Marvel Keeps Changing Who The MCU’s Most Powerful Hero Is

Marvel keeps changing who the most powerful superhero is in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but there are reasons for this: evolution and savvy marketing. In 2019, Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige hailed Captain Marvel (Brie Larson) as the strongest Avenger, setting the cosmic-powered heroine above heavy hitters like Thor (Chris Hemsworth) and Hulk (Mark Ruffalo). But at a recent New York Film Academy Q&A, Feige touted Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen) as the most powerful MCU superhero. However, this isn't Marvel's head honcho merely being fickle or engaging in MCU retcons: Feige understands that the MCU is constantly changing, and so does the perspective of who the most powerful superhero is.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe has a history of evolving characters. The MCU began with Iron Man and Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.), who is, fittingly, a symbol Marvel's constant state of evolution. Stark didn't just grow as a character, but he also constantly upgraded his Iron Man armored suits to meet every new challenge Iron Man and the Avengers would face. In terms of sheer brute force, Hulk enjoys the status of "strongest Avenger," although Thor, the Asgardian God of Thunder, certainly takes issue with that. Regardless, Thor and Hulk have been described as "a couple of 30 megaton nukes" by Secretary Ross (William Hurt) and their power is unquestioned — but as the MCU continues to grow, Thor and Hulk's power levels have often been exceeded. In Avengers: Age of Ultron, Vision (Paul Bettany), who was directly powered by the Mind Stone, was implied to be the most powerful Avenger yet, but his abilities were never defined and Vision was seemingly scaled back by the time he died in Avengers: Infinity War. At the point Thanos (Josh Brolin) came to collect the Infinity Stones, the MCU had properly introduced both magic in Doctor Strange and cosmic-level threats so the definition of 'most powerful' changed accordingly.

Feige hailing Captain Marvel as the MCU's most powerful hero in 2019 was certainly driven, at least partially, by marketing for Captain Marvel and her role in Avengers: Endgame. However, during Endgame's final battle, Scarlet Witch waged a vengeance-fueled attack on Thanos, and this is the moment Feige is now referencing to support his claim that Wanda Maximoff is now the MCU's strongest Avenger. Naturally, Feige is smartly hyping up WandaVision, the upcoming Disney+ MCU series starring Vision and Scarlet Witch. The fact that Scarlet Witch and Captain Marvel are lesser-known (and female) superheroes also means they need an extra bump in status to sell them to fans as equal or superior to Thor and Hulk, who are more readily accepted to be among Marvel's most powerful heroes. But Captain Marvel and Scarlet Witch's powers amount to more than just hype and they symbolize the MCU's evolution.

Guardians of the Galaxy moved the MCU beyond Earthbound adventures involving the Avengers, and showed that Marvel outer space is a very dangerous place filled with immortal cosmic powers that are even worse than Thanos. Captain Marvel, who is powered by the Space Infinity Stone, is the necessary cosmic-level superhero to counter the various alien warlords and interstellar demigods that populate the MCU cosmos. Since Carol Danvers can soar across deep space and effortlessly slice through starship armadas singlehandedly, Captain Marvel can be justifiably called the most powerful MCU hero. But then again, there are different kinds of power beyond the physical.

As the MCU enters Phase 4, new concepts and super-beings like the ancient Eternals will be introduced, and the concept of the Multiverse promises to be fully explored. This is where Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) and Scarlet Witch are crucial because of their respective commands over sorcery and reality itself. (Ironically, as Sorcerer Supreme, Doctor Strange can claim to be the most powerful hero but Marvel doesn't choose to market him that way.) For her part, Scarlet Witch's powers have been constantly evolving since she debuted in Age of Ultron and Marvel is now poised to unleash what Wanda Maximoff can really do. Therefore, Scarlet Witch is a reflection of the MCU's constant state of change, and so it's fitting that Wanda is currently considered the most powerful Marvel hero — at least until the next stage of evolution that will necessitate the next superhero receiving that status.

Next: What Makes Scarlet Witch The Strongest Marvel Hero