The Marvel Cinematic Universe is just so darn immense that such a multitude of characters in so many different galaxies and worlds are hard to keep track of. You’ve got universe-level threats, heroes who guard a few blocks in downtown Manhattan, or a dancing tree in some distant part of the galaxy. All these might possibly collide in Avengers: Infinity War and its sequel.
With that coming up, it’s important to remember just who might be vital in the climactic battle of worlds. The MCU films and television series have given us a whole lot of characters to dissect and choose from. We’ve decided who we might think are those with the most to offer.
For the purposes of this article, members of the same series have been omitted, as including the same type of characters would make the list redundant. For instance, any Asgardian guard would be expected to be stronger than a character from Earth, but as we don’t have feats or identities for these said guards, including them would make no sense. In the same manner, including characters with similar skill sets wouldn’t allow the list to be very diverse. So, supporting characters who have the same power levels than main ones have been omitted.
Let’s not undermine any of the characters that do appear here, though. Remember that they have demonstrated superb levels of feats that make them worthy holders of these positions.
So without further ado, here are the 30 Most Powerful Characters In The Marvel Cinematic (and TV) Universe.
30 The Hero For Hire
A man with impenetrable skin will naturally be expected to be seen in a list of most powerful beings. Luke Cage takes his rightful place here due to his unique ability that borders on invincibility. Cage has displayed many feats of strength and durability. This includes being invulnerable to most attacks. These range from enemy attempts to literally drill through him, or shrugging off hits from bullets or piercing objects.
To add to his already impressive tough exterior, Luke Cage is capable of extreme stamina. We see this with his act of swimming across Seagate Prison to shore without stopping. This is something impossible to do for any other normal being. He is an expert combatant, to add to his skills. Even if he weren’t impenetrable, his fighting prowess would ensure victory over most.
29 The New Fist Of Hydra
Originally one of the most capable soldiers in the force, Bucky Barnes would be right at the top of strength levels of non-enhanced beings. Upon being injected with super soldier serum by HYDRA, The Winter Soldier wreaked havoc wherever he commissioned to. In Captain America: Civil War, he was able to defeat half of the team of the Avengers entirely by himself. The cybernetic arm fused to his body enables him to attack Iron Man’s armor, defeat Captain America in combat, and hold his own with Spider-Man and Black Panther.
With advanced reflexes, he can defeat supremely trained combatants like Black Widow, and leap onto accelerating cars with accuracy. The healing factor he posses allows Winter Soldier to heal his injuries faster than most. When he is under control, his lack of remorse makes him someone more to fear than other powerful beings.
28 Evil Step-Sister
Not just anyone is worthy to be bestowed the unfortunate honor of being adopted as one of the intergalactic warlord Thanos’s children. That’s why Nebula is, or was, recognized as one of his most prized lieutenants. Coming from a slain family of Luphomoids, her physiology grants capabilities much enhanced than most others. Durability is a key factor in her kitty, as she was able to heal herself after enduring a huge rocket blast from Drax. Thanos ‘perfected’ his daughter’s flaws by placing cybernetic enhancements on her. This enabled Nebula to combat lesser foes with great ease.
Her training was under the tutelage of her father and her other adoptive siblings. All of them formed a terrifying group. She has a reputation as the least merciful in the galaxy, and for good measure too.
27 She’s A Lady
She’s the Asgardian who defied all by becoming one of the most supreme warriors of the land. For a woman, that was unparalleled. Lady Sif was one of Thor’s closest allies and a loyal confidante who was unfortunate never to gain the affection of the Asgardian Prince.
In her own right, Lady Sif demonstrated abilities higher than the rest of the females of Asgard. She was able to hold her own better than the Warriors Three in the failed attack at Jotunhiem, push an entire RV truck with just one push from her foot, and even attack the indestructible Destroyer. Being an Asgardian allows her to live for thousands of years, honing her skills and her combat prowess increasing over the years. Sif was not present during Hela’s massacre of Asgard’s army, and her current whereabouts are unknown as Loki banished her during his masquerading as Odin.
26 Deadliest Woman In The Galaxy
Another daughter of Thanos, and this one even more skilled than the last. Thanos openly claimed Gamora to be his favorite daughter, and for good reason, too. Adopted by the mad titan after he finished off her entire race, Gamora was brought up alongside multiple members of advanced races as her siblings. She was able to surpass them in her abilities.
Frequently pitted against her younger sister Nebula, Gamora defeated her at every turn, never once conceding defeat. This is an impressive feat, considering Nebula’s own prowess. Gamora possesses extreme levels of strength, capable of holding onto Drax as he clung to to a rope so as to prevent him from falling out of their ship. She beat most of her assailants, and rivals Groot and Drax in strength among her fellow Guardians. She is a master combatant in armed and unarmed combat with superior levels of durability. Needless to say, she would survive encounters with most of the powerful beings in the universe.
25 The Star Spangled Man With A Plan
Captain America’s greatest strength is perhaps not his advanced abilities, but his immeasurable will and leadership. Steve Rogers does not know what the word “quit” means, and will battle out till his last breath. As a super soldier, his physiology is unparalleled among humans, capable of falling storeys to the ground and take hits by supreme beings such as Loki, Ultron, and Thor. He’s caught an entire helicopter with his bare hands.
