Every Character to Wield Captain America’s Shield in the MCU, Ranked by Strength

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The Marvel Cinematic Universe isn’t always about super-powered individuals calling the shots. In the movie *Captain America: The First Avenger*, the United States and its allies are struggling to find a way to defeat the Nazis and their secret organization, HYDRA. Dr. Abraham Erskine offers a solution – a formula to transform ordinary soldiers into super-soldiers. But he’s careful about who receives it, knowing it could be misused. He chooses Steve Rogers, a determined but physically weak young man from Brooklyn, to be the one to benefit from his creation.

The procedure transforms Steve into a powerful fighter, easily defeating opponents who used to be much stronger. He always goes into battle prepared, carrying a vibranium shield created by Howard Stark – a more effective tool than any gun. Over time, many heroes in the Marvel Cinematic Universe have wielded the shield, but not everyone is worthy of its power.

8) Clint Barton

The Avengers rarely get downtime in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but they enjoy a brief moment of relaxation in Avengers: Age of Ultron after taking down HYDRA, celebrating at their tower. This celebration is quickly ruined when Ultron attacks. During the fight, Clint Barton throws Captain America his shield, allowing him to continue battling effectively. Despite Hawkeye’s impressive aim, he’s still more skilled with a bow and arrow than in hand-to-hand combat.

7) Natasha Romanoff

Captain America’s shield doesn’t automatically come back to him like Thor’s hammer does. During a battle with Ultron, he loses it, but Natasha Romanoff quickly grabs it. She cleverly attaches the shield to the front of her motorcycle and uses it effectively. Though she doesn’t have it for long, Black Widow demonstrates how powerful the shield would be if she used it regularly.

6) Sam Wilson

Sam Wilson faces a real challenge as the second official owner of Captain America’s shield. Unlike Steve Rogers, he doesn’t have any superpowers, so he has to rely on intense training. Fortunately, all that effort pays off – by the time of the movie *Captain America: Brave New World*, Sam is just as capable a hero as his predecessor. While his vibranium suit provides some assistance, he’s also more than willing to fight with his own strength and skill.

5) Ant-Man

Sam Wilson, aka Captain America, likely wouldn’t be thrilled to learn Scott Lang (Ant-Man) is a more skilled fighter, and he discovered that firsthand when they first met. Lang has only improved since then. Similar to Hawkeye, Ant-Man using Captain America’s shield doesn’t seem like a big deal at first. However, during the airport battle in Civil War after Spider-Man showed up, it was Ant-Man who managed to get the shield back to Captain America. He used the distraction caused by Spidey’s arrival to sneak up on Parker, deliver a swift kick while growing back to his normal size, and snatch the shield – a pretty impressive move!

4) Bucky Barnes

Spending time with Steve gives Bucky lots of opportunities to handle Captain America’s shield. We see him use it in fights throughout the movies – against a HYDRA soldier in *The First Avenger*, during his battle with Steve in *The Winter Soldier*, and when he fights alongside Steve against Iron Man in *Civil War*. If Sam Wilson hadn’t been the ideal successor to Captain America, Bucky would have been a very capable replacement, and he could have easily taken on the role.

3) John Walker

In *The Falcon and the Winter Soldier*, Sam Wilson struggles with whether he can become the next Captain America, which gives the government an opportunity to choose someone else. They select John Walker, a highly skilled soldier even without the Super Soldier Serum. However, the intense pressure to defeat the Flag Smashers leads Walker to illegally use the serum himself. While this makes him physically stronger, it doesn’t make him deserving of the Captain America title and shield.

2) Steve Rogers

When Howard Stark gives Steve Rogers the shield in *The First Avenger*, Steve vows to stand up for the underdog, and that commitment remains central to his character. Throughout his appearances, Captain America consistently fights for what he believes is right, even when facing opposition. While his strong moral compass is key, Captain America is also physically more powerful than any other Super Soldier in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Characters like John Walker are ultimately striving for something unattainable.

1) Peter Parker

While Spider-Man doesn’t normally use Captain America’s shield, briefly grabbing it at the beginning of the airport battle in *Civil War* was a significant moment. Even though he was new to being a superhero, Peter Parker impressively fought against Falcon, Captain America, and the Winter Soldier in Germany. Captain America was able to trick him, but Spider-Man clearly had greater physical strength.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe projects are streaming on Disney+.

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2025-09-15 16:10