Sam Wilson took up the mantle of Captain America following Steve Rogers giving him the shield, and Captain America: Brave New World was the first MCU film to have him in the role. One of the biggest differences between Sam Wilson as Captain America compared to Steve Rogers is that Wilson has not taken the Super Soldier serum, instead utilizing his Falcon-like suit to be his own version of Captain America.

In Captain America: Brave New World, he makes a few jokes about how he should have taken the serum, and it could have certainly helped when taking on Red Hulk, but Sam Wilson showed he is more than capable of doing things on his own terms. There is a heartfelt conversation between Wilson and Bucky in the film, with Bucky reᴀssuring him that he never needed the serum to be Captain America.

Red Skull’s Serum Gave Him His Signature Look

A Dark Mirror Of Captain America

Johann Schmidt was the original test subject for Erskine’s Super Soldier Serum. Schmidt was the one responsible for overseeing Erskine’s research when he was forced to work at Hydra and saw the Super Soldier Serum as the answer to his problems. Schmidt wanted to become more powerful and thought that the serum would make this possible.

However, Erskine was not given the proper time or resources to complete his formula and refused to cooperate with Schmidt’s selfish desires. Instead of waiting, Schmidt forced Erskine to hand over an early version of the serum and injected it into himself, which, though fraught with side effects, ultimately helped Red Skull’s quest to obtain the Infinity Stone known as the Tesseract.

Though he appears to die at the end of Captain America: The First Avenger, he’s actually teleported to Vormir by the Space Stone, where he’s cursed to forever watch over the Soul Stone.

The early version of Erskine’s serum did give Schmidt superhuman strength, but it also changed his physical appearance in other ways as a result of the side effects. He lost his hair, his skin turned red, and his face became deformed to resemble a skull – hence his new name of Red Skull. Despite his super strength, Red Skull didn’t utilize his physical abilities that often, although he did hold his own in a fight with Captain America.

Bucky Barnes Is An Unwilling Super Soldier

Bucky Is Given The Serum As Part Of His Transformation Into The Winter Soldier

Bucky Barnes became a prisoner of war during WWII and was the subject of Arnim Zola’s experiments for Hydra. He underwent some early tests during his capture but was found again by Zola after Bucky was believed to have fallen off a train to his death. This was the real beginning of Bucky Barnes’ transformation into Hydra ᴀssᴀssin Winter Soldier, as the fall not only resulted in Bucky losing his arm and getting the vibranium replacement on his left side, but Zola also gave him Hydra’s version of the Super Soldier Serum.

While Hydra brainwashed Bucky, the Winter Soldier completed several significant Hydra missions throughout the MCU’s history. It was only when Bucky saw Steve again during the events of Captain America: The Winter Soldier that his memory started to come back to him. He struggled to ditch the Hydra programming but managed to do so with the help of Shuri and Wakanda’s technology. Bucky is now fully reformed and working to be his own man and a hero.

5 Unnamed Winter Soldier Program Subjects

Bucky Was Ony One Of Many

Bucky wasn’t the only victim of Hydra’s Winter Soldier Program. Flashbacks in Captain America: Civil War showed multiple ᴀssᴀssins were trained during the 1990s and 2000s to obey Hydra’s commands. All of them were enhanced with a version of the Super Soldier Serum derived from samples possessed by Howard Stark before the Winter Soldier killed him. It was only in 2016 that Baron Zemo tracked down the location of where they were held and killed the five Winter Soldiers who remained in suspended animation.

Zemo destroyed the Winter Soldier program subjects out of a broader campaign against superpowered individuals, which fueled his plan to dismantle the Avengers in Captain America: Civil War.

Bruce Banner / Hulk Gets Incredible Strength With A Major Downside

Gamma Changes Everything

Bruce Banner is not a typical super soldier. He was a leading mind in biochemistry and Gamma radiation that happened to be manipulated by the MCU’s General “Thunderbolt” Thaddeus Ross into tinkering with a replica of the original Super Soldier Serum. Instead of Abraham Erskine’s Vita Rays, Banner employed Gamma energy to power the experiment, resulting in the creation of his monstrous alter ego, the Hulk. Banner received unmatched strength and stamina with the drawbacks of his new alter-ego inhabiting the same body.

