Much of the discussion about theMarvel Cinematic Universein the2020shas centered on the perceived decline of the franchise.Avengers: Endgameseemed to mark the peak of the series, with Thanos and his quest to wipe out half of all life in the universe making him a pop culture touchstone and easily the most powerful villain in the MCU up until that point. Yet since 2020 (or 2021, since that is when the first phase four MCU title was released due to the COVID-19 pandemic), the franchise certainly has had no shortage of villains. Many of the threats post-Endgamehave been even more powerful than Thanos.
The MCU’s Multiverse Saga has introduced iconic foes from Marvel Comics history, including legendary foes from the pages of The Fantastic Four, The X-Men, and The New Avengers. All roads are leading toDoctor Doom inAvengers: Doomsday, who looks like he will be the most powerful foe in the MCU’s history, and will unite heroes from across the multiverse.
Here are the 10 most powerful villains the MCU has introduced since the start of 2020.
‘Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings’ (2021)
Wenwu, or theMCU’s retconned version of The Mandarin, is an ancient warlord who has lived for thousands of years thanks to the powerful Ten Rings. The promotional material forShang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Ringsclassified the titular magical items as being as powerful, if not more powerful, than Thor’s hammer Mjolnir or Captain America’s vibranium shield. Combine that with his martial arts skills and years of experience, Wenwu is easily one of the most powerful villains in the Marvel Universe…though not the most powerful inShang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.
9Kang the Conqueror
‘Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania’ (2023)
Initially positioned as the big bad of the MCU’s Multiverse Saga,Kang the Conquerorcertainly had to be powerful if he was going to be the next Thanos. Though he was defeated by Ant-Man, The Wasp, Cassie Lang, and company, he was still a powerful foe. His advanced futuristic technology and ability to traverse time and the multiverse made him a formidable opponent, one who could kill off entire timelines. There is even a whole Council of Kangs, though they likely won’t be mentioned again.
8Dweller in Darkness
The Dweller in Darknesswas the final third-act villain ofShang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. An ancient evil that has been locked away in Ta Lo, the Dweller in Darkness, can prey on people’s emotions and reach out to them mentally across dimensions. He absorbs souls and is very difficult to kill, as it took the combined might of both The Great Protector and the Ten Rings to defeat him. The fact that Shang-Chi went up against both the Dweller and Darkness and Wenwu in his first feature film and lived to tell the tale more than proves he is worthy to be an Avenger.
7Cassandra Nova
‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ (2024)
Cassandra Novais the lost twin sister of Charles Xavier/Professor X. Stranded in the void, she was able to use her incredible psychic powers to not only make various X-Men villains into her minions. She was also able to kill Johnny Storm/The Human Torch with the flick of her wrist, and also kill the likes of Magneto and The Punisher. With Professor X being one of the most powerful telepaths in the MCU, Cassandra Nova is undoubtedly one of the most dangerous foes in the MCU’s history, as she can both pierce the minds of her opponents and destroy them within seconds.
‘Ironheart’ (2025)
Mephistois essentially the MCU’s version of the Devil, so of course he was going to be on this list. The ultimate tempter, he preys on those in need for his dark wishes. While only a glimpse of his powers is shown inIronheart, comic fans know Mephisto is powerful enough to rewrite reality if a deal is struck.Mephisto’s place within Marvel’s cosmologyis clearly stated when he laughs at the idea of being Dormammu, whom Mephisto mocks as being less than him. Given that Dormammu was one of the most powerful foes in the MCU’s Infinity Saga, that gives viewers an idea of just how powerful Mephisto is.
5The Eminence, the Incarnate, and the Executioner
‘What If…?’ (2021 - 2024)
The three Watchers who put Uatu on trial inWhat If…?are easily some of the most powerful beings in the MCU multiverse. With an extreme level of cosmic powers that grant them not only super strength and speed, but also cosmic manipulation, they can see and travel to other realities and seemingly can alter reality. The three of them were able to destroy Infinity Ultron and the six Infinity Stones (Infinity Ultron didn’t make this list since he is technically aWhat If…?version of a character introduced in 2015). The only reason they aren’t higher on the list is that their defeat inWhat If…?remains somewhat vague. Yet what was shown was certainly something the Avengers of the Infinity Saga couldn’t have handled alone.
‘The Fantastic Four: First Steps’ (2025)
The latest powerhouse to join the MCU,Galactuswas thevillain Marvel fans had been waiting for. A force of nature older than the universe itself, Galactus is a being that consumes planets to survive. He transcends good and evil, embodying an elemental force that sustains cosmic balance. However, his presence is feared across the galaxy, as it heralds doom for the world. His defeat at the hands of the Fantastic Four and his herald is likely the first time he has ever known defeat. Stan Lee and Jack Kirby created Galactus to be essentially a god-like figure for the Fantastic Four to take on, away from the traditional supervillain, and his MCU debut certainly lived up to the hype.
‘Thunderbolts*’ (2025)
The Void, the dark persona of Bob Reyonds aka The Sentry, is a threat so powerful that The Avengers likely would have perished fighting him. The only group that could stop him was the Thunderbolts, since they could reach out to him emotionally as opposed to physically. That is because, power-wise,The Void seems almost unstoppable. With The Sentry already being more powerful than all of the Avengers combined, taking away any moral compass makes the Void extremely dangerous. Yet the ability to send souls to a dark dimension that almost consumed all of New York and then the planet is a level of cosmic power almost unheard of.
‘Eternals’ (2021)
Areshimmight not be the main villain ofEternals, but the character of Ikarus is serving his will and, therefore, makes him the big bad of the movie. Areshim’s presence, and all of the Celestials, are felt throughoutEternalsas beings of such cosmic power that no one could take them on except for the team. Having the ability to not only create galaxies but also destroy planets is a level of power that is hard to top. Only one being in the MCU seems to hold more power than Areshim, and it is because in the grand calculus of the multiverse, Areshim is an instrument of this figure without knowing it.
‘Agatha All Along’ (2024)
It can be argued whetherDeathis an actual “villain” or just part of life, but Death is treated as a physical foe inAgatha All Along. Without question the most powerful being in the MCU, Death was there at the beginning and will be there at the end of the universe. All of the other villains are, in some ways, instruments of Death,the character who was the center of Thanos' motivation in the comics. For as powerful as the likes of Galactus, Mephisto, and Areshim are, none of them can cheat death. Mephisto might have brought back Natalie from the dead, and the power cosmic seems to have the ability to bring back the dead, but in the end, all things will die, and Death will be there.
Agatha All Along
