The Marvel Cinematic Universe has countless variations of the Super Soldier Program, with each attempt to replicate or surpᴀss the original serum producing drastically different characters. From loyal heroes to unstable villains, the effects of the serum, and its derivatives, have created some of the most powerful fighters in the MCU timeline. Yet, even among these, some are stronger than others.

Not all super-soldiers are equal in the MCU, and their ranking is not just about raw strength. It also depends on how much of a threat they pose to humanity. From World War II experiments to modern-day chaos agents, the MCU boasts a range of Super Soldiers.

In the MCU, the Super Soldier Serum was originally created by Dr. Abraham Erskine to enhance human potential, producing Captain America as its greatest success. Later attempts showed how the formula amplified both strengths and flaws. The Super Soldier Programme has its tendrils throughout the MCU, with ramifications felt throughout the MCU’s best movies.

Johann Schmidt AKA Red Skull

The very first test subject of the serum was Johann Schmidt in Captain America: The First Avenger. In the comics, Red Skull was one of the most dangerous figures in history, though perhaps not in the MCU. As the leader of HYDRA during World War II, Red Skull was not only enhanced physically but also possessed a terrifying intellect and strategic vision.

His ideological threat level was immense, and he gained the power to fend off the only extant superhero, Captain America. However, the serum left him deformed, amplifying his despicable personality. He became blinded by his hatred and ambition, which ultimately led to his hasty downfall.

Red Skull’s own hubris caused his defeat when he attempted to unlock the Tesseract. This doomed him to a cursed and unthreatening existence as the guardian of the Soul Stone. His influence and ambition made him one of the ᴅᴇᴀᴅliest people of all time, just not for very long.

Isaiah Bradley

Isaiah Bradley represents a tragic chapter in the super-soldier legacy. He was one of several African American soldiers secretly experimented on following Steve Rogers’ success. Unlike Rogers, Isaiah wasn’t celebrated – instead, he was imprisoned and erased from history.

Despite this, Isaiah was a formidable fighter, able to go toe-to-toe with Bucky Barnes during the Korean War. His strength and durability were close to Steve’s, but his real “threat” was to the establishment. They feared his power and potential symbolism.

Though Isaiah never sought domination, his existence alone challenged the systems that created him. He, of course, gained the Super Soldier Serum’s trademark enhanced physiology. However, this proved of little help when the government that created him imprisoned him – twice.

Emil Blonsky AKA Abomination

Unlike many others on this list, Emil Blonsky’s transformation into the Abomination was not the result of a pure super-soldier serum. He was made from a dangerous mix of it with gamma experimentation. Originally a decorated soldier, Blonsky volunteered for enhancement to take on the Hulk.

Pushing for greater results, he was transformed into a hulking monster with strength rivaling Banner’s. However, he had none of the restraint and was consumed by power and rage. His threat level was certainly high; he wreaked havoc in Harlem and nearly destroyed an entire city.

Abomination was, however, taken out by Hulk alone. He’s since shown distinct signs of mellowing in She-Hulk: Attorney At Law, where he was imprisoned before agreeing, albeit short-lived, to stop transforming into Abomination. Moving to Kamar-Taj might help increase his power, but he’s largely retired, lessening Abomination’s danger.

Alexei Shostakov AKA Red Guardian

Alexei Shostakov, the Red Guardian, was the Soviet Union’s answer to Captain America during the Cold War. Unlike Steve, Alexei didn’t become a symbol of hope. He remained a propaganda tool, a flawed hero more interested in glory than true heroism.

Physically, he’s incredibly strong and durable, even holding his own against Taskmaster. However, by the time he debuted in Black Widow, his age and diminished fitness reduced his overall threat. He’s a fascinating mix of comedic relief and genuine menace.

Ultimately, his threat level is capped by his decline and his fundamentally more boastful, less focused approach to being a super-soldier. Alexei was invigorated by the events of Thunderbolts*, seemingly gaining a real desire for true heroism. While this might bolster his future threat level, he’s hampered by years of drinking and overeating.

John Walker AKA U.S. Agent

John Walker’s super-soldier story is one of pride, patriotism, and tragedy. Handpicked by the U.S. government to replace Steve Rogers as Captain America, Walker was already a highly skilled soldier before taking a variation of the serum. Afterward, his strength and speed were on par with Rogers.

Unfortunately, Walker’s unstable temperament made him far more dangerous. The infamous moment where he brutally murdered a Flag Smasher with the shield in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier highlighted just how threatening he could be when unchecked. It took both the eponymous heroes to reclaim the shield from him.