Eventually, however, Bruce Banner finds a way to merge his two idenтιтies into Smart Hulk. In She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, the MCU hinted that the internal battle between Bruce and Hulk is ongoing and that Bruce’s Smart Hulk could be seeing his last days soon. Moreover, though the She-Hulk ending sees Hulk bringing his son Skaar to Earth, it should be noted that even though he’s related to Hulk and She-Hulk, Skaar is an alien who can’t technically be classified as a super soldier — at least, not yet.

She-Hulk Gets Super Soldier Serum Via Accidental Blood Transfusion

A More Stable Gamma Monster

As attorney Jennifer Walters gained her Hulk powers when she came in contact with her cousin Bruce’s blood in a car accident, She-Hulk can be considered a super soldier in the MCU. Though the circumstances of Jen’s origin have nothing to do with deliberate Super Soldier Serum experimentation, the fact she didn’t die and was instead enhanced by Bruce’s blood is relevant data for anyone engaged in such a program. The same can be said of the way Jen retains her original personality while willingly being able to transform into She-Hulk.

Intelligencia succeeds in stealing Jenn’s blood to create an army of Hulks, but they are ultimately retconned by She-Hulk’s ability to break the fourth wall.

Emil Blonsky Loses Control As The Abomination

Like Bruce, He Eventually Finds A Way To Balance Both Personalities And Become A Force For Good

Emil Blonsky is another super soldier created from an inferior replication of Erskine’s serum. As an older special-ops commander, Blonsky was eager to enhance his body, so it was paired with the mind of someone with years of experience. General “Thunderbolt” Ross helped Blonsky receive an injection of the serum, granting him the usual array of superhuman abilities. However, his desire for more power led him also to be exposed to gamma radiation, which transformed Emil Blonsky into the Abomination, an even more brutal and aggressive version of the Hulk.

However, She-Hulk: Attorney At Law reveals that, like Bruce, Blonsky eventually found balance and is no longer out of control when “Hulked-out.” In fact, he runs a retreat at which future villains can work to turn their lives around. It’s a surprisingly happy ending for a character who started out so one-dimensional.

Thaddeus Ross Unwillingly Becomes Red Hulk

He Is Manipulated By The Leader

Captain America: Brave New World added another Hulk to the MCU, with President Thaddeus Ross finally becoming Red Hulk after first appearing in The Incredible Hulk back in 2008. While he does become Red Hulk in the film, Ross did not willingly decide to become the monstrous character. Instead, he was manipulated by The Leader to take gamma-infused pills to help keep him alive as his heart was giving out.

Eventually, the gamma built up in Thaddeus Ross and triggered him into turning into the Red Hulk, becoming the very thing he dedicated a lot of his life to destroying. Given that he is back to being Ross and is imprisoned at the end of Captain America: Brave New World, it is unclear when Red Hulk will return to the MCU, but there is a possibility that he could be on a collision course with Bruce Banner in the future.

Isaiah Bradley Has A Tragic Story

The Forgotten Super Soldier

The Falcon and The Winter Soldier brought Isaiah Bradley to the MCU and confirmed his place as another super soldier. Bradley’s story goes back to the 1950s and the U.S. government experimenting on Black soldiers to try and replicate Erskine’s Super Soldier Serum The lone “success story,” Isaiah Bradley became the original Black Captain America.

Bradley was ultimately wrongfully incarcerated for treason.

However, rather than enjoying a long career as a superhero, Bradley was ultimately wrongfully incarcerated for treason. He faked his death and was left out of the history books until Bucky introduced him to Sam, who used his power as Captain America to put Isaiah’s story in the Captain America exhibit. His grandson becomes Patriot in Marvel Comics, and with the MCU’s Young Avengers seemingly on the way, he can hopefully have a more appreciated superhero career than the tragic tale of his grandfather.

John Walker Didn’t Originally Have Powers

The Super Soldier Serum Came After His Appointment As The New Captain America

The Falcon and The Winter Soldier introduced a new super soldier to the MCU with the modern-day war hero John Walker. The exceptional soldier was selected to be the new Captain America after Sam Wilson handed over the shield. While he had no super soldier powers at first, John Walker’s hunger for power and respect pushed him over the edge. He eventually found a single vial of Super Soldier Serum that Baron Zemo failed to destroy. Walker elected to take the serum to increase his physical abilities, which also emphasized more of the darkness inside him.

