New MCU Theory Says Cap Knew Who Spider-Man Was Before Captain America: Civil War

Spider-Man’s introduction to the MCU may have been a little sudden, but it’s evident that Tony Stark was keeping track of the web-slinger prior to his arrival in Captain America: Civil War. And with this in mind, a fan on Reddit has gone one further to suggest that Steve Rogers himself was also aware of this friendly neighborhood hero before the pair ever crossed paths.

The reasoning behind this assertion stems from Cap and Spidey’s one-on-one clash amidst the film’s famous all-star battle. When Steve drops a skybridge on his opponent, Peter Parker is able to hold up this insanely heavy structure without being crushed to death, and since the First Avenger didn’t seem to be in a murdering mood at the time, it stands to reason that he knew the wall-crawler would be able to take the weight. From here, the conclusion is drawn that Steve was privy to some inside information about the existence and super-strength of Spider-Man.

While it sounds plausible enough that Steve was aware of Spidey before their first meeting, the reasoning used to get this notion seems pretty shaky. In particular, fans on Reddit have pointed out that Steve had already engaged in a tug-of-war with his opponent’s webs before the skybridge incident, which showed how the character’s strength was comparable to that of a Super Soldier. What’s more, Bucky and Falcon had previously clashed with Spider-Man, and in the heat of battle, it seems quite possible that the pair would’ve relayed some strategic intel to their friend and comrade.

In any case, if Steve didn’t know who Spider-Man was before the events of Captain America: Civil War, the pair are certainly acquainted now. And while they’ve yet to meet since, there’s always the chance that Avengers 4 will see a long-awaited reunion between these two former foes before Cap makes his widely predicted exit from the franchise.