Ever sinceIron Manopened in theaters in 2008 and theMCUwas born, the franchise, much like Nick Fury promises in that after-credit scene, was much bigger than anyone could imagine. The franchise has filled up with various heroes across the comics' rich publication history from various corners of the Marvel universe, whether Earth-bound, magic, alien, or multiversal. The franchise is still growing, as the future is set to introduce heroes like The Fantastic Four, Blade, and the X-Men as well as new villainous threats coming inthe form of Kang the Conquerorand potentially Doctor Doom.
This year alone,Moon Knight, Ms. Marvel, andAmerica Chavezhave joined the hero roster, and soon She-Hulk, a new Black Panther, and Namor will enter the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Yet currently, who are the most powerful heroes in the MCU? Which ones could stand against a threat like Kang the Conqueror or any of the potential foes waiting in this new multiversal saga? From across the various MCU franchises, these are the most powerful heroes in terms of raw power, what they have already displayed, and the potential strength of their abilities to grow.
All the Eternals have incredible powers, but Sersi’s ability to change things on a molecular level might make her the strongest member with the most untapped potential. While she originally believes her ability only applies to inorganic material, the revelation that Sersi can alter organic material makes her incredibly dangerous. Even though she needed her fellow Eternal’s ability to turn a Celestial to stone, her ability of transmutation to rewrite objects, people, and even the air on a molecular level puts her in a league that not even her fellow Eternal fighters can comprehend.
7Doctor Strange
Doctor Strange might no longer be the sorcerer supreme, but he is still one of the mostpowerful magic users in the MCU. While Wong may hold the ultimate title, Doctor Strange’s willingness to break the rules proves he is potentially more dangerous while being just as powerful. Using his magic, he was able to fight Thanos in an impressive feat of strength, while also commanding the souls of the damned to obey him. He has broken the fabric of the multiverse, repaired it, wiped away the entire world’s memory of Spider-Man, and was shown as one of the most potent threats in the multiverse.
Related:MCU: Why Kang is a Much Bigger Threat Than Thanos
6Shang-Chi
Shang-Chi is one of the most deadly individuals in the world, but in a world filled with alien gods and super-powered individuals, one has to wonder what makes Shang-Chi potentially more powerful than Iron Man, Captain America, or Black Panther.The key is the ten rings, which, by the end of the movie, Shang-Chi is in possession of. The marketing material forShang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Ringsestablished they are now the most powerful weapon in the MCU, with greater potential than Thor’s hammer Mjolnir or Captain America’s shield.
In the hands of Wenwu, the ten rings helped him achieve immortality and create a giant criminal empire that stretched across history, and it appears Shang-Chi was able to tap into even greater power. Shang-Chi might now be one of the New Avengers team’s secret weapons.
The god of thunder himself, Thor has been one of the most powerful heroes in the MCU since he landed in the New Mexico desert back in his first movie. While jokes are made about Thor not being the strongest Avenger, it is hard to argue against his stats. He has been able to hold his own in fights with the Hulk, he took on Thanos' army inAvengers: Infinity Warwith ease, and took on the full force of a star. InThor: Love and Thunder, Thos was established as the Guardians of the Galaxy’s immediate powerhouse for getting through a mission with ease. Thor’s heroic entrance into Wakanda signifies him as the ultimate cavalry, that when the heroes are down the sound of thunder can help turn the tide.
There is a reason The Hulk is dubbedthe strongest Avenger. He was Tony Stark’s big trump card to Loki, mocking his army as it means nothing against the power ofthe ultimately heroic Hulk. Hulk gave Thor a powerful fight multiple times and has fought wave after wave of Ultron bots, fought various monsters, and has been the destructive force that many threats across the galaxy fear.
Related:MCU: 9 Smartest Heroes in the Franchise, Ranked
The appearance of Smart Hulk might imply his strength is not as powerful as his raw anger, but he was deemed the Avenger strong enough to wield the collective power of all six infinity stones. His mix of Banner’s intelligence and Hulk’s strength makes for a potentially dangerous combination, and the trailers forShe-Hulk: Attorney at Lawstill show him able to throw a bolder deep into space suggesting his merged self be just as powerful.
3Captain Marvel
One need only list the incredible things Captain Marvel has done to showcase her raw power. She took on the entire Kree armada single-handedly; they fled in an attempt to not battle her. Thanos' armada fired everything they had at Captain Marvel in an attempt to stop her, and it didn’t slow her down. Even while wielding the Infinity Gauntlet, she was able to hold her own against Thanos in a feat that neither Thor nor Hulk could. Thanos needed to cheat and use the power stone to just get Captain Marvel away from him.
What If…?established that Captain Marvel, at full force, has the potential to destroy an entire planet. Essentially, Captain Marvel is the MCU Superman, a powerhouse fighter with great strength. Captain Marvel will turn out the champion in any physical fight.
2Ant-Man and the Wasp
Ant-Man and Wasp might not seem like the most powerful characters on the surface, particularly when compared to powerhouses like Thor, Hulk, and Captain Marvel, but the power these two heroes can access makes them incredibly dangerous and arguably the Avengers' most powerful sure things.
InAnt-ManHank Pym establishes that the Pym Particle, the scientific breakthrough that allows for Ant-Man and Wasp to shrink and grow, could reshape the fabric of reality; he certainly was not kidding, as it eventually becomes the tool accessing the quantum realm to undertake the time travel mission in Avengers: Endgame. As witnessed in theWhat If…?episode “What If… the World Lost Its Mightiest Heroes?” when an evil Hank Pym used his Pym particles, he was able to kill all the Avengers without them being able to detect him. Luckily for the heroes, both Scott Lang and Hope Van Dyne are good people, but both have the potential to be incredibly dangerous.
Ant-Man and Wasp’s dangerous potential became so culturally well known that theAnt-Man crawling up Thanos buttmeme eventually became a joke Marvel addressed inAvengers: Quantum Experienceon Disney’s new cruise ship, and inspired one of the most jaw-dropping moments inThe Boysseason 3.
1Scarlet Witch
Wanda Maximoff was already a force to be reckoned with after she was able to incapacitate the Avengers inAvengers: Age of Ultronand also managed to singly-handedly hold back an Infinity Gauntlet-powered Thanos while also destroying Vision’s mind stone. She then almost tore Thanos to pieces inAvengers: Endgameand might have succeded, had she not been stopped by Thanos reigning fire on everyone. However, it is Phase 4 of the MCU that has established Wanda, now the Scarlet Witch, as themost powerful being in the MCU.
Her experience in Westview showed a fraction of her power, rewriting reality and people’s minds to fit her whim. While at first an accident, she eventually begins to take control of the illusion. Agatha Harkness clearly lays out that Wanda’s magical ability is not taught but natural to her, and that she has the potential to destroy the multiverse. When she took possession of the Darkhold, an ancient book of dark magic, she displayed and showcased magical abilities that are greater than that of the sorcerer supreme. She can astral project while keeping her regular body intact, and she was able to kill some of the most powerful heroes in the Multiverse like Black Bolt, Mr. Fantastic, Professor X, a version of Captain Marvel, and a Captain Carter variant with ease.
Wanda’s status as both Avenger and also villain makes her one that neither hero nor villain in the MCU would want to cross. Whileshe apparently diedinDoctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, with the sheer power she possesses it is unlikely she will be gone for long.
