The 30 Most Powerful Characters In The MCU, Definitively Ranked (2024)

Over the last ten years, the MCU has grown in size and scope. The heroes of Earth have met up with the Guardians of the Galaxy, and they have all faced their greatest foe yet. It will take all of their strength to finally win the day and defeat Thanos. Luckily, the Avengers are Earth's Mightiest Heroes. With the combined efforts of the Guardians, as well as some new allies who will definitely help in the fight, our heroes can certainly save the world. However, the victory may come at a cost. Heroes may be lost forever, and while they may help to win the day, it's possible that they won't see battle again. It's a good thing that there are a lot of new heroes in the world who are willing to fight the good fight and take on powerful enemies.

So just who are the most powerful people in the MCU? There are countless characters who have appeared across the films, and trying to compare all of them might not seem fair. That being said, there are definitely some heroes and villains who are stronger than others. That's just the truth, and it's been demonstrated across the films in the MCU. Sometimes heroes are able to fight their opponents head-on, and sometimes they have to outsmart them. Just who is the strongest in the MCU, though? There are many different kinds of strength: mastery of magic, fighting skills, proficiency with weapons, and, of course, good old-fashioned brute strength. So who is at the top? This is the definitive ranking of the 30 most powerful characters in the MCU.

30 FALCON

Sam Wilson, also known as Falcon, officially joined the MCU inCaptain America: The Winter Soldier and he has been an indispensable ally ever since. His wingsuit and military knowledge give him an edge in combat and he has shown that he keeps his cool under pressure.

When it comes down to it, though, Falcon is only human. Sure, he may be able to fly through the air, but in a one-on-onebattle with superpowered individuals, he really has no option other thantaking the high ground and keeping his distance.

29 HAWKEYE

Clint Barton, the arrow firing Avenger known as Hawkeye, is a little bit of an enigma. After all, in a world of people who have superpowered metal suits, super soldiers, and a Hulk, where exactly does a guy who is handy with a bow and arrow fit in?

Hawkeye may not be the strongest of the Avengers, but he is a very useful ally. When he works with the other heroes, he shows that despite his lack of superpowers, he is just as useful to the team as someone like Thor or Scarlet Witch.

28 BLACK WIDOW

From the moment Black Widow took down all of those guards inIron Man 2, it was clear that she was going to be an important part of the MCU. Like Hawkeye, Black Widow doesn'thave any superpowers, but she somehow holds her own when things get messy.

Black Widow has extensive training as a former Soviet assassin, which gives her an edge in hand-to-hand combat. She is also an expert at espionage and getting herself out of tough situations. Her greatest strength may be never cracking under the pressure.

27 ANT-MAN

With the ability to shrink to atomic size or make himself a giant, Ant-Man has plenty of versatility when it comes to being in a fight. Even if he sometimes feels out of place among other heroes, he has proven that he can be a great ally.

However, sometimes his earnestness and lack of real-world fighting skills mean that he is not always the most effective combatant. Even though he retains his proportional strength when he is small, Ant-Man is still just a man.

26 WASP

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Like Ant-Man, Wasp has also mastered the technology behind shrinking. However, she knows how to utilize it to much greater effect. With wings and blasters included in her suit, Wasp is far more prepared for hand-to-hand combat.

Unfortunately, we haven't been able to see how Wasp would do in a fight involving the other MCU heroes, but we like to think that she would be able to hold her own, even without superhuman abilities. Like Hawkeye and Black Widow, she is a skilled fighter and tactician.

25 WAR MACHINE

James Rhodes is not just an accomplished Air Force colonel. He's brave, intelligent, and willing to fight for what is right. He is also the only other person, besides Tony Stark, to successfully pilot an Iron Man suit. This led to him becoming the hero known as War Machine.

Rhodey's armor is far more military than Stark's. It includes a mounted shoulder gun, as well as far more intense weaponry, such as an energized club. However, you know that Tony would never let War Machine have armor stronger than his.

24 IRON MAN

He's the hero that started it all, and he's still going strong ten years later. Tony Stark, the Iron Man himself, kicked off the MCU when he built the Mark 1 suit and escaped from captivity. Since then, he has only been improving his designs.

The latest suit Tony wears inInfinity War is the Bleeding Edge armor. This suit is bonded with Tony's body and can bedeployed at any time. Tony has grown as a hero over the years, showing more and more advanced skills in combat that only enhance his already formidable technology.

23 ALDRICH KILLIAN

Aldrich Killian is the antagonist ofIron Man 3, and as he shows in the final act of the film, he is not someone you want to mess with, particularly because of the powers he gained through the Extremis program. Basically, if a guy can spit fire, you'll probably want to back off.

Unfortunately, that's not a choice that Tony Stark has. After Aldrich captures Pepper Potts, Stark has no choice but to go into battle against Killian, who proves that the Extremis program has made him more powerful than Tony thought. He can even regrow his limbs!

22 RONAN

Ronan the Accuser is the big bad inGuardians of the Galaxy, and though he sometimes comes across as a little too edgy, there's no denying that he is a powerful enemy for both the Guardians and the Nova Corps.

Ronan, who is working for Thanos, is one of the only people in the galaxy who is able to handle the Power Stone without being torn to shreds. If he had the opportunity to wield it properly, it could have meant a lot of trouble for everyone in the universe.

