With another year of the MCU at an end, the roster of Marvel heroes continues to grow — and figuring out which MCU hero is the strongest is harder than ever. 2022 saw the introduction of the likes of Moon Knight and Ms.Marvel in their own Marvel Disney+ Shows, and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever introduced IronHeart, Namor, and a new Black Panther to the MCU. The list of Marvel heroes will only grow in 2023, as Marvel movies like Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 bring heroes such as powered-up Cassie Lang and Adam Warlock into the fold.
With such a wide roster of characters from Marvel Comics on the big (and small) screen, the debate forever rages on about who is the strongest hero in the MCU. In order to rank the MCU heroes weakest to strongest, some rules must be established. Only super-powered or tech-enhanced characters who have been the leads of movies or shows will be considered. So while the likes of Kate Bishop and Black Widow won't qualify, there are still so many MCU superheroes to rank based on their strength, which included power level and skills in battle.
Falcon/Captain America
Sam Wilson might be a skilled soldier in his own right, good enough to be one of the few test pilots for the EXO-7 Falcon wing harness, but his enhancements are perhaps the weakest of all the Avengers tech. However, Sam showed in Falcon and the Winter Soldier on Disney+ that he knows how to utilize his gear with unparalleled tactical efficiency.
Being able to fly definitely gives him the advantage in a fight, but his hand-to-hand combat skills have been seen as inconsistent. However, now armed with Steve Rogers' old shield and taking on the mantle of Captain America, Sam seems to be becoming a more formidable fighter — and when he takes the center stage in Captain America: New World Order he'll have a chance to prove himself further.
Daredevil
Though fans are still waiting for Matt Murdock to headline his new Daredevil: Born Again series, he proved himself a skilled fighter in the MCU thanks to She-Hulk: Attorney At Law. With his heightened senses, Daredevil is able to take on an army of thugs at the same time. Being blind is no setback for Daredevil, as his sonar-sensitive hearing provides him with total situation awareness — which makes his martial arts training and acrobatics even deadlier. Of course, he is also seen bloody and bruised far more than some of the other Marvel heroes, showing that he is certainly vulnerable. He also lacks any kind of super-strength or healing, which prevents him being higher on the list.
The Wasp
After she was teased in an MCU post-credit scene, all the way back in 2015's Ant-Man, Hope Van Dyne proved she was ready to get in on the action. The Wasp possesses the same shrinking abilities as Ant-Man which can make her a very tricky opponent in a fight. While she lacks some of Ant-Man's impressive abilities, she does have him beat with wings and a blaster. It should also be noted that she is a much more skilled fighter than Scott Lang outside her suit. The only thing holding Hope back on this list is that, so far, she's had less screen time.
Ant-Man
Like The Wasp, Ant-Man's ability to shrink yet at will is a very effective power to have — especially when coupled with the thieving prowess and ingenuity of Scott Lang. On top of that, Ant-Man can also grow in size, packing a much bigger punch. This supersized version of Ant-Man, as seen in Captain America: Civil War, can have even powerful heroes like War Machine, Spider-Man, and even Tony Stark himself pausing to consider their options.
But a lot of the charm of Scott Lang, the man beneath the Ant-Man mask designed by Hank Pym, is that he doesn't seem to really belong as a hero. He is unsure of himself and gets scared easily, showing that awesome power also relies on someone capable of wielding it. This is why, despite having perhaps more potential than some heroes higher up on the list, Ant-Man ranks among the weakest MCU heroes.
Ms. Marvel
As one the youngest heroes in the MCU Ms. Marvel, a.k.a. Kamala Khan, has become one of the most likable new characters in Phase 4. However, an incredibly bubbly and engaging personality isn't all there is to Ms. Marvel — her incredible cosmic powers are a sight to behold. She is able to create weapons and defenses by harnessing the power of the Noor dimension, and the limits of her powers aren't known. However, Kamala is still very new to the superhero game, so her inexperience holds her back from climbing the ranks any higher. Her appearance in the upcoming MCU movie The Marvels could change this.
War Machine
The War Machine armor grants James 'Rhodey' Rhodes superhuman strength, reflexes, flight up to Mach 3 speeds, and an entire arsenal of offensive and defensive weapons. War Machine would likely be equal to Iron Man in power were it not for the men beneath the armor. Rhodey is a better pilot, but Tony Stark is a genius who perfects and improves his suit constantly. If the two were to come to blows, Iron Man is only ever one upgrade away from besting War Machine — and the fight might not happen at all if the paranoid Tony Stark installed a kill-switch before relinquishing the War Machine armor to the US Government.
