By this point, there have been many of these rogues in the franchise, and they’re all unique in various ways. One of those ways is their power level, as some are a lot stronger than others. And while many capable villains could enter the MCU in the future, these are the most powerful as of right now. Please note that any boosts received from Infinity Stones have been ignored.
Updated on December 17, 2022, by Levana Chester-Londt: The question concerning who the strongest MCU Villain is has been a debate since the beginning of the comic era, and with the ever-expanding Marvel Cinematic Universe, it will be quite some time before the fandom comes to an agreement. The parley will continue in the meantime as the villainous forces get reorganized on their journeys to conquer the Universe.
A fun aspect of superhumans falls within the grey area, as nobody is perfect, and some heroes find themselves seduced into darkness as they flirt with evil. Other candidates are evil to the core, and yet somehow entirely relatable, as their ideologies can come across as rather logical (if the brutality factor is removed).
17 Mysterio (Spider-Man: Far from Home)
Quentin Beck is a disgruntled former Stark Enterprises employee who proves that one’s strength of mind can sometimes do greater damage than actual physical force. Mysterio may not be the most powerful MCU villain; however, he causes enough chaos to get the Avengers’ attention.
Beck’s tricks landed him a free pair of Stark-made E.D.I.T.H. glasses, fit with a complex AI system that allowed the devilish fiend to assume control over a hoard of combat drones, and targets them towards London. Mysterio’s mastery of illusions is another valuable tool on the battlefield and can easily cause mass hysteria (and the need for a “new hero”).
16 Taskmaster (Black Widow)
Black Widow may not have had quite the same impact as some of the movies in earlier phases of the MCU, but it definitely had its moments. The vast majority of those involve Taskmaster: a futuristic cyborg who was initially being controlled by her deranged father, General Dreykov.
Whether or not future movies will delve deeper into the character’s personality and motivations now that she’s once again in control of her own destiny remains to be seen. Whatever happens though, there can be no doubts whatsoever about her raw strength and incredible combat skills; the latter of which are built around her ability to perfectly mimic her opponents’ fighting styles.
15 Green Goblin (Spider-Man: No Way Home)
Spider-Man has fought some of the coolest and strongest MCU villains around who often have scientific backgrounds, and No Way Home features the cream of the crop. With Doc Oc, Lizard, and Sandman as convenient distractions, Green Goblin manages to sneak past relatively unnoticed and effectively gains the upper hand over not one, but three webbed heroes (oh, and Doctor Strange, too).
When Norman Osborn loses the battle with the dark side, his antagonistic alter-ego gets to come out and play, equipped with his near-impenetrable armor, glorious Goblin Glider, superhuman upgrades, and malicious intent. Green Goblin’s strategic intellect is just as dangerous, while his manipulation tactics and regenerative capabilities are top-notch.
14 Bucky Barnes (Captain America: Winter Solider)
This Super Soldier Serum recipient has a well of capabilities almost as deep as Captain America’s, although technically still in the experimental phase of development. The genetically enhanced Winter Soldier draws even more power from his bulletproof cybernetic arm, compliments of the nefarious HYDRA.
Bucky Barnes is a trained soldier and highly capable on the battlefield, skills which are enhanced even further by his augmented body, which also ages slower than a regular human. His rapid healing often comes in handy while his speed and stamina allow him to outmaneuver even the Black Panther himself.
13 Agatha Harkness (WandaVision)
The launch of Disney Plus has allowed the creative minds behind the MCU to take a somewhat different approach to the way that it introduces new heroes and villains. Rather than having to rush them out to the center of the stage straight away, the long-form nature of episodic television provides opportunities for slow-burning scenarios instead; as evidenced by WandaVision.
Agatha Harkness’ eventual reveal came not only as a shock, but also at the perfect moment in the show’s scintillating solitary season. When all’s said and done, Agatha ends up being more of a foil for Wanda than a true villain; helping both her and the audience to realize just how powerful she truly is. Nonetheless, the Salem Witch Trial survivor is immensely powerful and will no doubt demonstrate this further when her recently announced spinoff series eventually rolls around.
12 Ebony Maw (Avengers: Infinity War, Avengers: Endgame)
Because both Infinity War and Endgame had to juggle so many characters, Ebony Maw’s screen time in the two movies was limited. However, his antics on Earth showed that he’s a powerful being.
Fighting against Doctor Strange, he barely broke a sweat as he used his telekinetic abilities to incapacitate the sorcerer. In fact, the hero barely landed a blow on the Black Order member. The only thing that stopped him in his quest to get the Time Stone was Spider-Man’s quick thinking and knowledge of James Cameron’s Aliens.
11 Ronan The Accuser (Guardians Of The Galaxy, Captain Marvel)
Ronan spent much of Guardians of the Galaxy with the Power Stone in his possession. Thus, it’s difficult to determine his strength without. Yet, the fight he had with Drax the Destroyer on Knowhere shows he was a beast before the cosmic boost.
During the brawl, the Guardian wanted vengeance for the death of his family. However, Ronan beat him down without really trying. Drax, on the other hand, gave it his all but couldn’t do any damage. And it’s not as though the Destroyer is a weakling.
10 Kurse (Thor: The Dark World)
As Thor: The Dark World is generally considered among the worst MCU movies, many people forget about Kurse. He was the powerhouse of Malekith’s army, thanks to a Kursed stone that heavily enhanced his abilities.
