Could A Lightsaber Cut Through Captain America's Shield? Mark Hamill And Chris Evans Have Thoughts

There's nothing quite like a good old-fashioned nerd debate. Fans have argued over "who would win in a fight between" different popular characters for as long as there have been fans, but now, in the era of social media, the characters can weigh in. Recently, somebody on Twitter posed their question, or more specifically, their kid did, can a lightsaber cut through Captain America's shield? Mark Hamill himself has chimed in to say it depends on which universe the battle is taking place in.

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Ultimately, Mark Hamill avoids the question, though in a way that makes some sense. Lightsabers don't exist in the Marvel Universe and any attempt to create them would have to deal with vibranium's position in that universe as one of the strongest substances in the galaxy. By the same token, vibranium doesn't exist in the galaxy far, far away, but we know that lightsabers in that galaxy can cut through essentially anything, so there's likely no metal that would be able to stand up to it.

Of course, there's another side to this argument, and he chimed in as well. Chris Evans, who plays Captain America in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, doesn't really argue with Mark Hamill's initial points. Instead, he just points out that having his shield cut to ribbons by a lightsaber certainly wouldn't put him out of the fight.

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While these two universes are as close to existing together as they ever have been, both living under the Disney banner, it seems highly unlikely that we'll ever get an answer to this question. Both weapons are some of the most powerful in their respective worlds, but they'll never meet. Certainly, Mark Hamill's point is probably well made, that a Star Wars writer would probably have a lightsaber cut through vibranium, while a Marvel writer would likely have the shield stop a lightsaber.

Although, Star Wars: The Force Awakens did show us that it is possible for a non-Jedi to construct a weapon capable of blocking a lightsaber's blade, so maybe there are more limits to a lightsaber than we know. At a lightsaber's core is a naturally occurring crystal, so the idea that another naturally occurring element could defeat it maybe isn't crazy.

As with all fan debates of this kind, there will never be a real answer, but that's the fun of the question. Do you think a lightsaber could cut through Captain America's shield? Let us know in the poll below and make your arguments in the comments.

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Dirk Libbey
Content Producer/Theme Park Beat

CinemaBlend’s resident theme park junkie and amateur Disney historian, Dirk began writing for CinemaBlend as a freelancer in 2015 before joining the site full-time in 2018. He has previously held positions as a Staff Writer and Games Editor, but has more recently transformed his true passion into his job as the head of the site's Theme Park section. He has previously done freelance work for various gaming and technology sites. Prior to starting his second career as a writer he worked for 12 years in sales for various companies within the consumer electronics industry. He has a degree in political science from the University of California, Davis.  Is an armchair Imagineer, Epcot Stan, Future Club 33 Member.