In the opening chapter of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), Thanos, portrayed by Josh Brolin, cast a long and ominous shadow. As the Avengers clashed with adversaries such as Loki (Tom Hiddleston) and Ultron (James Spader), it was Thanos who orchestrated a much grander struggle. When he entered the stage in Avengers: Infinity War, Thanos demonstrated his strength by subduing the Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) and systematically defeating Earth’s heroes. The Mad Titan’s ultimate achievement of acquiring all six Infinity Stones and eliminating half of all life solidified his position as the MCU’s most significant antagonist, a foe whose triumph was so complete it compelled survivors to bend the fabric of reality in an attempt to undo the damage.
Since Avengers: Endgame, the lineup of movies and Disney+ shows have significantly altered the power dynamics within the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). The arrival of the multiverse, cosmic gods, and abstract entities has introduced a new breed of characters that function on an entirely distinct level compared to Thanos’s physical and tactical prowess. These entities add a new dimension to the MCU, suggesting that even a villain who ruled the universe was merely a single piece in a much bigger and potentially deadlier puzzle.
10) Kang the Conqueror
In the first season of Loki, a character named He Who Remains was introduced, but it wasn’t until the movie Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania that the warlord Kang the Conqueror (Jonathan Majors) made his official entrance. Hailing from the 31st century and banished to the Quantum Realm, Kang derives his power from an advanced suit of armor. This armor grants him extraordinary physical strength and durability, but his main offensive capabilities lie in the potent energy blasts he shoots from his hands and the manipulative control over objects and adversaries that he seems to possess, similar to telekinesis.
In the movie Quantumania, Kang individually disarmed the resistance army and took down the entire Ant-Man family in personal confrontations. The film highlights his skills when he catches Wasp’s (Evangeline Lilly) energy blasts, creates a shield to repel attacks, and psychokinetically restrains an enlarged Scott Lang (Paul Rudd). His intelligence is portrayed as a weapon on its own, as he controlled Janet van Dyne (Michelle Pfeiffer) and constructed a massive realm within the Quantum Realm. What truly shows his might, though, was unveiled in defeat: the Council of Kangs, an infinite number of his variants ready to endanger all existence, each possessing the strength of the Conqueror.
9) Ikaris
In the movie “Eternals”, the character Ikaris (Richard Madden) has been a strategic commander and formidable weapon for centuries within his team. Although all Eternals have basic superhuman strength and resilience, Ikaris’ unique abilities include soaring through the skies at supersonic speeds and emitting powerful energy beams from his eyes, making him an exceptional combatant and a force to be reckoned with, as he was specifically crafted by the Celestials for superiority.
During my ultimate showdown against my former comrades, the Marvel Cinematic Universe highlights my full potential. I employ my flight abilities to generate a potent vortex, discombobulating Makkari’s super-speed, and display my raw power by pulverizing the intricate cosmic constraints devised by Phastos. To add to this, my energy blasts are demonstrated as extremely devastating, etching through the Celestial-crafted starship Domo’s hull and outmaneuvering the combined defenses of the team. Despite their united front, I stand as a one-person offensive force, effortlessly enduring attacks and ruthlessly capitalizing on my advantage with lethal precision.
8) G’iah
Initially appearing as a child in “Captain Marvel”, the Skrull character G’iah (played by Emilia Clarke) was later endowed with immense cosmic powers during the storyline of the Disney+ series “Secret Invasion”. Following her acquisition of the Harvest, an artifact containing the DNA of numerous battle participants from Earth’s conflict, she utilized a Super-Skrull device to alter her genetic structure. This procedure bestowed upon her access to a vast collection of superhuman talents.
In her ultimate confrontation, G’iah harnesses her newly acquired might against the Skrull leader Gravik, played by Kingsley Ben-Adir, in the MCU. Presented as a versatile warrior, she swiftly recovers from a near-fatal wound using the healing power of Extremis. With the strength of Cull Obsidian’s arm, she retaliates. In an instant, she adapts her strategy – phasing through an attack using Ghost’s powers and then attempting to induce sleep with Mantis’ touch. Her victory is sealed as she merges Drax’s raw power with Captain Marvel’s energy blast. G’iah’s ability to commandeer various powers makes her virtually unbeatable in the MCU.
7) Wiccan
In the animated series “Agatha All Along,” the character William Kaplan, portrayed by Joe Locke, is unveiled as a costume-clad hero. At 13 years old, he finds out that he’s actually the reborn version of Billy Maximoff, one of the Scarlet Witch’s sons. Unlike others, his magical abilities are not taught but are inherent, stemming directly from his mother’s powerful Chaos Magic. This makes him a perfect vessel for raw mystical energy that can potentially reshape reality itself, placing him among the most influential magical entities to debut in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).
In the face of dangers within “Agatha All Along”, Billy exhibits an innate ability to summon potent psychic energy and displays remarkable mastery over manipulating objects telekinetically. However, what truly sets him apart is his ability to reshape reality itself. In a stunning display of power, he single-handedly creates the Witches’ Road – a legendary magical realm – which was previously thought by the seasoned sorceress Agatha Harkness (portrayed by Kathryn Hahn) as just a mythical story. This act suggests that Billy’s powers are not limited to casting spells; instead, he has the extraordinary capacity to restructure the very essence of reality with his thoughts alone.
6) Sentry
In the movie, Robert “Bob” Reynolds, portrayed by Lewis Pullman, makes his debut in Thunderbolts. He is a man of questionable mental stability who was bestowed with an extraordinary power equivalent to a million detonating stars through a secret government concoction. This power grants him an array of astonishing abilities such as superhuman strength and speed, flight, immense durability, and the ability to generate and control colossal energy outputs. In the film, he showcases his formidable might by effortlessly overcoming the entire Thunderbolts squad, enduring a full-blast shield attack from U.S. Agent (Wyatt Russell) without so much as blinking.
