You probably know that Captain America got his start in the 1940s. With that in mind, you may wonder how it’s possible that he still looks so good in the present day, when he’s fighting as one of the Avengers.
Why does Cap appear ageless? Does he age slower than the average human?
Captain America began aging much more slowly than the average human when he received the super soldier serum injection. Later, he spent decades frozen in the Arctic, which preserved his body and kept him from aging at all.
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What Is Captain America’s Age in The First Avenger?
Captain America: The First Avenger introduces us to Steve Rogers, a sickly young man with a big heart who receives an injection of super soldier serum, which turns him into the physically superior human known as Captain America.
Most of the movie is set during World War II, between the years 1942 and 1945. Rogers was born in 1918, so he is between 24 and 27 years old throughout the majority of the film.
As he takes on more dangerous roles as Captain America, Rogers is eventually forced to crash an armed bomber into the Arctic region to keep it from ravaging New York City. He is presumed dead, but in reality, he spends the next several decades in a sort of frozen hibernation.
Because of this, a small part of the movie is set in the present-day, presumably 2011, which is the year the movie was released. This would have made him technically 93 years old–but it isn’t quite that simple.
You see, Rogers’ body was preserved while frozen, so even though nearly 70 years had passed, he didn’t really age physically–he still had the health and appearance of a 27-year-old peak human.
What’s more, the super soldier injection he received further slowed down his aging process. This means that, even if he had not been frozen, he wouldn’t have aged as fast as those around him.
What Is Captain America’s Age in Civil War?
When Captain America is rescued from the Arctic, he is approached by Nick Fury and S.H.I.E.L.D. about being part of a team of superheroes to protect the world from impending threats.
Over the next few years, Cap and the rest of the Avengers battle against many of these threats.
Captain America: Civil War sees a division arise between two factions of the Avengers, one led by Tony Stark (Iron Man) and one led by Rogers.
Set in 2016, this film takes place five years after Cap wakes up. This would make him about 98 years old during the events of Civil War; though, physically speaking, he is approximately in his early thirties.
How Does Captain America Age in Endgame?
Avengers: Endgame is the final film in the MCU’s Infinity Saga. It is perhaps one of the most complex movies in the saga, as it involves all sorts of timelines and time travel.
That said, “present day” in the film is considered to be 2023. Captain America is about 105 years old at this time.
Endgame is the first movie in which Cap actually looks old–but only at the end. For most of the movie, he is still the equivalent of a fit, healthy man in his thirties.
At the end of the film, however, he uses what he has left of the Pym Particles to travel back in time to the 1940s. He does this so he can reunite with his love, Peggy Carter, and live the life he missed out on while he spent those decades frozen in the Arctic.
Because of the Pym particles and the time travel device, he lived the majority of his life in just a few seconds; when he returned to the present day, he had aged decades.
Though he was about 105 at the time, and his body finally showed signs of aging, he still looked pretty good for being so old. Again, this was likely due to his own slowed aging process from the super soldier serum.
Why Did Captain America Age But Bucky Didn’t?
Bucky Barnes, the Winter Soldier, was Steve’s friend from the 1940s. In fact, he was born in 1917, so he was a year older than Steve. And yet, even at the end of Endgame, when Cap was finally looking his age, Bucky looked no older than he had as a young soldier in the 1940s.
Why didn’t he age?
Bucky’s body was preserved much as Steve’s was. Whereas Cap spent decades frozen in the Arctic, Bucky spent much of the same time period in cryo-stasis. As such, their bodies were both spared from many of the effects of aging.
At the end of Endgame, Bucky opted to stay in the present day; he didn’t go back in time with Steve. Because of this, Steve ages many decades, while only a few seconds pass in Bucky’s life.
Does Captain America Age in the Comics?
Captain America has shown very few signs of aging throughout the comic books. He was first introduced as a character in 1941, so decades have passed with little change to his character.
That said, there have been a few comic books and storylines that have dealt with Cap aging.
For example, in Captain America #22, a villain called the Iron Nail found a way to drain the super soldier serum from Cap’s body. This caused him to begin aging rapidly.
On the other hand, in the Earth 616 comics, Captain America appears to be ageless and practically immortal.
So, it largely depends on what version of the comics you read.
Regardless, it is clear that Captain America ages much slower than normal due to having been frozen for so long, as well as the super soldier serum.
Conclusion
Captain America does age more slowly than the average human, for two reasons. First, he was injected with super soldier serum which slowed down his aging process. Second, he spent many decades of his life in a frozen hibernation of sorts, which further preserved his body.
Sarah Hood is a freelance content writer and editor with a love for all things Star Wars. When she’s not writing, she enjoys cooking, singing, and spending time in the great outdoors.