Winter Soldier
Making his debut in Captain America: Winter Soldier, Bucky Barnes has evolved into a formidable hero in his own right. Given the same super soldier serum as Captain America, Winter Soldier gained low-level superhuman strength, speed, durability, and advanced healing. Add to this his bionic arm, and Bucky is a force to be reckoned with. What holds him back from being on a par with the likes of Captain America is his the after-effects of his brainwashing at the hands of the Soviet Union. He is a stone-cold killer focused only on the mission at hand. As Bucky Barnes, he loses some of that edge but remains a formidable super-soldier.
Spider-Man
Spider-Man is another younger hero who is gradually showing his strength over time — and presently it's really only his youth and inexperience holding him back from being higher up on the list of MCU heroes ranked by power. Spidey's powers include the proportionate strength of a spider, wall-crawling, increased speed and durability, superhuman agility, and enhanced senses.
Combined, these abilities make Peter Parker a pretty tough opponent, but in comparison to the other Avengers, they come up a bit short. He has been seen handling the likes of Falcon and Winter Soldier with ease, but doesn't stand a chance against Captain America. Cap's combat experience and tactical genius combined with super-strength prove to be more than a match for Spider-Man, even with a Tony Stark-designed suit. With more Spider-Man movies on the horizon for the MCU though, Peter Parker could find age and wisdom bring him up a few rungs on MCU hero power ranking charts.
She-Hulk
Given that she has the gamma blood of her cousin Bruce Banner running in her veins, Jennifer Walters, a.k.a. She-Hulk, certainly trumps most MCU heroes when it comes to raw strength. Indeed, fans were able to see some incredible feats from her, including smashing through walls and splitting a parking garage in two. However, She-Hulk is certainly the most comedic MCU show and therefore less action-oriented. Viewers haven't really had the chance to see She-Hulk showcase her powers against a formidable foe, but chances are that it would be impressive. Until then though, there's simply not been enough of Jen doing superheroics and demonstrating the upper limits of her power for her to rank higher on the list.
Shang-Chi
For much of Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, the titular Shang-Chi was seen as a non-superpowered hero — an exceptional martial artist, but one capable of nothing much that a real-world Kung Fu master couldn't achieve. Credit where credit's due, when it comes to fighting skills alone, Shang-Chi stands out among the most proficient in the MCU. What places him above the likes of She-Hulk and Spider-Man, however, is that his skills seem to be getting an upgrade as he acquired the mystical and powerful Ten Rings. Shang-Chi was able to go toe-to-toe with Wenwu and defeat the Dweller in the Dark using the rings and that is likely only the beginning of what he is capable of.
Moon Knight
Fans had been wanting to see Moon Knight on screen for years, and Oscar Isaac's take on the role didn't disappoint. The fascinating MCU hero Mar Spector lives with Dissociative Identity Disorder, and among his alters is Moon Knight (or, in Steven Grant's case, the suited Mr. Knight). When in this form, Moon Knight has super-strength, magic weaponry, and is seemingly invincible. Having the backing of a God like Khonshu has, as expected, imbued the many alters of Marc Spector with powers beyond even heroes like The Winter Soldier. He is still very disconnected from other heroes in the MCU though, so only time will tell how the gifts of Khonshu truly compare to, say, the sorcery of Doctor Strange.
Iron Man
Tony Stark's intelligence and determination feel like superpowers to go along with his Iron Man suit. Tony's ability to constantly improve, fine-tune and upgrade his armor is what makes him one of the most significant Avengers. His status as one of the most powerful MCU heroes is undisputed. The only real weakness preventing Iron Man ranking higher is that Tony Stark is a mere mortal. As Thanos proved, without the suit Tony is incredibly vulnerable.
That being said, Iron Man still ranks above several heroes who do have above-human levels of durability or regeneration — and this is thanks to his adaptability. Iron Man 3 showed that he has a suit for just about every occasion and threat. He might be more vulnerable than some of his companions under the suit, but Iron Man has still faced the likes of Thanos and Thor and stood his ground.
Vision
The strength of Vision is oddly overlooked in discussions MCU heroes, because he didn't get much of a chance to showcase it. However, as he's powered by the Mind Stone and has Vibranium skin, it's impossible to deny Vision's status as one of the most powerful beings in the Marvel canon. Among his many abilities, Vision can shoot a powerful beam of energy, fly, phase through solid matter, and is worthy of wielding Thor's hammer itself, Mjolnir. However, Avengers: Infinity War proved that when an enemy can find a way to wound him, he can be quite vulnerable.
