climactic battle, the villain continuously hacked away at it with his sword, causing the iconic shield to fall into pieces. It was never shown to be fixed, so there was naturally some uncertainty as to where he got the different-looking shield that he gave to his successor. 

Speaking in an interview, Marvel Studios prop master Russell Bobbitt clarified what brought on the change. Apparently, it is summarized in his interpretation of what was happening in the Avengers: Endgame at that time. Russell’s understanding was that Steve was handing off the torch. He was passing the torch after he made some improvements. Now he wanted Sam to run with that and claimed that it was Sam’s shield, not his. 

Russell hoped that other people saw it the same way, but that was kind of in a nutshell where Marvel went with it. Considering the fact that Marvel Studios didn't turn down Bobbitt’s decision to introduce a new Captain America shield design in Avengers: Endgame, they might have been planning something with this new look moving forward. 

The filmmakers haven’t spoken on this topic despite many of the lingering questions since the movie’s release, about Steve’s time-traveling adventures. It was still doubtful where he got the shield from that he passed on to Sam, but Bobbitt’s comments backed up theories that Captain America changed timelines. Potentially, he must have got the new shield while they were in a different reality.

There was no word if Marvel Studios would even come up with any official explanation about this. Despite Bobbitt's comments, it was still possible that Kevin Feige and his team offer fans a different reason for the shield design alteration. Perhaps it was even part of the plans to build the multiverse. If the speculation that Steve changed timelines turned out to be true, then it could be a good premise for a future project. But, with Sam now properly assuming the role and duties of Captain America, after the events that occurred during The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, and the MCU continuing to move on from Avengers: Endgame, fans might have to wait a long time to learn about the real origins of the curious new shield.