Once Walker took the Super Soldier Serum, it didn’t take long for him to put his newfound abilities to use. His superhuman strength allowed him to take on the Flag-Smashers and brutally kill one of them after the death of his sidekick, Lemar Hoskins, AKA Battlestar. He then took on Bucky and Sam and nearly defeated them both before Falcon and the Winter Soldier broke John’s arm. Walker will appear next in Marvel’s Thunderbolts*.

Karli Morgenthau Went Too Far

Her Reasonable Goals Didn’t Necessitate Murdering Innocents

The Falcon and The Winter Soldier introduced a new type of super soldier: Karli Morgenthau. She received her powers from the serum developed by the Power Broker. While it gave her super-strength and other increased physical abilities, the version of the serum Karli took doesn’t change her physical appearance. With no growth spurt or mᴀssive muscles, she could blend in and strike when people least expect it.

Karli wanted to use her powers to help those displaced by governments after The Blip was reversed. Although she started off with good intentions, Karli’s determination to achieve this goal eventually led her to compromise on some beliefs and accept the loss of life if it meant getting her way. Karli’s Morgenthau’s death came at Sharon Carter’s hand in The Falcon & The Winter Soldier‘s finale.

7 Super Powered Flag-Smashers Followed Karli

Karli’s Flag-Smashers group was revealed to hold multiple super soldiers among its ranks. The anti-nationalist group’s cause resonated with people all over the world, but the core members of the team were also enhanced through the Power Broker’s Super Soldier Serum. These super soldiers include Matias, Nico, Dovich, Gigi, DeeDee, Lennox, and Diego. Matias died sacrificing himself so the rest of the team could escape early on The Falcon and The Winter Soldier. Nico was killed by John Walker, and the rest of the team was killed as part of Baron Zemo’s plan.

Red Guardian Is Russia’s Captain America

Every Nation Wants Their Own

The interest in creating super soldiers is something that spread far and wide throughout the MCU, with other countries repeatedly trying to replicate America’s success with Steve Rogers. This pursuit led Russia to do some experiments of its own, and Alexei Shostakov (David Harbour) is the only confirmed super soldier to emerge with powers from these efforts. It is not yet confirmed what exactly Russia did to change Alexei’s life and make him the USSR’s most popular superhero, nor is it known when Red Guardian received his powers.

While Alexei’s origin story behind how he became the Red Guardian is still a mystery, the success of the experiments that led to his transformation is unquestionable, given all the powers he displays in Black Widow. Apart from providing comic relief to such a dark MCU movie, Red Guardian had plenty of opportunities in Black Widow to flex his superhuman strength. The very beginning of the movie shows him flipping a tank using his bare hands to make a pathway for the plane he and his fake Russian spy family use when attempting to escape.

Unfortunately for Alexei, this is the only action he’s received in recent years due to his Red Guardian’s undercover missions with Melina in America, and he’s eager to return to fighting when his cover is destroyed in 1995. The bad news continues, though, as Alexei isn’t permitted to be Russia’s version of Captain America and is thrown in jail for years. However, he’ll also join Marvel’s upcoming Thunderbolts team.

Animated Peggy Carter/Captain Carter (What If…?)

What If Peggy Got The Serum Instead Of Steve?

Marvel’s What If…? debuted with the introduction of Captain Carter, an alternate-universe version of Peggy Carter who replaces Steve Rogers as the first successful recipient of Abraham Erskine’s original Super Soldier Serum. Her decision to stay in the room while the experiment started ultimately led to her jumping in and receiving the serum, changing the course of history. The MCU’s Captain Carter sports a Union Jack-themed uniform and shield to fight the Nazis and Hydra, and it seems that her super soldier physiology became more powerful than the main-universe Captain America.

Live-Action Captain Carter (What If?/Doctor Strange In The Multiverse of Madness)

An Ill-Fated Variant

In addition to What If…?‘s iteration, a live-action Captain Carter super soldier joined the MCU in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness as a member of the Illuminati of Earth-838. This non-animated version doesn’t fare quite as well outside What If‘s animated worlds, with an enraged Wanda completely destroying her alongside several members of the Illuminati. While it’s a shocking development, Peggy’s inclusion in What If…? season 2 clarifies that the live-action and animated versions are not the same person.