Captain America’s super stamina allows him to run miles in minutes. His strength is such that he was able to defeat a squadron of HYDRA agents in a limited space of an elevator. During the Battle of New York and Sokovia, Rogers defeated legions of Chitauri and Ultron bots on his own. His leadership is displayed through his expert tactics, and he was able to break his friends out of the Raft prison without any resources.
24 Queens’ Own Colorful Local Crimestopper
You’d expect Spider-Man to be higher in this list, but being a teenager with a lack of experience means Peter Parker will have to wait a bit to climb the ranks. However, Spider-Man’s powers allow him to tussle with the big boys and even defeat a few of them. He overpowered The Winter Soldier and Falcon at the same time, supported the weight of a jet bridge which had to weigh tons, and freed himself from concrete rubble with no traces of lasting damage.
His web slinging supports the super agility he has, and he can incapacitate his enemies with web shooters. Parker almost beat Captain America through his raw powers, but was defeated due to the former’s experience. His Spidey sense is yet to come, but you can be sure that armed with an enhanced suit and discovering further abilities, he will be one of the standouts in the war against Thanos.
23 Red, White, And Blue Attack Dog
While not on the same level as his best friend Tony Stark, James Rhodes is a force to be reckoned with thanks to his possession of the War Machine armor. It enables him to keep up with the Iron Man armor and, mixed with Rhodes’ army experience and range of combat skills, gives him an edge in the battlefield.
The suit grants him flight abilities, which means he can soar into deep heights with no problems, lift tons of weight with ease, and offers him a wide range of combat opportunities. War Machine was vital in Iron Man’s battles during Iron Man 2 and Iron Man 3, as well as Avengers: Age of Ultron and Captain America: Civil War. His future is questionable after losing the functions of his legs, but with the armor there’s no telling what he is capable of.
22 His Highness
King T’Challa is a mystery as of time of writing. The film Black Panther is sure to uncover more of the identity of this superhero, and judging by trailers, Wakanda will be the focus of Avengers: Infinity War. The King of Wakanda is supremely powerful in his own right. Even without his suit he was able to beat the Winter Soldier in in close-quarter combat. With the Black Panther suit, T’Challa can outrun run vehicles and slip unnoticed as seen in the climax of Captain America: Civil War. But the most powerful in his arsenal is his vibranium suit.
With this, he can overpower even the strongest beings. The element is the indestructible. His claws permanently dented Captain America’s shield, and the armor was unblemished despite being attacked multiple times by bullets and other means. Acrobatically, he might be right on top.
21 Muscle-Bound Whack-Job
His comedy has overshadowed his physical prowess in the eyes of most viewers, but Drax is known as the Destroyer for a reason. He is naturally gifted from his species, but due to the vengeance that has consumed in the hunt for Ronan, and then Thanos, Drax has reached the peak of his species’ abilities.
While he was no match for Ronan, he did go toe to toe with him and live to tell the tale. On the other hand, he was able to restrain Gamora, a daughter of Thanos, and using his brute strength ended Korath the Pursuer entirely. The various stumbles and bumps Drax takes are used for comedic purposes, but they should also highlight his extreme durability as he is always unblemished by the end of it. He can easily take various blasts straight on and still throw in a funny joke.
20 The Giving Tree
Coming from an unknown species, Groot is one of the most caring in personality when it comes to superheroes. That’s a real feat, seeing as he forms part of the Guardians of the Galaxy. However, the power he possesses is immense in the few short bursts we do see him in action. Groot is essentially invulnerable to any physical attacks, as he can simply regrow those parts of his body that have been cut off.
His ultimate sacrifice enabled the Guardians to live and save the galaxy, thanks to his ability to encase them in his own protective shell. Groot can expand his body in various ways, and this was seen in use during the climax of Guardians of the Galaxy. He is practically immortal as well, seeing as after his previous form ended, a new Baby Groot took his place.
19 Something Too Fast To See
You didn’t see that coming? Quicksilver is underrated in the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s list of heroes due to his appearances being limited to just the one in Avengers: Age of Ultron. He never reached his full potential, seeing as he was still very young. Nevertheless, he came out looking great in match-ups against established characters like Thor and Captain America. To be honest, he could potentially solo a majority of the Avengers, thanks to his extreme speed. So it’s a shame we didn’t see more of him.
It goes without saying that he has superior reflexes and the ability to bend time, in a way. His speed allowed him to perceive others differently. He also had a healing factor due to enhanced metabolism, although unfortunately it didn’t come to his aid during the end of life.
18 God Of Mischief
Widely considered the best antagonist of the MCU, Loki Odinson, or Laufeyson, is a supreme trickster giving the title of God of Mischief. Raised as an Asgardian, he was brought up as a prince and his physical skills can go toe to toe with biological God Asgardian Thor. In his fight with enhanced superhuman Captain America, Loki brushed off all his attacks and was on the brink of an easy victory.
