It looks like Captain America is done in the MCU for the foreseeable future, but we still have plenty of great moments to remember him by. Throughout the various threats our heroes have faced, Cap has remained the noble, brave leader. But he may also be one of the MCU’s most powerful heroes.
Though he is not a demigod or a gigantic rage monster, Cap has pulled off some incredibly powerful feats all to save the world. His immense willpower allows him to stand up to any enemy and take any beating but keep standing. He shows strength beyond what even a super-soldier should be able to do. These are the moments that prove Captain America is the most powerful Avenger.
10 Holding The Helicopter
One of the most noteworthy things about Captain America is how he seems to summon incredible strength whenever the stakes are high. When it comes to saving his best friend Bucky, Cap seems to summon more strength than he's ever had before.
Bucky appears to be back to his old self briefly, but then Zemo unlocks his Winter Soldier persona and sends him on the warpath. While everyone else is trying to kill him, Cap tries to protect him. As Bucky takes off in a helicopter, Cap grabs on and curls it like a dumbbell in one of Chris Evans' most iconic moments as the character.
9 Hammer On Shield
Though they all became good friends and loyal allies eventually, things started off a bit rocky for the Avengers. Cap and Iron Man already don't see eye-to-eye, and the introduction of Thor only complicates things.
After Iron Man and Thor battle it out, Cap arrives to attempt to calm everyone down. However, Thor cannot be calmed and brings his hammer down on Cap. Despite the awesome power of Mjolnir, Cap stands tall, taking the blow on his shield, causing a reaction that levels the forest and finally calms Thor down.
8 Fighting Winter Solider
Captain America is not the only super-soldier around, but he continuously proves that he is the best of them. With Hydra getting ready to assassinate millions of people, Cap is forced to fight the brainwashed Winter Soldier.
Cap not only holds his own against a fellow super soldier, but he again manages to summon that unbelievable strength to save his friend. Once the day is saved, Cap has no interest in hurting Bucky anymore. He takes multiple bullets from him, is beaten with his bionic arm, yet still does everything he can to save Bucky's life.
7 Siege On Freighter
While Cap was certainly impressive enough in Captain America: The First Avenger, in the sequel, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, we saw just what a badass he could really be. The opening assault on the hijacked freighter remains one of the MCU's best action sequences.
His amazing feats begin as he jumps from a plane with no parachute before sneaking aboard the ship and kicking everyone's butt. Seeing the intense and tactical nature of his attack redefined Cap in the MCU as the perfect modern soldier.
6 Elevator Fight
An interesting thing about the MCU's version of Captain America is that, while patriotic, he is not afraid to stand up to the establishment even if it means standing alone. After the supposed assassination of Nick Fury, Cap quickly finds himself the target of S.H.I.E.L.D., and he's not going down quietly.
The famous elevator sequence finds Cap gradually surrounded by enemies in a tight space. However, he quickly proves that he's not the one in danger as he brutally and effectively takes out the room full of mercenaries in a thrilling scene.
5 Taking On The Quinjet
After escaping the ambush in the elevator, Cap makes a run for it, but S.H.I.E.L.D. has bigger guns to bring in. As Cap takes off on his motorcycle, a quinjet arrives to block his way. Without slowing down, Cap single-handedly takes on the aircraft.
Seeing Cap leap on top of the ship with his shield and take it down in a manner of seconds just proves that there is little that can stand in his way. Though he prefers to be the hero, he seems to have a real knack for being the outlaw on the run.
4 Defeating Iron Man
In an effective twist on the Civil War story, the entire conflict between the heroes comes down to a very personal battle. And as such, there is a lot more at stake. After learning that the Winter Soldier is responsible for the death of his parents, Tony wants revenge on Bucky. Obviously, Cap won't allow this.
The fight between the former friends is not the fun dust-up we saw in the airport sequence. They hurti each other and make each other bleed. But even with his amazing suit of armor, Iron Man is no match for Cap when he's fighting to save his friend.
3 Fighting Captain America
Avengers: Endgame found the remaining MCU heroes embarking on their most difficult mission yet. But while Thanos was the real threat, Cap ended up facing off with one of his most formidable opponents — himself.
After traveling back to 2012 New York to collect some Infinity Stones, Cap runs into a younger, more strait-laced version of himself. Thinking this new Cap is Loki in disguise, young Cap is ready to fight. But old Cap has learned a few tricks over the years, including how to fight dirty. In the end, he manages to defeat Captain America which is something no other MCU character can say.
2 Holding Back Thanos
Without a doubt, Thanos is the most powerful enemy the Avengers faced off against. In his very first scene in Avengers: Infinity War, Thanos manages to kick Thor and Hulk's butts as well as kill Loki and Heimdall. It seems like there is no hero who can stand up to him.
While Thanos does prove unstoppable in Infinity War, Cap does surprise the Mad Titan by briefly holding him back. With the fate of the world in the line, Cap uses all of his strength to grab Thanos' gauntlet and tries his best to stop him. Though it's only for a moment, even Thanos is shocked by the feat.
1 Lifting Mjolnir
Though it was teased in Avengers: Age of Ultron, the moment we saw Cap actually lift Mjolnir was one of the most crowd-pleasing moments in recent film memory. As Thanos has Thor on the ropes, Cap proves he truly is worthy, making him more powerful than he has ever been before.
The fact that he is worthy to lift the hammer is impressive enough, but Cap also seems completely capable of using Mjolnir to its full potential. He even uses the hammer and his shield simultaneously to beat Thanos down. At that moment, he is the most powerful Avenger.