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Captain America’s vibranium shield is one of the most iconic objects in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, a symbol of strength, justice, and the burden of leadership. Forged from Wakandan vibranium, its unbreakable design isn’t just a practical tool of defense or offense, but a mantle passed down. While Steve Rogers will forever be synonymous with the shield, he isn’t the only one to hold or wield it.
Over the course of the MCU’s history, several characters, heroes, allies, and temporary successors have handled the shield, whether in moments of desperation, tribute, or conflict. But among them, only a few have carried the full weight of the shield’s legacy. For some, it was a brief encounter in battle. For others, a transformation of identity.
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Steve Rogers didn’t just carry the shield, he defined what it meant. From the moment Howard Stark handed him the vibranium prototype in Captain America: The First Avenger, it became an extension of his values. Whether fighting Hydra, taking down alien threats, or standing up to his own friends in Civil War, the shield was Steve’s symbol as much as it was his defense.
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He wielded it with unmatched skill, bouncing it off walls, absorbing blasts, and holding the line when no one else could. Even when it was broken in Endgame, Rogers tightened the strap and kept fighting. To Steve, the shield was never about power, it was about responsibility.
Captain America: The First Avenger pic.twitter.com/hdMfl5RWpj
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— Disney (@Disney) November 11, 2019
Sam Wilson’s journey to becoming the new Captain America was about believing he was worthy of it. When Steve passed it to him at the end of Avengers: Endgame, Sam wasn’t ready. He saw the weight of its legacy and hesitated, even giving it up to the U.S. government. But as The Falcon and the Winter Soldier unfolded, Sam had to decide the kind of man he wanted to be.
By the series’ end, he wasn’t just wielding the shield, he had transformed it. Blending his aerial combat style with the power of vibranium and the ideals of Captain America, Sam became the next Captain America in the MCU, and that too without a supersoldier serum.
New Twitter/X emojis for ‘CAPTAIN AMERICA: BRAVE NEW WORLD’#CaptainAmerica#CaptainAmericaBraveNewWorld pic.twitter.com/xBggM8wWRI
— Cosmic Marvel (@cosmic_marvel) February 7, 2025
John Walker was the U.S. government’s answer to losing Steve Rogers: a decorated soldier, capable and charismatic. But his time with the shield exposed the difference between wearing a symbol and living up to it. In The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Walker accepted the title of Captain America and initially tried to live up to it. But without Steve’s moral compass, the shield quickly became a blunt instrument of control rather than a symbol of justice. He was stripped of the shield by the government in the series itself before making a more positive return in Thunderbolts*.
"Everybody in the world expects me to be something and I don't want to fail them." Meet John Walker in the latest episode of Marvel Studios' The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, now streaming on @DisneyPlus. #FalconAndWinterSoldier pic.twitter.com/sgn7MIi3fm
— Marvel Studios* (@MarvelStudios) March 28, 2021
While Steve, Sam, and Walker defined the shield’s long-term legacy, several other MCU characters have briefly handled it. Bucky Barnes used the shield in Infinity War and during training with Sam, often treating it with familiarity but never desire. Natasha Romanoff wielded it momentarily during Winter Soldier, fighting alongside Steve, and then again in Avengers: Age of Ultron.
Hawkeye also had his moment with the Shield during Avengers: Age of Ultron when he tossed it to Captain America. Peter Parker caught it mid-air during his Civil War debut. Right after the same scene, it is revealed that Ant-Man was hiding under the Shield, and he then pops it back to Captain America. Furthermore, Tony Stark also had the shield while returning it to Steve Rogers in Avengers: Endgame.
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