Inside the Marvel Cinematic UniverseThere are many characters who are extremely powerful and still active in the live-action Marvel movies and TV shows. Since the beginning of the MCU film timeline, the franchise has introduced several figures with god-like abilities or power levels. The prolific nature of the MCU has seen many characters come and go, sometimes being introduced and having their stories end in just a single film.
However, the MCU movies and TV shows are still filled with heroes and villains. The franchise has even introduced a number of extremely powerful characters since the start of its Multiverse Saga, with heroes and villains capable of demanding change on a reality-altering level. Many of these characters are still alive in the franchise and will likely play a role in upcoming MCU releases. With that in mind, here are 10 god-like heroes and villains still active in the MCU and how powerful they are.
10
Thor Remains a God-Level MCU Mainstay
First appearance: Thor (2011)
While he may not be the most powerful figure in the franchise, Thor’s history in the MCU has seen the God of Thunder become one of its most prominent heroes. First introduced in 2011 Thorthe titular Asgardian has undergone significant growth and changes in his many appearances in the franchise. Thor’s Asgardian physiology, ability to wield Mjolnir and Stormbreaker, and ability to harness the power of lightning at will combine to make him incredibly formidable.
From the end of Thor: Love and ThunderThor remains active within the MCU. He is one of the few original Avengers still active and alive, as well as being one of the most powerful members of the team. The MCU has shown him facing several extremely powerful villains and either winning or surviving, outlasting almost every antagonist he faced. As such, Thor has earned his status as a powerful god-tier MCU hero.
9
Namor possesses divine influence as well as mutant abilities
First appearance: Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022)
First introduced in the cast of Black Panther: Wakanda ForeverNamor the Sub-Mariner is one of the most powerful post-Marines in the MCU.End of the game characters. As the leader of Talokan, Namor has already been shown leading a sizable army against the people of Wakanda and has displayed his own mutant abilities. In the comics, Namor is a complex figure, and the MCU version of the character follows a similar line, leaving it unclear whether he should be considered a hero or a villain.
One thing that is clear is that Namor is a divine character. The name given to him by the people of Talokan – K’uk’ulkan – is that of a Mayan serpent god, offering insight into how he is perceived by his people. In addition to divine influence, Namor possesses superhuman strength, endurance, durability and agility.making him an especially powerful figure in the MCU.
8
Hercules’ story in the MCU has just begun
First appearance: Thor: Love and Thunder (2022)
Thor: Love and ThunderThe post-credits scene saw the unexpected introduction of Hercules to the MCU, teasing a future showdown between Thor and the son of Zeus. In the comics, Hercules is an incredibly powerful member of the Avengers, although the MCU has yet to explore his character or establish his power level. Even so, it already seems clear that he’ll be an incredibly powerful figure should the MCU opt for any semblance of comic precision.
A particularly telling aspect of the introduction to Hercules suggests this. Since Zeus is the leader of the gods of the Almighty City, the fact that he is recruiting Hercules to get revenge on Thor is especially interesting. This seems to indicate that Hercules is equally powerful or potentially even more physically powerful in some respects than Zeus himself, but either way, his Olympian physiology will almost certainly provide him with an impressive amount of power.
7
G’iah still has many abilities
First appearance: Secret Invasion (2023)
In a franchise populated by gods and cosmic beings of unimaginable power, G’iah isn’t the most obvious candidate for one of the MCU’s most powerful figures. However, Secret Invasion saw the Skrull become imbued with the Harvest, the DNA of many heroes (and some villains) present at the Battle of Earth in Avengers: Endgame. This caused G’iah to receive a massive last-minute power boost in Secret Invasionmaking her one of the most powerful active characters in the MCU.
G’iah is capable of using the abilities of Captain Marvel, Groot, Drax, Ghost, and Mantis, as well as enhanced strength, ice manipulation, flight, and the healing factor Extremis. All of these powers are in excess of her original shape-shifting ability granted by her Skrull physiology, making her one of the most versatile characters in the MCU. The combination of so many abilities makes G’iah a divine figuremaking how the franchise handles its story going forward is a fascinating topic.
6
Zeus ranks high among the MCU gods
First appearance: Thor: Love and Thunder (2022)
Introduced in Thor: Love and Thunderthe MCU originally treated Zeus as something of a joke. However, Russell Crowe’s Greek god was established as a particularly powerful character, serving as ruler of the Omnipotent City and wielder of impressive lightning. He has also shown himself to be incredibly resilient; surviving being punctured by one of his bolts, apparently without any lasting effect other than a bruised ego.
