Deadpool & Wolverine may have thrust Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) into the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s larger Multiverse Saga, but by the film’s end, he and his cloned daughter Laura/X-23 (Dafne Keen) still reside on the relatively isolated world of Earth-10005. But the franchise’s next film will be adding a key element of their mythology to the MCU’s main Earth-616.
Adamantium, the nearly indestructible metal bonded to Logan and Laura’s bones and retractable claws, will be featured in Captain America: Brave New World, which will be set (at least predominantly) on Earth-616. Given this, viewers are likely to wonder how adamantium will compare to vibranium, the metal currently believed to be the strongest on Earth-616, which is wielded by several of the main universe’s heroes, including the film’s lead, Sam Wilson/Captain America (Anthony Mackie).
Wolverine’s Adamantium May Be Stronger Than Captain America’s Vibranium
The true answer to the question of whether adamantium or vibranium is stronger depends on the situation being presented, and, even more so, on the creators’ intentions. After all, even if, in this case, one of the metals was established as usually being stronger than the other, a new creative team could always invent circumstances in which the opposite is true. So, if one were to scour the history of Marvel Comics in search of instances in which adamantium is shown to be stronger than vibranium or vice versa, they will likely find dozens of situations in which both cases are depicted, likely for contradictory reasons.
That all being said, past MCU projects and prior X-Men films have established qualities of the live-action versions of both materials that differentiate them. The films frequently describe adamantium as being simply “indestructible,” while descriptions of vibranium usually focus on more specific qualities, such as its ability to absorb vibrations, or comparisons between it and real-world materials, such as in Captain America: The First Avenger, when Howard Stark (Dominic Cooper) notes that vibranium is, “Stronger than steel and a third of the weight.”
And, of course, there have been instances in which objects made of vibranium, such as Sam and Steve Rogers’ (Chris Evans) shield, have been broken, although this usually comes after clashes with unknown alien materials that may also have magical properties, such as when Thanos (Josh Brolin) shattered the shield by repeatedly striking it with his double-bladed spear, the composition of which is not described. Given this, until vibranium is described or depicted as having similarly extreme levels of strength to adamantium, it’s safe to assume that in the live-action canon the latter metal is more plainly durable.
X-Men Movies Make It Clear That Adamantium Is Far Less Versatile
That said, the films and series also make it fairly plain that vibranium is a much more versatile material. In X2: X-Men United, William Stryker (Brian Cox), the military scientist responsible for bonding adamantium to Logan’s bones, notes how hard the metal is to work with, saying, “if you ever manage to process its raw, liquid form, you’ve got to keep it that way. Keep it hot, because once the metal cools, it’s indestructible,” implying that the very durability that makes adamantium so valuable also makes it very difficult to shape or modify. Conversely, the MCU has shown that vibranium has many potential benefits and uses beyond its capability to make strong weapons and armor.
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Vibranium is said to be able to evade notice by metal detectors, and, in the film Black Panther, Ulysses Klaue (Andy Serkis) notes that the people of Wakanda, “sew it into their clothes,” and that, “It powers their cities, their tech,” explaining that it also has energy generating properties. T’Challa/Black Panther’s (Chadwick Boseman) later superhero costumes (which, like most Wakandan military garb, are implied to be made at least partially of vibranium) are also capable of absorbing and redirecting kinetic energy.
Finally, the metal is also shown to have medicinal uses when Shuri (Letitia Wright) uses vibranium-powered technology to heal CIA agent Everett Ross (Martin Freeman) from a gunshot wound. This last quality marks an especially drastic difference with adamantium, which is almost exclusively described as being dangerous and toxic. In the film Logan, the adamantium in his bones begins poisoning the titular character when his mutant healing abilities decline in efficiency. Likewise, in X2, it is revealed that when Logan stabbed Raven Darkhölme/Mystique (Rebecca Romijn) with his claws in the previous film, he left a scar that she is unable to disguise despite her mutant shape-shifting powers.
Adamantium in the MCU Is a Huge Deal
Captain America: Brave New World is in theaters February 14.
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Captain America: Brave New World follows Sam Wilson as he steps into his role as the new Captain America. Navigating the complexities of geopolitics, Sam encounters an international incident involving a mysterious global plot. As tensions rise, he must uncover the mastermind behind the scheme to prevent worldwide chaos.
- Release Date
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February 14, 2025
- Cast
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Harrison Ford
, Liv Tyler
, Giancarlo Esposito
, Rosa Salazar
, Takehiro Hira
, Anthony Mackie
, Tim Blake Nelson
, Shira Haas
, Carl Lumbly
, Danny Ramirez
, Rachael Markarian
, Jacqueline Loucks
, Tony Mareno
, Zo’Anne Mckinstry
, Phuong Kubacki
, Colby Lopez
, Xosha Roquemore - Character(s)
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Thaddeus ‘Thunderbolt’ Ross / Red Hulk
, Betty Ross
, Sidewinder
, Rachel Leighton / Diamondback
, Prime Minister Ozaki
, Sam Wilson / Captain America
, Samuel Sterns / The Leader
, Ruth Bat-Seraph / Sabra
, Isaiah Bradley
, Joaquin Torres / Falcon
, Presidential Aide
, Secret Service Agent #2
, Navy Seal
, White House Press - Studio(s)
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Marvel Studios
- Distributor(s)
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Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
