Superhero movies haven’t been the same in recent years, with a dramatic drop in quality in the 2020s. However, things have been looking up, with films such as Superman and Thunderbolts* changing the narrative. The MCU specifically is in a rough place, but that doesn’t mean these past five years of movies have been worthless, and one thing the MCU has done particularly right in the 2020s is power villains.
Villains can make or break a movie, and while the writing is inconsistent, the MCU has had some very powerful foes for the heroes to take down. This list ranks the ten strongest MCU villains over the past five years based on powerscaling in the films, known fears, theoretical feats, powers, speculation, and fan opinion.
10
Namor
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever was a touching homage to Chadwick Boseman, but it was also an excellent film with a powerful villain. Namor (Tenoch Huerta) is the leader of the underwater nation of Talokan, who retaliates against Wakanda after they accidentally kill two of his people and decline his offer to ally and destroy the rest of the world.
It came as a major shock to fans that Namor would return inAvengers: Doomsday, but that should speak to his influence and strength. His leadership and command of the army highlight his powerful presence, but he is also a strong fighter. With enhanced strength, durability, speed, battle IQ, and martial arts skills, he fought Shuri (Letitia Wright) in a full Black Panther suit on equal terms.
9
Xu Wenwu
Right after the Infinity Saga ended, there was a hole for new original MCU movies, and Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings was the best and most unique when it came out. That is primarily thanks to the villain, Xu Wenwu (Tony Leung), who originally discovered the ten rings and their legendary power. Using them to conquer kingdoms and create an organization, he still searches for a hidden village and the beast in it.
Xu Wenwu may not be a galactic threat capable of destroying a planet, but he does have enough power to change history andconquer nations with ease. A lot of his strength comes through influence and strategy, but with the Ten Rings, he alone can cause significant damage. Shang-Chi was only able to defeat Wenwu when he got half of the Ten Rings, proving his martial arts ability and mastery over the rings.
8
Dar-Benn
The Marvels isn’t the best MCU movie, but it was fresh, unique, and fun, with the villain, Dar-Benn (Zawe Ashton), proving to be a constant threat. Using the quantum bands, Dar-Benn plans on reviving her planet by taking elements, such as the sun, sea, sky, and atmosphere, from other planets.
Her unfiltered rage, passion, and motivation made her a significant threat, plus she fought all three Marvels at once, not only keeping up but actually managing to subdue them. The addition of the quantum bands helped, but not everyone can steal the sun from another galaxy. Plus, with the hammer, Dar-Benn could also fight hand-to-hand, beating some of the strongest heroes in the galaxy.
7
Cassandra Nova
Deadpool & Wolverine was one of the best MCU movies in a while, finally bringing Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman together on the big screen. However, it wouldn’t have been nearly as good without Cassandra Nova (Emma Corrin). The twin sister of Charles Xavier, Cassandra rules over the Void, a wasteland, but aims to escape and use the time ripper to destroy the universe.
With an immense presence and command over the Void, her power is evident, but her abilities are what set her apart. Using psychic powers, she can dismantle a human body in seconds, making it nearly impossible to kill her. Cassandra defeated many strong opponents, and her only weakness was a helmet that restricted her power; otherwise, she could have taken down Deadpool and Wolverine with ease.
6
Sentry
Thunderbolts* may be the best MCU movie post Avengers: Endgame, featuring an endearing cast and relatable story. However, the significant addition was Sentry (Lewis Pullman), who was meant to be the next big superhero, but a few issues hindered that plan. His darker side, Void, takes control of him, leading him to give in to evil impulses that make him a dangerous villain in the Marvel universe.
Sentry only fought against the Thunderbolts, who were significantly weaker than him, but even then, he is roughly as powerful as the Avengers combined. His physical attributes make him invulnerable to most attacks, but he also has laser eyes, flight, strength, speed, and durability, as if the invincibility wasn’t enough. However, The Void is even more powerful, utilizing darkness and disintegration to evaporate anyone he wishes instantly.
5
Gorr the God Butcher
Taika Waititi turned Thor (Chris Hemsworth) around, making him a funny and endearing character. However, things quickly went sour in Thor: Love and Thunder, which many view as the worst modern MCU film. But the biggest travesty was its treatment of Gorr the God Butcher, one of the most fascinating villains in franchise history, who barely got any screen time despite being played by Oscar winner Christian Bale.
Fans will never know Gorr’s true strength, as they never saw him kill many gods, which is unfortunate. However, Gorr still killed gods off-screen and fought on equal terms with Thor, arguably the strongest MCU superhero. Not many heroes could face him one-on-one; even Thor needed help to take down this underused modern villain. Gorr might be a wasted villain in the larger MCU, but no one can deny his might.
4
Kang the Conqueror
Remember when Kang (Jonathan Majors) was supposed to be the next Marvel big bad, even being the main villain in the next Avengers movie? For better or worse, that didn’t happen, but he is still one of the strongest MCU movie villains in recent years. Appearing in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, his goal was to escape the Quantum Realm and take over the multiverse with his many variants.
There are so many versions of Kang, and each of them makes up a multiverse threat worthy of being the villain of a saga. His main strengths are his genius-level intellect, time manipulation, and advanced technology. With this, he can take over the universe, even managing multiple timelines. Kang may not have raw, physical might, but he’s still strong enough to be one of the most powerful characters in the MCU, if only fans could have seen his true prowess.
3
Wanda Maximoff
She was a hero for most of her time in the MCU, but her character changed in the past five years, becoming a villain unrivalled by most. Following the events of WandaVision and her gradual corruption from the Darkhold, Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen) served as the main antagonist in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, trying to use her vast powers to enter a world where her children are.
Out of all the characters on this list, Scarlet Witch has the most feats of strength, from defeating all the members of the Illuminati to single-handedly sieging the Kamar-Taj. She took down an army of sorcerers, including the Sorcerer Supreme, and could use her magic to manipulate reality, dark magic, and dimensional travel. There isn’t a more potent sorcerer in the MCU, but fans hope Wanda isn’t a villain when, or if, she returns.
2
Galactus
The Fantastic Four: First Steps was the most recent MCU movie and the first good movie for Marvel’s First Family. When Galactus (Ralph Innes) finds a child with the innate power to replace him and his curse, he sets out for Earth. But first, he must get through The Fantastic Four, who are fighting to protect their son and the planet.
Galactus is one of the strongest Marvel characters, period, but his MCU version isn’t quite strong enough to rank atop this list. Still, he can eat entire planets, which is insane to consider when power-ranking. It may be through a machine, but Galactus himself is also massive, easily capable of destroying a city. The Fantastic Four weren’t strong enough to defeat him and could only send him away, proving his vast power. It is also likely that fans haven’t seen his full potential.
1
Arishem the Judge
Barely anyone watched Eternals, but those who did understood just how powerful the Celestials are, specifically Arishem the Judge. This movie had a lot of villains, but Arishem is the strongest and main antagonist, ordering the Eternals to help destroy Earth and give birth to a new Celestial. He’s a fascinating character, and hopefully, viewers haven’t seen the last of him.
Still, fans haven’t seen the true extent of Arishem’s might, but they don’t need information to understand how powerful he is. His sheer size is enough to indicate that he has raw strength and destructive capabilities. He also created life with the Eternals, meaning his powers stem beyond brute force. There is much unknown about the Celestials, but these mysterious behemoths are obviously the strongest characters in the MCU, especially Arishem.
