Avengers: Endgame Writers Reveal If Captain America Could Wield The Infinity Gauntlet

Cap in his Quantum Suit

Spoilers ahead for Avengers: Endgame. Seriously, look away if you haven't seen it.

It's been over two weeks since Avengers: Endgame arrived in theaters, and the fandom is still recovering from the wild ride. The Russo Brothers exceeded expectations and even Infinity War in regards to scope and character-driven story, delivering countless plot twists in the massive blockbuster. Chris Evans' Steve Rogers was the subject of more than one twist, although he never got to wield the Infinity Gauntlet himself.

Avengers: Endgame was largely focused on the surviving heroes, as they attempted an epic time heist to gather the Infinity Stones and reverse Thanos' snap. And throughout the movie's insane third act, both Hulk and Tony Stark himself used the Gauntlet to snap their fingers, to major physical harm. But could Captain America have withstood the power of the Gauntlet? Endgame co-writer Christopher Markus recently addressed this possibility, saying:

I think Steve would be toast.

Despite being worthy enough to wield Thor's hammer Mjolnir, it looks like Captain America isn't quite strong enough to handle the immense power of the Infinity Stones. So if he were to slip on the Gauntlet and snap his fingers, Steve Rogers would have ended up thoroughly dead.

Christopher Markus' comments to THR may puzzle some hardcore Marvel fans, as Avengers: Endgame proved just how powerful Cap has been all along. He faced off against Thanos directly, despite not having the same abilities as Thor and Iron Man. And about halfway through their original scuffle with Thanos, Captain America wielded Thor's signature weapon, and laid the smack down to the Mad Titan.

But if he was the one to steal the Infinity Stones from Thanos in that battle, Cap would have been "toast" At least, according to the Avengers: Endgame's writer. Instead, that honor was given to both Iron Man and The Hulk, and it took a lot of both OG Avengers.

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Hulk was the first Avenger to wield the Infinity Gauntlet, or at least Tony Stark's version of it. Bruce Banner thought he was the best candidate to wield such power, as the radiation coming from the Stones was primarily Gamma. And he was right, although Hulk got severely injured in the process. His entire right arm was burnt and shrunken from the Gauntlet, a condition that should remain throughout his future in the MCU.

While Bruce Banner succeeded in snapping his fingers and reviving the fallen, the fight wasn't quite over. Thanos traveled through time with his armies, determined to lay waste to the planet. In order to stop him once and for all, Tony swiped the stoles from Thanos and snapped his fingers to reduce the Mad Titan's army to dust. But the power was too much for an average human, and it was a move that ultimately cost him his life.

On the flip side, Captain America was finally given the ending and happiness he deserved. It was a fitting conclusion to Chris Evans' tenure in the MCU, and one that Marvel fans didn't expect to see come to fruition. And if Cap ended up trying to snap Thanos out of existence himself, he'd never have gotten a chance to live out his life with Peggy Carter.

Avengers: Endgame is in theaters now. Be sure to check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies. In the meantime, check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

Corey Chichizola
Movies Editor

Corey was born and raised in New Jersey. Graduated with degrees theater and literature from Ramapo College of New Jersey. After working in administrative theater for a year in New York, he started as the Weekend Editor at CinemaBlend. He's since been able to work himself up to reviews, phoners, and press junkets-- and is now able to appear on camera with some of his favorite actors... just not as he would have predicted as a kid. He's particularly proud of covering horror franchises like Scream and Halloween, as well as movie musicals like West Side Story. Favorite interviews include Steven Spielberg, Spike Lee, Jamie Lee Curtis, and more.