Captain America is a super soldier. Thanks to the ability enhancing serum given to him by Dr. Erskine, which we all witnessed in Captain America: The First Avenger, the 5’4”, 95 lbs, asthmatic Steve Rogers became an epitome of human perfection, growing physically into the massive heart and morality he already had. Over the course of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, we have seen incredible feats of strength, agility, and speed from Rogers. But exactly how strong and how fast is Cap? Now, thanks to a newly released ‘book of secrets’ for the MCU, we have the answers.
Thanks to Wakanda Files: A Technical Exploration of The Avengers and Beyond, a book released by Marvel from the files of Shuri herself, we have a comprehensive take on Captain America’s abilities. After receiving the serum infusion and Vita-Ray blasts in the first film, Rogers instantly grew to 6’2” and 240lbs of solid muscle. He is able to bench several tons and run thirteen miles in thirty minutes comfortably. To put his speed in perspective, the average half-marathon time (13.1 miles) is roughly 2 hours. In MPH, Cap runs at about 26 mph comfortably and sustainably. The ‘Fastest Man Alive’, Usain Bolt, clocks in at around 28 mph for his 100 meter sprint. Sprinting, Steve could easily surpass 40 mph.
We got to witness Captain America’s speed on multiple occasions, like chasing down the Hydra agent in his first film, or the tunnel chase scene in Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Arguably the most memorable run comes from earlier in that film when Steve first meets Sam Wilson, and the iconic ‘on your left’ phrase is born, as Cap surpasses Wilson numerous times as he jogs around the Washington Monument pool.
It is interesting to see some actual numbers and science to the abilities of the First Avenger. This book is a must read for any MCU fan, as it dives into the abilities of nearly every character thus far on the silver screen. If you can, get your copy asap.
What do you think of the actual numbers for Cap? Let us know in the comments below!