Scarlet Witch And Quicksilver Have Complicated Backstories

Are They Super Soldiers Or Not?

Even though they’re not products of any version of the Super Soldier Serum, Wanda and Pietro Maximoff’s origins can be traced back to attempts to create a rival program in their home country of Sokovia. Specifically, Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver’s powers are the results of Hydra’s experiments with Loki’s Scepter, which at the time was the containment vessel for the Mind Stone, later gifted to Loki by Thanos. Notably, Quicksilver died while trying to save Hawkeye in Age of Ultron, while Wanda presumably destroyed herself along with Mount Wundagore in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.

While they didn’t get their powers from the same serum or process as Captain America, Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver at least deserve a joined place on this list, as they share the Winter Soldier’s fate of being veterans of Hydra’s super soldier program. However, the true origin of their power is still unclear in the MCU. At first, it seemed they were the result of experimentation with Infinity Stones. However, Scarlet Witch seems to have only had previously possessed powers unlocked by her time with the stones.

Thunderbolts* Bob Could Be The Next Super Soldier In The MCU

Bob Could Be One Of The MCU’s Strongest Characters

The upcoming Marvel film, Thunderbolts* could possibly add another super soldier into the mix. Lewis Pullman will play the character Bob in the film, who is almost guaranteed to be the hero Sentry. This sets the character up to be one of the heavy hitters in the MCU, as Sentry possesses immense power throughout his comic history.

Robert Reynolds’ powers manifest after taking an experimental super solider serum, which could be the route Thunderbolts* decides to take. If so, it could arguably be the most successful case of using a super soldier serum since Captain America, as Sentry should be one of the most powerful characters in the entire MCU. Not much has been revealed about his role in the film, but fans will find out soon as Thunderbolts* releases May 5, 2024.

Honorable Mentions – Centipede Soldiers

A final group of super soldiers to mention are the Centipede Soldiers from Marvel’s Agents of Shield. For a while, the television series was considered canon to the MCU, but this eventually changed. Of course, there are some that still think it should be included, but it is not considered part of the sacred timeline. However, Marvel Studios’ Head of TV, Streaming, and Animation Brad Winderbaum did mention at D23 that the series “does feel like it fits into The Multiverse Saga in an incredible way,” suggesting that the show could still be part of the MCU multiverse.

During the events of Agents of Shield, HYDRA uses the centipede serum, which was an attempt to create the super solider serum that gave way to Captain America. It was known as the Centipede Project, which allowed HYDRA to use various super soldiers to fight for them. The most notable members of the Centipede Project are Brian Hayward, John Garret, and Edison Po. Despite not being officially part of the MCU anymore, Agents of Shield did continue to build out its legacy during its run.

Weapon X Mutants – ᴅᴇᴀᴅpool / Wolverine

While they are not officially in the main universe in the MCU, both ᴅᴇᴀᴅpool and Wolverine have crossed over into the sacred timeline during the events of ᴅᴇᴀᴅpool & Wolverine. By the end of the film, though, they find themselves back in Wade Wilson’s universe, with the possibility that they will most likely return to the MCU for Avengers: Secret Wars. Though the MCU hasn’t officially introduced the X-Men yet, the willingness to embrace the mutant side of the multiverse bodes well for when the X-Men officially join.

Both ᴅᴇᴀᴅpool and Wolverine are different from the super soldiers seen in the mainline MCU, as they are not made through any serum. Wade Wilson becomes ᴅᴇᴀᴅpool after being experimented on and unlocking his mutant abilities. As for Wolverine, he was always a mutant, but the Weapon X experiments took his healing factor and durability to another level by infusing him with adamantium, one of the most durable metals in Marvel Comics. Captain America: Brave New World introduces the metal into the MCU, setting the stage for the main timeline to eventually introduce their own version of Wolverine.

Upcoming MCU Movies

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  Thunderbolts*

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  May 2, 2025
  

  
  
  
  

  
  

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  The Fantastic Four: First Steps

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  July 25, 2025
  

  
  
  
  

  
  

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  Avengers: Doomsday (2026)

  
  
  
  
  

  
  

  
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  Spider-Man Homecoming 4

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  July 24, 2026
  

  
  
  
  

  
  

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  Avengers: Secret Wars

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  May 7, 2027
  

  
  
  
  

  
  

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