Warning! This article contains spoilers for Thunderbolts*

The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU)

is packed full of incredibly powerful heroes and villains, and things just got mᴀssively shaken up with the introduction of Sentry in Thunderbolts*

. In a universe populated with superheroes, it makes sense that a lot of these enhanced individuals vastly exceed regular human beings in terms of power. And whether that is due to an exceptional level of intelligence, or actual brute strength, these individuals are astonishing specimens.

However, as the MCU grows, the superheroes are being faced with increasingly more powerful, and occasionally more threatening enemies. While Thor, a literal god, stood tall as one of the mightiest heroes in the MCU, several newcomers have proven that Thor is just one tiny piece of a much larger picture, with beings who possess powers that Thor couldn’t even comprehend. With the largest threat to ever hit the MCU on the way in the form of Robert Downey Jr.’s Doctor Doom, it’s worth looking at who could stand to be the current most powerful figure in the MCU.

11

Hulk

First up, Bruce Banner’s alter ego, the Hulk, was once a mostly mindless monster who could level cities. As it stands, Bruce found a way to combine with his Hulk counterpart, and he had yet to exhibit the same level of extraordinary power since. However, it does seem possible that the new Smart Hulk still has all the physical power of Hulk, though that body is being operated by the more peaceful Banner.

Despite this, Hulk stands out as one of the most powerful characters in the MCU, who has been able to rival gods like Thor in the arena, and take down numerous champion fighters, as well as destroy monstrous aliens who are significantly larger than he is. All of this adds up to one of the strongest characters in the MCU, but where he used to be close to the top of the list in the Infinity Saga, Hulk has dropped to the bottom of the top 10.

10

Thor

Thor is a literal god from Asgard. Initially, he was undoubtedly the strongest Avenger, and as he progressed and learned how to summon his lightning powers without the aid of Mjolnir, he proved to be someone far more capable than he appeared at the start of his journey. Thor is incredibly powerful, and his ability to take down creatures like the Hulk and a weakened Thanos establish him as one of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes.

And yet, Thor appears to have more of a ceiling to his powers than many others on this list. Thor appears to be tapping at the height of his potential, and while that is remarkably impressive, there are notably more powerful contenders who could make short work of the god of Asgard. Though he is still one of the most powerful characters in the MCU with a lot of experience defending the Earth.

9

Doctor Strange

Doctor Strange may be a mortal man, but his mastery of the mystic arts makes him someone who should not be toyed with. In a short span of time, he went from being a highly intelligent, but egotistical man, to becoming the Sorceror Supreme who aligned himself with the Avengers in order to try and defeat Thanos. However, even with Strange’s help, the team initially fell at the hands of Thanos, who was admittedly enhanced by the adornment of a fully decked-out Infinity Gauntlet.

When Strange returned after the blip, he was no longer the Sorcerer Supreme, with that тιтle pᴀssing on to his ally, Wong. Despite this, Stephen Strange remains one of the most powerful sorcerers to ever life, with the power to literally reshape reality. However, the ego is still present, and appears to be bruised by Wong’s promotion and newfound authority over him.

8

Thanos

Thanos died twice in the MCU, but his position as one of the most powerful beings in the universe remains. Thanos did wield the Infinity Stones to enact his vision and rid half of all life in the universe, and while it left him permanently scarred, he survived. And even without any Infinity Stones to enhance his strength, Thanos was still able to kill Loki, another god of Asgard, and brutally beat Hulk.

Thanos was strong enough to fight off entire teams of superheroes all at once, and resist their incredible strength through his determination, will, and unreserved power. Equipped with the Infinity Gauntlet, Thanos becomes even more unstoppable, but he does not rely on it to command armies, cull life on worlds, and exercise his considerable power.

7

Kang

However, Thanos was thinking much too small. Thanos had a vision of delivering peace across his universe, through the brutal disappearance of half of all life. But Kang sought to conquer the Multiverse. Kang is an incredibly powerful and intelligent multiversal being who literally tamed the timelines, established the TVA, and fought against his multiversal variants for dominance.