21 LOKI

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Loki was the very first antagonist that the Avengers fought together, and while he didn't do it all himself, he proved that he could be a huge challenge for any adversary. Loki may not have the strength of Thor, but his cunning, intellect, and magical abilities give him an edge in battle.

While Loki would prefer to avoid fighting his enemies directly (which is not hard to understand after what the Hulk did to him), he is adept at playing with people's emotions and turning them against each other. He is also a skilled negotiator and knows when to switch allegiances when it benefits him.

20 DRAX

Drax may not be the most intelligent member of the Guardians of the Galaxy, but one thing is for sure: when it comes time to fight, he is more than willing to jump in head first (sometimes literally). Drax is a skilled fighter and his bravery goes far beyond logic.

Drax's power doesn't come from an external source. He was not granted his strength by anyone or anything. He is simply a skilled fighter with enhanced stamina. He can even turn invisible by standing perfectly still (okay, not really).

19 NEBULA

Nebula is one of the daughters of Thanos. Formerly part of the Kree race, Nebula was adopted by the Mad Titan and forced to become a ruthless assassin. She is augmented with technology, which grants her enhanced strength as well as healing capabilities.

However, the reason Nebula is enhanced with this technology is because every time she lost a fight to her sister Gamora, Thanos would augment her with new components to try and make her stronger. However, it never really worked out in Nebula's favor.

18 GAMORA

Gamora is the second daughter of Thanos, and she has proven herself to be the stronger of the two. Gamora, like Drax, possesses increased strength, stamina, and agility, though she is more likely to think of a plan before jumping into the action.

Gamora's strength is demonstrated most clearly when she fights Nebula on the surface of Ego. Gamora is able to lift an entire ship's cannon above her head and fire it. She barely even breaks a sweat while doing so.

17 GROOT

Groot may have a small vocabulary, but one thing he is not short on is strength. There are not many things that can stop Groot, and with his ability to grow new versions of himself, he is basically unstoppable. He may not always make the smartest decisions, but's clear that in a pinch,Groot can provide some much-needed brute force.

Though he is relatively gentle most of the time, Groot has shown several times that when he needs to, he can really bring the pain. Even as a baby, Groot proved that he is more than capable of throwing around the bad guys like they're nothing.

16 RED SKULL

The Red Skull is the original MCU supervillain, fighting against Captain America and the allied forces inCaptain America: The First Avenger. Formerly known as Johann Schmidt, the Red Skull was one of the earliest attempts at creating a super soldier.

Unfortunately, due to the lack of Vita-Rays during the process, Schmidt is left deformed and even more dangerously evil than before. That means, like Captain America, Red Skull's strength, agility, and stamina are enhanced to superhuman levels. He is only defeated when he is transported off of Earth by the Tesseract.

15 BLACK PANTHER

King T'Challa, the leader of the sovereign nation of Wakanda, is more than just a ruler. He is the Black Panther, the sworn protector of Wakanda and its people. He first showed his face to the world inCaptain America: Civil War, and he has been a valuable ally to the Avengers ever since.

As the Black Panther, T'Challa is granted enhanced speed, agility, and strength. He is able to run as fast as a car and can easily hold his own in a fight against other superheroes. He also gains an edge from his suit, which can store kinetic energy and release it in a powerful burst.

14 BUCKY BARNES

Bucky Barnes was Steve Rogers's best friend in another lifetime -- back then, Bucky was the one protecting Steve. However, after he was seemingly lost during battle in the second World War, Bucky was recovered by Soviet scientists, who turned him into the winter soldier.

Bucky's strength mainly comes from his metal arm, a replacement for the one he lost in his fall. However, on top of his enhanced strength, Bucky is an experienced soldier and fighter, able to go up against superpowered foes with little trouble.

13 SPIDER-MAN

We all know that Spider-Man does whatever a spider can, but on top of swinging from webs and crawling on walls, Spider-Man also possesses the proportional strength of a spider. Despite his small stature, Peter Parker is one of the strongest people in the MCU.

This is proven when, after a fight with the Vulture, Spidey is pinned under a mass of concrete. Any normal person would have been crushed, or at least unable to escape. However, by drawing from his immense strength, Peter is able to break free and save the day.

12 CAPTAIN AMERICA

Steve Rogers is the original Avenger, having gained superhuman strength and agility through the use of the Super Soldier Formula and Vita-Rays. He is an expert soldier, a great fighter, and above all else, a natural leader.

Captain America's strength goes beyond how much he can lift or how hard he can punch. He is also able to hurl his vibranium shield at great speeds as an effective weapon against his enemies. Captain America is even able to hold Thanos back -- at least until he gets punched.

11 ULTRON

Ultron proved to be one of the greatest challenges the Avengers ever faced. He was eventually defeated, but the victory came at a cost. Quicksilver give his life in the battle to save the world, and the battle of Sokovia eventually leads to the accords that result in the events ofCivil War.

Before Thanos changed the game forever, Ultron proved that one enemy can be more than challenging enough for an entire team of superheroes. It was only with the arrival of vision that the Avengers were able to turn the tide and put an end to Ultron for good.