In 2011's Captain America: The First Avenger , Steve Rogers is presented to the audience as a malnourished, sickly looking young man with a strong desire to join the United States army and fight the good fight during the height of World War II.
Steve is selected by Dr. Abraham Erskine to undergo a special treatment designed to enhance his body and mind to superhuman levels. Dubbed the "super-soldier serum," it transforms Rogers into the world's first superhero: Captain America.
A book called The Wakanda Files: A Technological Exploration of the Avengers and Beyond has been released, providing the reader with a vast multitude of inside information on the Avengers' technology and abilities in the MCU, all from an in-universe perspective.
NEWS
According to The Wakanda Files , Steve was 5 ft. 4 in. pre-serum. He weighed in at 95 lbs and his visual acuity was measured at 15/20 for his right eye and 14/20 for his left.
However, after the absorption of Erskine's serum and exposure to Vita-Rays, courtesy of Howard Stark, Rogers' height and weight are listed at 6 ft. 2 in. and 240 lbs, respectively
Following the procedure, Steve is also able to bench-press "several tons " and "comfortably run thirteen miles in thirty minutes," which equates to a speedy average of 26mph (For reference, Olympian sprinter Usain Bolt, who has been dubbed "The Fastest Man Alive," has clocked his top speed during a 100-meter dash at 27.8mph ).
What's more is that the treatment granted him a "near-photographic" memory.
WHAT THIS MEANS
Fans can definitely see evidence of these data points throughout Cap's appearances in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
The statistic on Rogers' speed is corroborated by Sam Wilson during the opening minutes of Captain America: The Winter Soldier in the other famous "On your left." scene. And in Captain America: The First Avenger , Steve accurately memorizes the map of Hydra's bases with one quick glance, and at a pretty good distance too.
There are numerous instances of Steve's greatly enhanced strength in the MCU. For example, the way he is able to stop Thanos from closing his Infinity Gauntlet-clad hand in Avengers: Infinity War . That particular display even seemed to slightly impress Thanos.
With the mantle and shield having been passed to Sam, a regular, non-enhanced man, will he be able to live up to the benchmark set by Steve? Or perhaps being Captain America means more than just being strong or fast, but rather more to do with the strength of one's character. In that sense, the ever-loyal Sam Wilson will do just fine.
