If you are a fan of Captain America, you probably know that he has been alive for a long time. In fact, for most of the Infinity Saga films, he is in his 90s.
By the time we get to the end of Avengers: Endgame, he is a whopping 180 years old. This brings up a couple of questions:
How long can Captain America live? Is he immortal?
Captain America is not immortal, but he does have a much longer lifespan than the average human thanks to the super soldier serum in his bloodstream and the fact he spent decades frozen in ice.
It is not known for certain how long Cap could live, but it is likely that he died within a year after the end of Endgame.
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Is Captain America Immortal?
In many ways, Captain America is a normal human being. In fact, he started out as a skinny, sickly young man before receiving the super soldier injection that transformed him into a peak human being.
The serum enhanced his speed, strength, stamina, and mental acuity. It also gave him the ability to heal injuries quickly because it was continually prompting his body to create new, healthy cells.
This same effect of the serum also extended his life expectancy. Since any old, damaged, or diseased cells were constantly being eliminated and replaced, his aging process slowed to a crawl.
That said, Captain America is not immortal. The serum can extend his life, but it cannot ultimately stop or reverse the natural effects of aging.
What’s more, he can be killed. This is why he uses a vibranium shield and armored, bulletproof suit–to protect his body from the many threats he faces.
How Long Can Captain America Live?
As mentioned, Captain America’s life was significantly extended by the super soldier serum. It was further extended when he crashed into the Arctic in 1945.
How, you ask, could that event extend his life?
After crashing the Hydra bomber near the end of Captain America: The First Avenger, he spent the next 66 years frozen in a sort of natural cryostasis.
Basically, his body was in a forced hibernation. This, combined with the freezing temperatures, preserved his body for decades and effectively pushed the pause button on his aging process.
So, when he was rescued and revived in 2011, though he was technically 93 years old, he had essentially the same 27-year-old body that went down with the bomber in 1945.
Following his rescue, he spent the next dozen years or so fighting with the Avengers and appeared to age very little.
By the time he stepped into the time machine to return the Infinity Stones at the end of Endgame, he was 105 years old. After restoring the Infinity Stones to their proper places in time, he returned to 1948 instead of 2023.
He continued to age forward from 1948, meaning that he was about 180 by the time he finally made it back to 2023.
With all of this in mind, we know that Captain America can live to be at least 180 years old.
How Did Captain America Survive Being Frozen?
It is well-known that organic matter is preserved when it is frozen. This is true even of human flesh, which won’t break down and decompose when it’s on the ice.
With that in mind, it’s easy to see why Captain America’s body was so well preserved–he spent decades on ice in the Arctic.
The surprising part, of course, is that he stayed alive through all those decades. How is this possible? How did he survive being frozen?
Surprisingly, the short answer is that he didn’t actually freeze.
According to Marvel’s S.T.A.T.I.O.N. in Las Vegas, it is stated that, while thickened, [Captain America’s] blood’s water was not frozen. Blood tests revealed that his blood contained excessive amounts of glucose as a result of his liver processing his glycogen stores, thus lowering the freezing temperature of blood-borne water and creating a ‘cryoprotectant’.
In other words, his natural physical processes actually lowered the freezing point of his body, allowing blood to continue circulating. A similar process takes place in some animals.
Though humans in real life have never been known to survive freezing temperatures this way, it is plausible that Captain America could have. Remember, the super soldier injection caused a number of biological changes in him.
His ability to lower his body’s freezing point and survive decades asleep in the Arctic is likely due to the effects of the serum.
How Long Did Captain America Live After Endgame?
It is not known for certain how long Captain America continued to live after returning to 2023 as an old man.
It hasn’t been revealed whether he continued to live a quiet life as a retired superhero; whether he returned to some new role with the Avengers or another organization; or whether he died soon after Endgame.
There is speculation, however, that the latter scenario is true.
Why?
Spider-Man: Far From Home opens with a tribute video recognizing several of the Avengers who had died. Captain America was among those honored in the video.
Far From Home is set just one year following the events of Endgame, in 2024.
Since Captain America is presumably dead at this point, that would mean that he died within the first year following the events of Endgame.
Keep in mind, though: since he was time traveling, he actually lived several decades beyond the climactic battle with Thanos. He simply chose to go back and live out those decades starting in the 1940s rather than moving forward from the present day.
Conclusion
Though Captain America is not immortal, his life expectancy is much longer than the average human’s. In fact, it is known that he lived for at least 180 years, possibly longer.
It is thought that he may have died before the events of Spider-Man: Far From Home, which occurred in 2024.
However, we know he was still alive at the end of Avengers: Endgame, set in 2023. It is not known exactly how or when Captain America died.
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.