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Spoilers for Captain America: Brave New World follow.

Is adamantium in the MCU? 

That's been a question fans have been asking since the very earliest days of Marvel's Cinematic Universe, especially after movies like Black Panther made a lot of fuss over vibranium, another fictional element with origins in Marvel Comics. But now, with the release of Captain America: Brave New World, we can definitively answer that, yes, adamantium exists in the MCU. In fact, adamantium drive much of the plot of the latest film starring the Sentinel of Liberty, and we'd even wager that it's going to have a pretty big impact on the MCU canon. 

If you'll indulge for a moment, we'll explain why.

What is the story of Captain America: Brave New World in relation to adamantium?

Adamantium, or rather, the global effort to retrieve it, is one of the tenets of Captain America: Brave New World's plot. Essentially, adamantium has appeared on Earth (we'll explain where in a sec) and now all the world's nations are desperate to get their hands on the valuable element. America, led by President Thaddeus Ross, is nearly thrown into a military conflict with Japan (orchestrated by the film's villain) in an effort to retrieve it.

Where does adamantium come from in Marvel Studios' Captain America: Brave New World?

Adamantium is not a metal native to Earth in the MCU, but one created by the events of 2021's Eternals. In the climax of that film, you'll recall, the world-destroying Celestial Tiamut was about to spawn from the center of Earth, but the sorceress Sersi turns him to into lifeless material. That material is the all-new metal at the center of this movie, and the Celestial's lifeless form is now just sitting in the Indian Ocean, waiting to be mined.

Why is it called adamantium?

We don't actually learn who named adamantium in the MCU, but we know that in the world of Marvel "adamantium" comes from writer Roy Thomas and artists Barry Windsor-Smith & Syd Shores' The Avengers #66. In that comic, it is described as the metal that makes up the villainous Ultron's shell. The name, we assume, comes from the word "adamant," which in modern lingo means, "firm in one's beliefes," but has historically been used to describe stones and metals of legendary quality. I'm no etymologist, but I can't help wondering if "adamant" and "diamond" actually share some roots.

Is adamantium stronger than vibranium in the MCU? 

Yes, adamantium is stronger than vibranium in the MCU, which should be extremely interesting for the citizens of Wakanda. No, we don't actually hear much from the home of Black Panther in this movie (except that they're the nation that built Sam's latest wings), but still, their resource advantage over the rest of the world no longer exists. Watch out for that plot in coming movies, True Believers.

Does Captain America use adamantium?

In the MCU? No. No adamantium is actually put to use in this movie, though a small sample of it is stolen at the beginning, which kicks off the action. In the comics, however, Cap's shield has over its decades of canon been sometimes made of adamantium, or a vibranium/adamantium alloy, or something called "proto-adamantim," the exactly details of which I won't pretend to understand. All that to say: it would make sense if, down the line, Sam Wilson as Captain America does pick up an adamanium shield in the MCU.

But let's be real, gang. Captain America is not the adamantium user we were all hoping to hear about in this movie...

Is Wolverine in Captain America: Brave New World?

I want to make this very clear: Wolverine does not in Captain America: Brave New World. Nor does anyone named Logan, nor does any project called Weapon X. In fact, the word "mutant" doesn't even come up. However, there is a moment that, after viewing this film, I simply cannot completely discount as a veiled reference to The Best There Is At What He Does.

In the beginning of the movie, as President Ross is giving a talk at the White House about adamantium, the benefits of the new material are displayed on in a blue holograph. The first potential benefit is in the field of technology, the second is in the field of medicine, and the third is in the field of... actually I'm going to be honest here, I don't remember. It was quick.

Anyway, when the President says that adamantium will advance the field of medicine, an X-Ray of a human man comes up on the screen, with his skeleton highlighted in a bright green. I know, I know, I can feel your eyes rolling into the back of your head - believe me, I know how conspiratorial it sounds! - but surely someone saw a highlighted skeleton during an adamantium talk and thought of Marvel's most unkillable mutant. Is it so crazy to postulate that that someone was one of the moviemakers?

To be honest: probably.

Captain America: Brave New World is in theaters now.

Consider this a meta post-credits scene for Marvel fans - the four key articles you need to read next to continue the thrills:

• How to watch the Marvel Cinematic Universe in release or chronological order
• The best Marvel Comics stories of all time
• All the MCU movies ranked from best to worst
• Our weekly Marvel insider's column, Marvel Matters