The Marvel Cinematic Universe has introduced some powerhouse heroes and villains that have displayed varying feats of strength. While Spider-Man, Hulk and Thor remain some of the best examples of raw strength, Steve Rogers has his own feats that have made him strong, but with Sam Raimi's Green Goblin having crossed into the universe in Spider-Man: No Way Home, it's hard not to ponder how he'd compare to another super soldier like Rogers, so without weapons or assistance, why is it that the Green Goblin would still come out as the stronger of the two?
Green Goblin Could Overpower the Strongest Spider-Man
To understand the Goblin's power associated with Cap's, it's imperative to recall the Goblin's battles with Tobey Maguire's Spider-Man. Maguire's Peter has shown the greatest raw strength of all three live-action Spider-Men, even though Tom Holland's is still growing. However, the Goblin could easily outpace and overpower the web-head. During their final battle in Spider-Man, Norman ripped apart Peter's webs even though they have the tensile strength of steel. He also held up a ferry full of children with one arm, whereas Spidey struggled to hold the ferry with gravity on his side.
Captain America Has Greater Strategic Skills And Reaction Time
One of Rogers' greatest skills is how well attuned his mind and body were. Because of this, he is one of the best strategists in the MCU, but in a battle, he also has incredibly fast reaction times that have helped him dodge projectiles on multiple occasions.
Those same strategizing and reaction times allow him to fight an elevator full of soldiers and successfully escape the Triskelion in Captain America: The Winter Soldier. He also holds back Thanos with nothing but a sheer force of will. All in all, Steve shows that his mind is equally as strong as his body, which would be necessary to evade the Goblin's strikes.
Green Goblin Rarely Gets Tired
Once he's in full Goblin form, Norman Osborn is like a locomotive of power that doesn't get tired. No matter the Spider-Man he's fought, he always hits twice as hard as he did a moment before and never shows signs of fatigue. For example, in the first Spider-Man, he has his final showdown with Peter, where he begs Peter to stop after he hits him with repeated punches to the head, but he doesn't ask him to stop because he is tired.
Instead, he does so to try and outsmart the hero. Similar mental games are shown in Spider-Man: No Way Home, where Norman betrays Peter, and the two fight in Happy's apartment. Even though Peter hits him in the head without a helmet, Norman only smiles and laughs before sending Peter down four floors.
Captain America Has a Known Limit
Norman's final fight in No Way Home could have been his sacrifice to make Peter a killer, hence why he shows signs of fatigue, but even though his only sign of weakness is shown, it isn't confirmed. Conversely, Rogers has a known limit. While he can get back up as fast as he's knocked down, he has shown that hard hits are enough to leave him winded.
For example, when he fights Thanos, he takes a punch to the head that knocks him out for a few minutes. He is also winded after a one-on-one fight with Tony Stark that goes on for some time. Ultimately, while Rogers is strong, a hard hit or a drawn-out fight could spell disaster for him.
Green Goblin's Serum Beats Captain America's
In the end, Green Goblin has stamina and durability that have allowed him to hit harder and fight longer than most heroes or villains. However, because he lacks a fighting style, he's also unpredictable, and his power makes it hard to trap or subdue him.
Sadly, Cap often grapples to subdue difficult enemies like The Winter Soldier. In the end, the Goblin could easily overpower the hero and pummel him with punches that could last longer than most, as he's never been shown to get tired from a long fight. While it's likely he could be beaten into submission, it's a war of attrition that Cap simply can't overcome.