So much so that he was too strong for even the mighty Thor. Kurse put a beating on the son of Odin, which only ended when Loki intervened. The Avenger might’ve done better had he been able to get a hold of his hammer, but Kurse batted the thing away - an impressive feat in and of itself.
9 Abomination (The Incredible Hulk)
Despite being one of the first entries in the MCU, The Incredible Hulk introduced a villain who was among the strongest the series has ever seen. That creature was Abomination and, perhaps due to the timing of the movie’s release, rarely gets the credit or the respect that it deserves.
The giant brute boasted similar power to the Hulk and matched the green monster blow for blow. There were even moments during their battle in Harlem when he seemed to be too much for the hero. Abomination might’ve eventually lost the fight, however, he still managed to dust himself off in time to cause some trouble for She-Hulk.
8 Namor (Black Panther: Wakanda Forever)
As an immediate enemy to the rest of the world but a potential ally to the Wakandans, the charming “K’uk’ulkan” could quite easily classify himself as a Demi-God of sorts; think Hermes merged with Poseidon ruling a vibranium-fueled Atlantis, with a deep-rooted hatred for humanity. The King of Talokan can control the seas with just a thought and flood entire cities with ease, while his siren-inspired kin lures their foes to a watery death with their ethereal voices.
Namor barely needs to rely on weaponry during battle, as his sharp reflexes and superhuman speed is (almost) unmatched while his winged feet grant him added range and a potent unpredictability factor. He draws powers directly from oxygen, be it aqueous or vapor (but a water source is preferred), theoretically giving him an unlimited supply of energy reserves. The Talokanil have created an extensive range of hydro-based ammunition that explodes with an instant tsunami or slices their foes to smithereens.
7 Ultron (Avengers: Age Of Ultron)
Since WandaVision, fans have come to appreciate Age of Ultron more than ever. Yet, something that could never be questioned about the movie is the might of its villain. Ultron was an ever-improving machine who altered his form throughout the story.
With his most impressive upgrade, he was too much for individual Avengers. Even Thor couldn’t defeat him alone, as he needed assistance from Iron Man and Vision to finally get the upper hand on the menacing antagonist.
6 Thanos (The Avengers, Guardians Of The Galaxy, Age Of Ultron, Infinity War, Endgame)
When Thanos had all the Infinity Stones in his possession, he was the most powerful individual in the MCU. Admittedly, without them, he was not quite as mighty, but he remained stronger than most.
Thor, Captain America, and Iron Man found this out when they took on the 2014 version of the Titan. While the three Avengers landed some blows, the villain laid them all out by the end of the fight. And there wasn’t a Gauntlet in sight.
5 Hela (Thor: Ragnarok)
Thor and Loki’s sister, Hela, only needed a single movie to prove her immense strength. Initially, she did so by easily obliterating Mjolnir. Then she went to Asgard and quickly eliminated the Warriors Three before slaughtering most of the Einherjar (Asgard’s elite force).
Plus, a flashback showed that she wiped out all but one of the celebrated Valkyries. Thor’s power-up towards the end of Ragnarok helped him against Hela, yet he still couldn’t defeat the villain. Surtur was the only one who could.
4 Ego (Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2)
Unlike many MCU villains, Ego was not a traditional fighter. Instead, he was a Celestial who could control energy and matter. As such, he was incredibly strong. And during Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.2, he would use his unique powers against the titular group.
Apart from his son Quill - who shared some of the same abilities - the heroes stood no chance against his might. It didn’t help that Ego’s only weakness was in the core of the planet he created.
3 Surtur (Thor: Ragnarok)
At the beginning of Thor: Ragnarok, Surtur didn’t seem overly fearsome. After all, the God of Thunder got the better of him in their brawl. Yet, that wasn’t the full-power version of the monster, as viewers would later discover to devastating effect.
Surtur’s true might was unleashed near the end of the movie when his crown was reunited with the Eternal Flame. Once that happened, he impressively managed to kill Hela in one blow. What’s more, Hulk could barely damage him, as Surtur swatted the green hero away like a fly.
2 Scarlet Witch (Doctor Strange: Multiverse of Madness)
Wanda Maximoff has spent her fair share of time dabbling with both good and evil; initially introduced as a villain at the end of Captain America: Winter Soldier, things have come full circle after the WandaVision fiasco. Heartbroken and desperate to reunite with her boys, the sorceress does the unthinkable and elicits power from the Darkhold, which stealthily corrupts her soul.
Much like the Dark Phoenix, Scarlet Witch embodies the heroine’s worst characteristics, which, when combined with her incredible omnipotence, is a concoction for disaster. Wanda’s mind-bending manipulations, telekinesis, and vast magical abilities are difficult to counter on the best of days; now imagine the effects rage has on her power levels; enemies simply drop like flies!
1 Dormammu (Doctor Strange)
Dormammu’s full capabilities have never been shown in the MCU, yet it’s clear that they’re pretty much infinite. The ruler of the Dark Dimension has the strength to take over worlds. And he would’ve done the same to Earth if it wasn’t for Doctor Strange.
The hero could in no way overpower the villain, so he trapped him in an endless time loop instead. During it, the rogue easily killed the also durable Doctor continuously until he got sick of doing so. If the trans-dimensional life form ever resurfaces (as suggested at the end of Doctor Strange, Multiverse of Madness), then all of the galaxy’s heroes could be in grave trouble.
More: Villains Who Would Be Heroes In Another Movie