Sersi
Every one of the titular Eternals could rank very high among the MCU's strongest superheroes, but Sersi stands out as the main character in the ensemble. Interestingly, Sersi seems to be the gentlest member of the team, but this in no way changes the fact that she's the most powerful. Sersi is able to change objects simply by touching them, like changing a bus into flower petals to save innocent bystanders. However, when she shows she can freeze a Celestial with just her touch (albeit augmented by her fellow Eternals) it is clear she holds more power than it seems. Such potential could easily make her a problem for heroes like Iron Man or Falcon, who all rely on equipment Sersi could neutralize without having to throw a single punch.
Black Panther (Shuri)
The newest superhero in the MCU is already an impressive one. One of the biggest revelations in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is that Shuri takes over the role of Black Panther, recreating the Heart-Shaped Herb and gaining the same powers as her brother, the late T'Challa. Though she is new to the role, Shuri is ready to be the next Black Panther. She shows excellent fighting skills against an enemy as powerful as Namor and is strategic in how to fight him. She was fueled by rage which likely helped, but she looks to be a terrific Black Panther going forward.
Black Panther (T'Challa)
From his debut in Captain America: Civil War, T'Challa aka Black Panther cemented himself as one of the MCU's greatest heroes. As an enhanced soldier, he is able to battle Winter Soldier and seems to be close to Captain America's level. This is far from all there is to Black Panther though, and T'Challa is a hero with a spiritual legacy of ancestors stretching back centuries. This wisdom can itself be a powerful weapon, and were it not for the tragic passing of actor Chadwick Boseman, it would likely have featured more in T'Challa's MCU arc.
In addition to his strength, fighting skills, and mindful rationality through spiritual council, T'Challa has access to a whole arsenal of highly advanced Wakandan technology. This includes his iconic Vibranium super-suit that can withstand gunfire and is able to deliver kinetic blasts. Though he has met enemies who have been equal to him, he is still a top-tier MCU hero.
Captain America
Before getting the superhero serum and becoming the first Avenger, Steve Rogers couldn't even win a back-alley fight. As Captain America, he has shown incredible strength time and time again — pulling a helicopter from the sky, stopping Thanos in his tracks, defeating just about every enemy in a fight, and even lifting the mighty Mjolnir. However, Caps greatest strength was with him long before he received the super soldier serum. The plucky-yet-featherweight Steve Rogers always had the heart and mind of a hero, which is why Captain America surpasses heroes like Moon Knight and The Winter Soldier with ease. Factor in Cap's penchant for strategy, and Steve Rogers is a hero few in the MCU can beat — even those with powers of their own.
Doctor Strange
As a surgeon, Stephen Strange was one of the best in the world. As a sorcerer and practitioner of the mystic arts, Doctor Strange found he could become one of the most powerful MCU heroes as well. Seeing how far Strange has come from his origin movie shows both the determination he has to push himself to become more powerful, and how dangerous this drive can be. It feels like there is nothing Strange can't do with his powers, including his epic fight with Thanos. The only thing that really holds Strange back is the fact there's also seemingly little he won't do with his powers either, often creating the problems he then has to solve.
Hulk
Few superheroes have a reputation for strength like Hulk. When Bruce Banner transforms into the giant green monster, he is unpredictable, destructive, and endlessly powerful. Even among the Avengers, Hulk is seen as a secret weapon that has the potential to become a threat at any moment — with as many measures in place to contain a Hulk incident as there are to apprehend their target. However, Hulk isn't the most powerful MCU hero. He has met his match before against Thanos, Thor, and even Iron Man in the Hulkbuster armor. Plus, since becoming the more restrained Smart Hulk, the rage-powered Bruce Banner has marginally less raw physical strength. This is only marginally less though, and Smart Hulk is still more than capable of crushing most of the weaker MCU heroes on this list.
Thor
Despite Thor being repositioned from less-earnest to one of the funniest characters in the MCU, it should never be said that he isn't also one of the strongest. As the God of Thunder and the wielder of Mjolnir, it should come as no surprise that Thor packs a hefty punch. Experienced even before becoming a superhero after centuries of battles, Thor is a fearless warrior and among the most powerful in the galaxy. He also shows an attitude of never surrendering in the face of an enemy, even when he appears outmatched. Thor's only real limitation is his recklessness and, it must be said, slightly below-average intelligence — a definite setback against tactical geniuses like Steve Rogers, or geniuses like Iron Man. While few might be able to outmatch Thor blow-for-blow, there are many who could outsmart him, as his brother Loki has shown time and time again.