Kang is one of the most impressive beings in the multiverse, and when working in collaboration with the larger council of Kang’s it appears that their power is almost limitless. However, the reason Kang comes in at this more middling position is due to how he was ultimately overpowered and killed by some much less powerful rivals, Ant-Man and the Wasp. Perhaps one Kang would stand out as even more powerful, but as it stands, Kang and his variants earns his spot in the middle of the pack.

6

Captain Marvel

Edging out Kang, Captain Marvel stands out as one of the most powerful beings in all the MCU. Originally, Carol Danvers was a mortal pilot, but after acquiring the powers of a powerful alien technology created by Mar-Vell, she grew to become nearly invincible. With the power of flight, energy absorption and expulsion, and so much more, Captain Marvel makes villains like Thanos appear relatively weak.

Captain Marvel may not be a god, but her extraordinary abilities make her someone not to be rivaled with, who spends much of her time roaming the galaxy helping others. This has also led to the hero having plenty of experience in fighting evil forces and monsters of every kind. However, despite her incredible power, Captain Marvel can still be outshone by some goliath forces in the MCU.

5

Arishem

The Celestials are ancient goliaths in the MCU who were there at the formation of the universe. These beings have untold power, and with several unseen Celestials still to appear in the MCU, it’s difficult to predict how strong exactly they are. However, Arishem, the Judge, appears to be one of the leaders who possess immense powers and oversaw the Eternals present on Earth ahead of the intended birth of Tiamut.

The single most impressive power that the Celestials possess is their ability to create life. These creatures can create entire new species, planets, and populate the universe as they move through it. They are also infinitely old, though they do not use their powers without careful consideration and planning.

4

Eternity

Similarly, a being known as Eternity was introduced in Thor: Love and Thunder. Eternity is a cosmic enтιтy who has existed since the dawn of time itself. However, Eternity appears to keep itself separated from the universe, existed in another plane. This enтιтy has limitless powers that have not been fully established in the MCU, but they have been seen to be able to restore life to those who have died, and do extraordinary things that appear miraculous.

And yet, because they sit apart from everything, they are difficult to get a read on in terms of whether they would ever use their considerable powers to intercede in universal or multiversal affairs. And despite being the literal embodiment of the universe itself, Eternity appears to be less powerful than some truly outstanding MCU characters who have opted to step into action when the timelines needed them.

3

Loki

Loki was a stolen son of Jotunheim whom Odin chose to raise as his own child in Asgard. As such, he grew up somewhat confused and failing to understand his own powers and purpose. Over time, he established himself as a mischievous sorcerer who would cast spells and illusions for his own entertainment. Then, he sought power, and he used his powers to take control of others and manipulate circumstances for his own gain.

However, the Loki who remains in the MCU after the death of Thor’s own brother in the Sacred Timeline is a much more noble beast who experienced incredible growth over the course of the series, Loki. Loki was confronted by the variants of Kang, and he sought to find a way to restore peace in the multiverse. However, Loki needed to master magical abilities to traverse time and space in order to save the multiverse. And now, he sits as the God of Stories in the middle of Yggdrasill, where he maintains the numerous timelines and ensures the survival of them all.

2

Scarlet Witch

As powerful as Loki, there is another being in the MCU whose powers have transcended the multiverse. Scarlet Witch, aka Wanda Maximoff, possesses spectacular magical abilities that allow her to change reality, destroy powerful superheroes, and do nearly anything. Wanda’s gifts are enhanced by the fact that she is the embodiment of chaos magic that can change the universe on a whim.

Scaret Witch lands her place on the list because despite her incredible displays of power which have already been seen in the MCU, the Scarlet Witch is nowhere near the ceiling of her abilities. And despite appearing to be ᴅᴇᴀᴅ, there are plenty of theories that Wanda’s Scarlet Witch will be back in the MCU.