In essence, the Sentry’s genuine strength is what poses the biggest danger to him. Inside Reynolds lies an ominous counterpart called the Void, a dark force of utter devastation that takes on a shadowy form. In the comic book series *Thunderbolts*, we witness the Void’s power as it demonstrates an alarming absoluteness, causing New York City to crumble under its control. With a casual wave, innocents are transformed into mere shadows etched onto the sidewalks. This catastrophic ability to manipulate matter and energy on a grand scale transforms him not only into a physical powerhouse but also into a menacing reality-warper whose internal struggle makes him one of the most perilous entities in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
5) Arishem the Judge
In the movie “Eternals”, it’s disclosed that Arishem the Judge, voiced by David Kaye, is an immense celestial being who constructs entire galaxies and breathes life into planets. His size is unfathomable, as shown when he appears in Earth’s orbit, towering even over our planet. His power is so immense that with a casual, effortless motion, he can snatch three Eternals from the ground and transport them across unimaginable cosmic distances.
In the grand scheme of the universe, Arishem serves as a unique life-creating entity, solely dedicated to bringing forth new Celestials. This process inevitably results in the total annihilation of the inhabited worlds. He functions as a crucial force shaping both creation and destruction, assessing entire civilizations and ending them as part of his inherent cosmic duty. Rather than being a dominator imposing his power over the universe, Arishem represents an entity whose mere existence embodies the very will of the universe itself.
4) Mephisto
In the final episode of Disney+’s series Ironheart, the character Mephisto, portrayed by Sacha Baron Cohen as a malevolent figure, was introduced, having long been speculated about by fans. It was here revealed that Mephisto was the one pulling the strings behind The Hood’s (Anthony Ramos) powers. Throughout the show, Mephisto is depicted as a cunning negotiator who offers immense wealth to Parker Robbins (in exchange for his soul). When Robbins fails him, Mephisto shifts his focus to Riri Williams (Dominique Thorne), aiming to exploit her intellect for nefarious ends and demonstrating himself to be an expert in the art of temptation and corruption.
Mephisto’s powers were evidently immense and capable of altering reality itself. He easily transported Parker Robbins elsewhere and stopped a family in their tracks with just a wave of his hand, implying he could halt an entire city’s progress. Yet, it was through his extraordinary proposal to Riri that truly revealed Mephisto’s immense power. To gain her loyalty, he resurrected her friend Natalie (Lyric Ross), demonstrating control over life and death on a grand cosmic level.
3) Franklin Richards
In the film “The Fantastic Four: First Steps,” we’re introduced to Franklin Richards, the powerful infant son of Reed Richards (played by Pedro Pascal) and Sue Storm (Vanessa Kirby). The movie sets up Franklin’s significance throughout the universe through its main villain, Galactus (Ralph Ineson), a cosmic entity. Galactus is attracted to Earth not to destroy it, but in search of Franklin. He believes that the baby’s extraordinary link to the Power Cosmic is so profound that it can satiate his eternal hunger, presenting Franklin as a living answer to one of the universe’s longest-standing problems.
In this film’s climactic scene, Franklin’s remarkable abilities within the MCU are brilliantly showcased. After my mother, Sue, valiantly gives her life to vanquish Galactus, our sorrowing family cradles the newborn on her chest. In a spontaneous act, fueled by an innate sense, Franklin miraculously revives her, a resurrection that proves permanent and drastically revises reality. The sheer power to challenge death itself, wielded unintentionally by an infant, reveals an absolute and unmatched command over the rules of existence in the MCU, a control never before witnessed.
2) Lady Death
In the Disney+ series Agatha All Along, a character named Rio Vidal (played by Aubrey Plaza), who was secretly the powerful Green Witch, made her appearance. As the story unfolded, she subtly influenced Agatha Harkness (Kathryn Hahn) and other witches on their magical journey along the Witches’ Road. It wasn’t until the seventh episode, titled “Death’s Hand in Mine,” that Rio was revealed to be none other than Death herself – the physical manifestation of the inevitable end for all living beings.
From a fan’s perspective, I perceive Death as a profound force that transcends our physical understanding. In the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), she is portrayed as an immensely knowledgeable entity with unlimited power to grant or reclaim life at her discretion. As the sibling of Eternity, a character introduced in “Thor: Love and Thunder”, she stands among the most powerful cosmic beings in the MCU. She embodies a universal law and holds supreme authority over the very essence of mortality.
1) Eternity
In the movie “Thor: Love and Thunder,” we meet Eternity, who symbolizes the eternal essence of time and space in the universe. This monumental character is depicted as a conscious cosmic hub situated at the heart of everything. The film’s main villain, Gorr the God Butcher, portrayed by Christian Bale, wreaks havoc throughout the cosmos, all to reach Eternity’s altar, where he hopes to make one ultimate wish granted.
The infinite might of Eternity is demonstrated clearly when he grants the first creature to reach him any one wish, altering existence according to their will. In the movie’s finale, a dying Gorr abandones his destructive crusade and instead asks for his daughter Love (played by India Hemsworth) to be resurrected. Eternity effortlessly grants this wish, crafting a new life from the cosmic essence and placing her under Thor’s (Chris Hemsworth) protection. This action underscores Eternity as a source of power so unadulterated that it can accomplish anything instantly, ranging from the annihilation of all universes to the wondrous act of creating life itself.
As a die-hard MCU fan, I’m curious to hear from others about which powerful characters might stand a chance against Thanos following the events of Endgame. Feel free to share your top picks in the comments below!
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2025-08-15 01:50