Love and thunderZeus’ ending established that Zeus was alive and well, and that his story in the MCU was far from over. His specific power level, as well as whether he should be considered a hero or a villain, has not yet been properly established, but it is clear that he is a divine character by any definition of the phrase. In addition to his own abilities, he dominates countless other gods in the franchise, which makes him powerful in his influence as well.
5
Death is one of the MCU’s most formidable new villains
First appearance: Agatha All Along (2024)
First appearance in the cast of Agatha all the timeAubrey Plaza’s Rio Vidal was later revealed to be Death himself. In the comics, Death is an extremely powerful entity who serves as the personification of the end of life, and this appears to be true of his MCU counterpart as well. The end of Agatha all the time not only establishes Death as extremely powerful, but as a potentially recurring figure within the MCU.
Death’s power levels are difficult to define, as they have rarely been measured in the comics, and Agatha all the timethe late revelation of her true identity did not allow for much exploration of the character. Even so, she is a dangerous and immortal being, making her potentially active at any point in the Marvel timeline in any reality in the Multiverse. As such, Death is a godlike villain who could reappear anywhere in the MCU’s future.
4
Loki recently received a major power upgrade
First appearance: Thor (2011)
When he was originally introduced to the MCU, Loki was a god by definition. The God of Mischief was established first as a villain and later as an anti-hero of sorts, with his main abilities revolving around his power to cast illusions. Initially, Loki was far from a godlike villain compared to some others, as his powers lacked the strength needed to compete with the incredibly fierce competition.
The end of Loki Season two changed that, with Loki becoming the God of Stories. Loki’s new role in the MCU gives him supreme authority over the Multiversemaking him exist outside of time and overseeing countless branching realities at once. This makes him a truly godlike character, and he will likely remain active behind the scenes in the MCU potentially forever, making it possible that he will resurface at any time to wield his newfound power.
3
Eternity is one of Marvel’s most powerful figures
First appearance: Thor: Love and Thunder (2022)
In the stories of Marvel Comics, there are few beings as powerful as Eternity. The opposite of Death, Eternity was born with the Big Bang, making it as old as the universe itself. Introduced into the MCU at the end of Thor: Love and ThunderEternity’s ability to grant any wish was wielded by Gorr to resurrect his daughter, Love.
Since some of Eternity’s power has been transferred to Love, it’s fair to say that the entity is active in some way in the MCU. Considering Eternity’s power levels in the comics and the nature of his introduction in the MCU, it’s impossible to consider him anything other than a godlike character, and With Love using some of the power of Eternity alongside Thor, it seems like at least some of these abilities will be put to heroic use in the future of the MCU.
2
Arishem, the judge, has extensive celestial powers
First appearance: Eternals (2021)
Formally presented in Eternalsthe Celestials are some of the most powerful cosmic beings in the Marvel Universe. Colossal cosmic entities are incredibly powerful, but Arishem the Judge is the Celestial Prime, marking him out even more than most. Defining the abilities of Celestials is complex, as they possess divine powers of creation and destructionas well as a drastically different physiology than Marvel’s human heroes.
The emotional ending of Eternals saw Arishem kidnap Sersi, Kingo, and Phastos, planning to judge all of humanity based on his memories of the planet. This establishes that not only is Arishem active in the MCU, but that his story is just beginning and that he still has an important role to play in the franchise. Considering his abilities are undeniably godlike, the danger Arishem poses to the MCU’s heroes is potentially devastating.
1
Dormammu’s power has not yet been unleashed in the MCU
First appearance: Doctor Strange (2016)
Dormammu made his MCU debut in Doctor Strangein which the titular hero was able to trick him by manipulating time using the Eye of Agamotto. The ruler of the Dark Dimension, Dormammu is often positioned as one of Marvel’s most powerful villains, especially since he resides in an entirely separate dimension from most of its heroes and villains. Described as something worse than a demon, Dormammu possesses an impressive and unknowable amount of power.
As Dormammu has only made a brief cameo in the MCU to date, it’s clear he’s still active somewhere in the franchise. Clea’s introduction into Multiverse of MadnessThe post-credits scene established another link to Dormammu, further hinting at his continued presence. He is one of the most obvious god-like villains to have been introduced in the Marvel Cinematic Universewhich remains active but invisible.