Unlike Steve, Walker was motivated by ego and emotion rather than altruism. This turned Walker’s enhancements into liabilities. Now rebranded as U.S. Agent, he is learning to control his temper as part of the Thunderbolts.

Peggy Carter AKA Captain Carter

In the MCU multiverse, Peggy Carter replaces Steve Rogers in Project Rebirth, transforming her into Captain Carter. What If…? flaunted Carter’s potential as a super soldier. With qualities as noble as Steve Rogers, she became a comparable bastion of hope and justice. She was also in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.

Captain Carter retains Peggy’s sharp tactical mind, but now with enhanced strength, agility, and combat skill. These make her one of the ᴅᴇᴀᴅliest soldiers alive. Carter’s threat level comes from the same determination and indomitable spirit as Steve Rogers, except bolstered by her history within the military.

In many ways, Carter is the best-case scenario of the serum. She’s a noble, skilled warrior whose abilities make her an unstoppable force on the battlefield. Despite this, Captain Carter was unceremoniously hemisected by her own shield in Multiverse of Madness, undermining her threat level significantly.

Karli Morgenthau

Karli Morgenthau and the Flag Smashers represent one of the most dangerous consequences of the serum. They’re ordinary people with extraordinary power and revolutionary motives. Enhanced by a recreated serum, Karli was strong enough to rival Bucky and agile enough to outfight trained soldiers.

What made Morgenthau especially threatening was her ideology. Karli wasn’t a lone villain – she was a leader who inspired others, turning her personal mission into a global movement. Her strength combined with her influence made her a formidable foe, capable of finding off John Walker in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.

Though young and reckless, she was unpredictable, which heightened her danger. Karli’s mission blurred moral lines, making her both sympathetic and frighteningly effective as a super-soldier. Nevertheless, this didn’t stop Morgenthau from being sH๏τ in the back.

Bucky Barnes AKA The Winter Soldier

Bucky Barnes is one of the most dangerous super-soldiers in the Marvel Universe. This is thanks to his combination of tactical skill, metallic enhancements, and HYDRA conditioning. Experimented on after surviving World War II, Bucky became the Winter Soldier, an ᴀssᴀssin feared worldwide.

Bucky’s physical abilities nearly match Steve Rogers, and his cybernetic arm makes him even more lethal. What makes him such a high-level threat is his brainwashing. Without free will, Bucky carried out ᴀssᴀssinations for decades, destabilizing governments and killing without hesitation.

Once freed, Bucky became a hero, but his past proved just how dangerous he could be. Unlike Karli or John Walker, Bucky has a weighty history of covert missions under his belt. This is reflected in his ᴅᴇᴀᴅly efficiency, marking him as one of the most formidable super soldiers.

Steve Rogers AKA Captain America

Steve Rogers remains the gold standard of super-soldiers. The serum elevated him to peak human potential, often with an edge over other super soldiers. Yet what truly made him powerful was his unwavering moral compᴀss.

Rogers might not be the most dangerous on this list, but his leadership, strategy, and sheer determination made him a global symbol. As Captain America, he fought gods, aliens, and fellow super-soldiers. He has proved time and again that his strength lay in uniting people as much as fighting them.

Cap’s threat level wasn’t defined by destruction but by his unfaltering determination. This is the reason every attempt to replicate him largely failed. The serum amplifies who someone is, and Steve was the ideal candidate – brave, selfless, and incorruptible.

Bruce Banner AKA The Hulk

Long before the super soldier serum became a staple of the MCU, Bruce Banner’s Hulk was introduced as an attempt to recreate Captain America using gamma radiation. This transformed Banner into the strongest being on Earth, with nearly unlimited power when enraged. Unlike others, Banner’s threat level is astronomical.

When unleashed, Hulk is one of few heroes to go toe-to-toe with Thanos in the Avengers: Infinity War opening scene and famously humiliated Loki. The Hulk has leveled cities, fought with teammates, and withstood armies, all while being nearly indestructible. Though Banner has since achieved Smart Hulk form, merging intellect with strength, his potential for devastation remains unmatched.

Every other super-soldier may be enhanced, but only the Hulk embodies the terrifying possibility of science gone too far. He’s a walking weapon of mᴀss destruction born from humanity’s obsession with power. Though the government failed to exploit his transformation, Hulk remains the most dangerous character in the MCU’s Super Soldier Programme.