10 Most Powerful MCU Characters Who Are Totally Underrated

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is full of powerful characters, though not all of them are celebrated for their strength by the fanbase as much as they should be. Many characters are often unfairly left out of the never-ending conversation for the MCU’s strongest heroes, whether due to a lack of awareness or being in too many losing fights. Some characters in the franchise are measurably more powerful than they might seem at first glance.

There are several factors at play that might obscure the true strength behind many of Marvel Studios’ beloved characters. Some have subtle powers that aren’t given enough time to shine in the limited screen time they’re given, falling by the wayside in the busy cinematic universe. Others only grow into a powerful force over a longer amount of time, coming into their own as top tier superheroes in the latter stages of their personal journeys.

10

Drax

An Underrated Powerhouse

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The entire roster of the Guardians of the Galaxy are known for their sense of humor, but if there’s one member who is made the punchline of a joke most consistently, it’s Dave Bautista’s Drax the Destroyer. Drax’s literal perception of the world, lack of social cues, and often juvenile sense of humor makes him seem alien even in the bizarre cosmos of the MCU’s outer space.

Drax’s status as comic relief betrays his truly incredible strength.

He’s also very frequently made into a whipping boy in the Guardians’ many fights, getting overpowered by the likes of Ronan the Accuser or even Iron Man. Drax’s status as comic relief betrays his truly incredible strength. Drax is strong enough to rip apart thick metal doors, robots, and even concrete with his bare hands, possessing an underrated level of physical strength in the Marvel universe.

He was able to hold back a punch from Adam Warlock, who battered around the other Guardians of the Galaxy as if they were toys. That’s not even to mention his skill with knives or his ability to clear tall walls with a powerful leap. Drax may only be rivaled in strength by the likes of Thor, Thanos, and the Hulk.

9

Mantis

One Of The Guardians’ Biggest Assets

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Often forming a lovable comedic duo with Drax, Mantis is added to the roster of the Guardians of the Galaxy following Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, where she’s liberated from under the thumb of her cruel father, Ego the living planet. Mantis’ primary power is her empathic ability, which allows her to detect and even alter the emotions of those she touches with skin-to-skin contact.

Ego used Mantis as a glorified Melatonin pill, lulling him into sleep and quieting his raging mind. The ability to alter emotions might not seem all that impressive to the average viewer, but Mantis is one of the Guardians’ biggest assets. Her years spent quieting Ego’s mind built up her power to allow her to restrain even the might Thanos, albeit for a limited time.

Split image of Benedict Cumberbatch as Doctor Strange and Chris Evans as Steve Rogers in the MCU

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Mantis’ powers are also handy for subterfuge and extracting information. Her physical prowess isn’t to be underestimated either, demonstrating an impressive degree of agility and martial arts skill in the famous Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 hallway fight.

8

Star-Lord

Is More Than A Basic Gunslinger

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Compared to the other team leaders of the MCU like Iron Man or Captain America, Star-Lord frequently gets belittled. Whether it’s from a powerful god like Thor or his own teammates, Star-Lord’s capabilities as a leader are constantly called into question, leaving him the butt of many jokes throughout his time in the franchise.

But on paper, Peter Quill’s combat record is far more impressive than he often gets credit for. Obviously, as a half Celestial, Star-Lord was once capable of immense feats of strength and durability, withstanding the might of the Power Stone with his bare hands.

Though it remains murky whether his Celestial-hybrid powers remain at all after the death of Ego, even without them, Star-Lord is a tricky and experienced fighter. With his high-tech gadgets, he was able to make even a hero as powerful as Spider-Man in the Iron Spider suit look like an utter child. It’s also worth mentioning that his plan to take down Thanos would’ve worked if it weren’t for his own emotional turmoil.

7

Iron Man In His Mk 85 Armor

Advanced Enough To Rival Alien Titans

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Iron Man has never been considered a weak hero in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but it’s remarkable just how powerful he was able to become by his final movie appearance with his brilliant technology alone.

Though the first Iron Man suit is little more than a medieval suit of bulletproof armor with flamethrowers, by Avengers: Endgame, Tony is wearing the Mk 85, a powerful exosuit made up of microscopic nanomachines. These nanomachines allow him to instantly alter the suit on the fly, creating energy cannons, melee weapons, and even hard-light shields.

Tony’s one-on-one brawl with Thanos is a great benchmark for just how powerful the Mk 85 is. A combination of attacks from the suit’s various possible weapon attachments was enough to make Thanos bleed – Seemingly a small victory, this was a feat that not even The Hulk was able to accomplish in single combat. In his last appearance, Iron Man was nearly capable enough to take out the series’ overarching big bad all on his own.

6

Lady Sif

Deserves More Praise As One Of Asgard’s Finest Warriors

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Asgardians are known for their superior fighting skill and physical prowess compared to humans, but few of them get much focus in the MCU outside of Thor. If there’s one impressive Asgardian warrior whose feats deserve more recognition, it’s Lady Sif.

Friend to Thor and the Warriors Three, Lady Sif is perhaps the single most accomplished Asgardian combatant outside of the demigods and the Valkyries. Obviously, Lady Sif thinks nothing of combat with humans, shrugging off a group of them easily in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

It’s her impressive wins against mythical creatures like the Frost Giants that is far more impressive, demonstrating her aptitude for fighting even among Asgardians. Lady Sif is even able to survive an encounter with Gorr, who had been making short work of literal gods around the galaxy. It’s no wonder Sif’s last scene in Thor: Love and Thunder has her becoming the wise mentor to the next generation of Asgardian fighters.

