MCU: The 10 Most Selfless Things Captain America Has Ever Done

Of all the Marvel Cinematic Universe heroes, Steve Rogers is generally seen as being one of the most heroic and selfless of them all. He’s known for being the one to make the “sacrifice play” and for doing what needs to be done to save the day. However, the truth is that Steve is still a complex character who makes many mistakes, which makes him interesting.

However, despite his flaws, he’s also admirable in many ways, and the good things he does far outweigh the bad. He might be one of the most selfless heroes in the franchise so far, and here are the most selfless things he did throughout the movies.

10 Makes His Peace With Peggy

This point is lower on the list because it loses its importance after Steve and Peggy are reunited in Avengers: Endgame. However, there was real bittersweet selflessness to both Steve and Peggy in this scene.

They care about one another and still wonder what might have been, but they recognize the need to let each other go in their own ways. It’s just a shame that this scene kind of feels irrelevant now.

9 Became a fugitive to save Bucky Barnes

While some people might think Steve’s actions over the movies in regards to Bucky are selfish, it all depends on the perspective. While it’s true that Steve wanted to save his best friend, who was also one of his only ties left to his past, he wasn’t just doing it for himself.

He knew that Bucky was a victim who had been through a lot of awful things, and he wanted to help protect him and let him be saved from all the trauma he went through.

8 Fought the bully in The First Avenger

One of the defining things about Steve Rogers as a character is that he doesn’t like bullies. Fans learn this about him in Captain America: The First Avenger right off the bat when he goes toe to toe with the man from the movie theater.

Steve doesn’t back down from a fight, and he isn’t going to let anyone make fun of him or others. He has a strong sense of justice and of sticking up for what he believes to be right.

7 Fighting Thanos with his fists

In a scene that’s actually a strong parallel with the alleyway fight in The First Avenger, Steve Rogers uses his now much larger fists to fight Thanos. While Thanos is obviously a much stronger and more powerful being than Steve, he isn’t going to just not try to take him down.

In a show of both his strength and determination, Steve is able to put up a good fight against Thanos before being punched in the face himself, and it shows how willing he is to put his own body and life on the line.

6 Did everything he could to try and undo the Thanos snap

While some of the heroes, such as Tony Stark, went their own way and moved on after the Thanos blip, Steve wasn’t really able to do so.

He was still trying to undo what happened, and while maybe this wasn’t the healthiest thing, there was still some honor in it. He wanted to save the lives of many people and get his friends back, and he was willing to put a lot of work into making that happen.

5 Went behind enemy lines to rescue Bucky and the Howling Commandos

Many of the most selfless things Steve Rogers did revolve around trying to save Bucky Barnes, but in this case, he was also trying to rescue other prisoners of war, too. Steve was willing to literally walk behind enemy lines all on his own to save them, and he clearly really wanted to rescue Bucky.

It’s no wonder that some fans have read Steve and Bucky as being romantic when so many of the things Steve did recklessly were to save his life. Luckily, Steve didn’t actually have to walk there alone as Peggy was able to help him.

4 Was willing to let Bucky kill him instead of hurting Bucky

The ending of Captain America: The Winter Soldier is a rather emotional one. Steve is willing to fight Bucky in order to take down the helicarriers and save other innocent lives, but he isn’t willing to hurt Bucky to save his own life.

He drops the shield and is ready to let Bucky kill him instead of fighting back, and its’ this selfless act of love that helps Bucky remember who he is again and break free from HYDRA brainwashing.

3 Threw himself on the grenade

It’s made clear very early on that Steve is a hero because he’s a good man, not because he’s strong or able to fight well or be aggressive. While his body before the serum might keep him from joining the Army, it’s his good heart and spirit that make him a hero.

Even before he becomes Captain America, he’s willing to throw himself on the grenade and try to save others by sacrificing his own life.

2 Rescuing people during the Battle of New York

While there are many moments that fans of Steve Rogers remember that define his character, such as his “I can do this all day” quote, one that often gets forgotten these days is when he saves the group of civilians during the battle.

Along with Thor and Black Widow, he also fought many aliens on the ground and was extremely heroic in this scene.

1 Putting the Valkyrie under the ice

While Steve often did selfless things to try to save others, including strangers and his loved ones, one of the most heroic and selfless of them all was when he put the HYDRA aircraft under the ice.

It was the only way for him to save many innocent people, but he knew he would die doing so. He did what had to be done and sacrificed himself, even if he did manage to survive the ordeal.

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