People underestimate what makes the Infinity War fight so memorable. Steve wasn’t remotely matching Thanos physically, and the movie never suggests he was. Thanos had the Power Stone alone, not to mention several other Stones, and could have overwhelmed Steve almost instantly. What catches Thanos off guard is that Steve keeps pushing forward when every logical reason tells him to stop. He’s exhausted, injured, surrounded by a losing battle, and standing in front of an enemy who has already beaten the Hulk. Yet Steve still grabs Thanos’ arm and tries to hold him back. For someone like Thanos, who believes overwhelming power eventually makes everyone submit, Steve’s refusal to surrender is almost alien. Thanos wasn’t impressed by Steve’s strength. He was momentarily confronted with something his Infinity Stones couldn’t measure: absolute refusal to give up.