More impressive is his durability as he walked away, not unscathed, after a brutal attack by the Incredible Hulk that would have ended most beings. He is also a master sorcerer capable of casting effective spells on supreme beings such as Odin. He can conjure weapons out of thin air. His most favored tool is the multiple illusions he casts of himself, and can render himself invisible.
17 Genius, Billionaire, Philanthropist
Tony Stark is the breakout character of the MCU, and Iron Man has to be one of the strongest ones in the universe. Thanks to Stark’s genius level intellect, the Iron Man armors are unparalleled in the MCU. Multiple versions of the suit have different capabilities, with the Hulkbuster having defeated The Incredible Hulk himself!
The armor is also designed to protect Stark at all costs, which means he can fall from the sky or be at the bottom of the ocean, but will be safe from all harm one way or the other. Iron Man has fought the likes of Gods Thor and Loki, and walked away with a good quip or two. He can fly, project beams, fire rounds of bullets, and take massive amounts of damage with barely a scratch left on him. The armor can be summoned and assembled at any point and has 400% power capacity, to boot.
16 Junior
You can’t expect many beings to go at it alone against The Avengers, but Ultron did just that and could have done more had he had the ‘Benefit of Hindsight’. Born as a confused A.I., Ultron wreaked global levels of disaster whose effects are still felt as of Infinity War. The A.I. built thousands of bodies for himself that were admittedly not up to the task, but his consciousness was all over the world granting him nigh omniscience.
His main body could project multiple beams, was capable of telekinesis, and could beat down a God such as Thor into submission. Also imbued with Tony Stark’s personality, Ultron was more than a genius and would have solely ended the world had he not been thwarted. His body armor meant he could not be harmed by normal means, or even Captain America’s shield.
15 The Martyr
Ant-Man has an unenviable name that is even poked fun at in his solo film. But his powers are unique in a way that in underestimating his abilities, Ant-Man’s foes get a taste of his true powers. The suit allows Scott Lang to change his size, ranging from extraordinarily large to so minuscule that he can tap into a different world entirely.
What makes Ant-Man such a powerful superhero is the fact that changing size increasing his strength and durability. Also, size does matter, and when Lang goes gigantic he is able to hold off the likes of Iron Man, Spider-Man, and War Machine at the same time. When he goes tiny, he can dismantle the core of Iron Man’s suits and can potentially go into anyone’s brains and finish them off from there. Also, the little matter of him being able to control the ant population!
14 The Man On Fire
The MCU TV shows don’t get enough credit and are largely underestimated, but Ghost Rider is one that has powers strong enough to finish off many of the strongest characters you could find in the movies. He has a multitude of abilities to choose from, such as fire manipulation, which is his most striking form of attack. He can transform into a skeletal humanoid sort of creature engulfed in flames, something that is truly horrifying.
A very strong aspect he possesses is the ability to physically interact and harm even non-corporeal entities! His healing factor is such that he can recover any damage that might be inflicted, leaving him basically invulnerable. Ghost Rider can look straight into a person’s soul, meaning nothing can be concealed from him. He has the power to open inter-dimensional portals. There’s barely anything he can’t do.
13 Sorcerer Supreme
The Ancient One was Doctor Strange’s mentor, who would go on to become one of the most powerful people in existence. This puts her rightfully among the strongest characters as well. She lived for centuries, and during that time delved into every aspect of the magical world. Had she not been mortally wounded, she had the capacity to remain indefinitely alive for an indefinite amount of time.
Through astral projection, the Ancient One tapped into the astral world and could leave the physical realm behind at will. She even displayed enough power to force Doctor Strange into the astral world. Her great understanding of magic made her the sorceress supreme, and her powers were tenfold in the mirror dimension. Her sheer will also didn’t allow Dormammu to corrupt the good in her.
12 The Accuser
While he was greatly powerful in his own right, seeing how he could effortlessly beat down a powerful being such as Drax or end The Other’s life with a simple twist, Ronan was truly supreme in strength when in possession of the Infinity Orb.
Harnessing the power of the orb for his will, Ronan imbued it within his Cosmi-Rod, which made him so commanding that he could have taken down the entire planet of Xandar on his own had the Guardians not blindsided him. The Accuser was sure enough of his prowess after acquirement of the orb. He displayed no fear of the mad titan Thanos himself. Although we never saw what he was truly capable of, this was indication enough that he had the capacity to bring worlds under his rule.
11 Jarvis Personified
Infinity Stone as part of his body. Nuff said. Vision has to be in the top tier when it comes to power. He may be an android, but there is none more pure or human than him. If he were to lose his morals, the consequences could be catastrophic. To highlight this is the fact that his only contribution in the airport battle during Captain America: Civil War left War Machine crippled. Vision has the ability to render himself completely incorporeal, which means no physical attacks could harm him. His laser blasts through the infinity stone melted Ultron’s body, and he was worthy enough to wield Mjolnir itself.
It takes God-tier strength such as Thor’s or other worldly powers the likes of Scarlet Witch to realistically harm him. His durability is such that he has never displayed any sense of tiredness or distress.
