MCU Fan Theory Links Captain America’s Powers to Black Panther

The Marvel Cinematic Universe certainly has a lot of connective tissue as it is, but one fan just suggested a pretty interesting parallel.

Reddit user 4DimensionalToilet recently shared their MCU fan theory, which argues that the super soldier powers given to Steve Rogers/Captain America (Chris Evans) are directly related to the world of Black Panther. As they suggest in the post, which you can check out below, the super soldier serum used on Steve could be partially infused with some of the Heart Shaped Herb, the Vibranium-infused plant that gives the Black Panther their powers.

To an extent, this theory could make sense, especially considering the somewhat-messy nature of how exactly Howard Stark (Dominic Cooper) found Vibranium before the events of Captain America: The First Avenger. Granted, those involved with the MCU have compared the powers of Cap and T’Challa (Chadwick Boseman) in the past, but primarily as a frame of reference to introduce audiences to Wakandan lore.

“The Heart-Shaped Herb is how Black Panther achieves his powers,” Black Panther director Ryan Coogler explained in a previous interview. “He can fight hand-to-hand with Cap, who’s a supersoldier, so he has super strength and heightened instincts that give him his enhanced abilities. The Heart-Shaped Herb is what Black Panthers over the generations would consume, once they earn the title, which gives them their physical edge.”

“People who read the comics would be familiar with the Heart-Shaped Herb and the ceremonies that surround that,” Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige added. “That’s partially spiritual. We certainly don’t call it magic, but there’s Vibranium that has been interwoven within that soil and that land for thousands of years, so there are other things going on with it.”

As the Reddit theory also argues, the presence of the Heart Shaped Herb could explain why subsequent attempts at recreating the super soldier serum had failed. This would theoretically explain the presence of mutations in characters who took the serum afterwards, including Red Skull (Hugo Weaving), Abomination (Tim Roth), and even Bruce Banner/Hulk (Mark Ruffalo). Granted, there certainly are enough scientific elements at play to also explain those mutations, but having the Heart Shaped Herb connect to it all could be an interesting element.

What do you think of this MCU fan theory? Let us know what you think in the comments below.

Avengers: Infinity War is now available on digital platforms, DVD, and Blu-ray. Ant-Man and the Wasp is in theaters now. Other upcoming Marvel Cinematic Universe movies include Captain Marvel on March 8, 2019; the fourth Avengers movie on May 3, 2019; and Spider-Man: Far From Home on July 5, 2019.