5

M’Baku

Doesn’t Need Wakanda’s Fancy Technology

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An outsider tribe in the complex politics of Wakanda, M’Baku’s Jabari are a fearsome cabal of warriors who shun polite society, preferring to live in the mountains instead. Unlike the rest of Wakanda, who are feared largely due to their advanced technological prowess and the use of the heart-shaped herb, the Jabari have a reputation as fierce fighters simply due to their prowess alone.

As their leader, M’Baku is a perfect representative of why the Jabari have the reputation they do. Armed with little more than simple nature-based weaponry embellished with small touches of Vibranium, M’Baku and the Jabari are able to provide a valuable front against the horrific alien Outriders of Thanos’ army.

M’Baku came dangerously close to dethroning T’Challa as the Black Panther in ritual combat despite not having the advantage of the heart-shaped herb, and thought nothing of charging at the powerful Namor with nothing but a wooden club. A fearless fighter who always somehow comes out unscathed, M’Baku deserves more recognition.

4

Wong

Sorcerer Supreme For A Good Reason

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When it comes to the conversation of the MCU’s most powerful magic users, Wong should never be left out. Though the disciple of sorcery is often overshadowed by Doctor Stephen Strange, Wong is no slouch, and is perhaps the second-best learned sorcerer born with no inherent magical abilities in the entire world. After Stephen loses his life to Thanos’ Snap, Wong is quick to fill his shoes as the Sorcerer Supreme, and his nomination is certainly deserved.

Wong is able to easily hold his own against the likes of The Abomination, proving his mettle against supernaturally powerful beings. He’s an invaluable addition in the final Battle for Earth in Avengers: Endgame, surviving the hectic ordeal with naught but a scratch. Even if he follows the rules of magic spellcasting a little more closely than Doctor Strange does, Wong is a surprisingly high contender in the MCU’s hierarchy of power.

3

Ant-Man

More Than A Jokey Side-Character

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Like Star-Lord, Ant-Man is a comedic hero whose failures are often blown out of proportion, finding himself as the butt of far too many jokes. In truth, Ant-Man is quietly one of the strongest active Avengers members by the end of Avengers: Endgame. Despite starting his career as a lowly thief, Ant-Man’s proficiency with Hank Pym’s unique size-changing technology outdoes even that of Hank himself, making him the equivalent to a Top Gun fighter pilot with the cutting edge Pym particles.

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Ant-Man is a surprisingly capable martial artist, able to hold his own against even the likes of Black Widow and Kang, using his fists alone in his duel with the latter. Ant-Man is able to withstand being giant for longer than even Bill Foster, who specialized in that particular application of Pym particles, taking down a Chitauri Leviathan with a single punch, proving he can rival The Hulk in strength. Finally, his versatile shrinking allows him to effortlessly dodge attacks and dismantle even advanced technology, making him a true nuisance on the battlefield.

2

Captain America/Falcon

Has More Than Earned His Wings

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Despite not having access to any form of super soldier serum, Sam Wilson has proven time and time again that he has what it takes to be one of the Earth’s mightiest heroes. As Falcon, Sam was impressive enough, taking out entire attack groups of deadly helicopters by himself in The Falcon and The Winter Soldier.

He’s also agile enough in his flight suit to dodge fire from Vision, causing a friendly fire incident on Iron Man’s team that ended up damaging War Machine for life. His prowess with the Redwing drone is also quite impressive, taking Spider-Man and Iron Man out of the fight at various points in Captain America: Civil War.

Even more impressive is the fact that Sam is able to train himself to use Steve’s terrifying shield without the benefit of powers, proving that a “normal” man could step into the role of Captain America.

Even more impressive is the fact that Sam is able to train himself to use Steve’s terrifying shield without the benefit of powers, proving that a “normal” man could step into the role of Captain America. It’ll be interesting to see how Sam further comes into his own as Captain America in the upcoming Captain America: Brave New World.

1

Monica Rambeau

A Powerhouse Almost On The Level Of Miss Marvel

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Though her superhero name remains in flux, Monica Rambeau has slowly become a powerful heroine almost rivaling Carol Danvers herself. Ever since her exposure to Scarlet Witch’s chaos magic, Monica Rambeau has been upgraded with a dazzling array of superpowers that put her easily on par with the likes of Vision. First and foremost, Monica has displayed a standard increase in strength, speed, and durability analogous to most powered beings in the MCU.

More specifically, Monica has the power of intangibility, able to phase through objects with ease a la vision. Her flight and energy projection make her a capable warrior at any range, and in The Marvels, she even demonstrates the power to turn invisible, sneaking around and getting the drop on Dar-Benn. That’s not even to mention her kinetic energy absorption, which makes her bulletproof and able to siphon power from other attacks. Monica is a slept-on powerhouse in the modern MCU.

Upcoming MCU Movies

  • Captain America- Brave New World - Poster

    Captain America: Brave New World

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    February 14, 2025

  • Thunderbolts (2025) Official Poster

    Thunderbolts*

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    May 2, 2025

  • Fantastic Four 2025 Valentines Day Poster Featuring Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, and Joseph Quinn

    The Fantastic Four: First Steps

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    July 25, 2025

  • Avengers 5 Concept Poster

    Avengers: Doomsday (2026)

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  • Spider-Man Homecoming Mondo Poster

    Spider-Man Homecoming 4

    Release Date

    July 24, 2026

  • Avengers: Secret Wars

    Release Date

    May 7, 2027

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