With the huge success of its movies and TV shows, Marvel characters have never been more popular. Everyone has always known about Captain America, Spider-Man and Wolverine, however, lesser known heroes like Ant-Man, Black Widow and the Guardians of the Galaxy are now mainstream. The movies and TV series have led to many characters getting a bigger push in the comics, leading to relaunched solo series and updates to match the live action versions. Disney’s purchase of Marvel, also has increased its visibility with kids. The studio has aired several different cartoon versions of The Avengers, Spider-Man, and the Guardians on its various networks, which always leads to more toy and merchandise sales.
Considering how deep the bench of outstanding Marvel heroes is, it’s pretty easy to come up with a list of the top 25. Now, ranking them in order is another story. How do you choose between the heroic sacrifices of Captain America, the vicious protection of Wolverine and the everyman role model of Peter Parker? We’ve taken everything including film and TV appearances, comic book storylines, cultural impact and overall popularity into consideration while compiling the results. That being said, it’s time to take a look at the top 25 Marvel heroes of the last decade.
25 SHE-HULK
Jennifer Walters is a shy, mousy lawyer who lives a somewhat boring life, until her cousin Bruce Banner gives her a blood transfusion and she gets the powers to become She-Hulk. She started out as a supporting character in other heroes’ stories. However, recently She-Hulk has evolved into an important hero in her own right.
Jennifer knows who she is, keeping her intelligence and identity when she transforms, giving her a different perspective from The Hulk.
Since the events of Civil War II and the death of Bruce, she has been given a much bigger role in the Marvel Universe. Dealing with the loss of Bruce and her grey powers has given the character new life. With no live-action portrayal, she doesn’t have the visibility of Black Widow or Jessica Jones, but she’s still one of the company’s most important female characters.
24 THE FANTASTIC FOUR
The first family of Marvel has had a bumpy road for the last 10 years. The continued failure of feature films starring the team has diminished the characters. As a result, Marvel cancelled the book in 2015. However, it was recently announced that they would be making a comeback in late 2018, so perhaps we’ll see a return to classic Fantastic Four stories.
Despite the roller coaster the characters have been on for the last few years, they remain among the company’s most popular teams. As long as there are conventions, there will be people cosplaying as the Fantastic Four. Fans have also repeatedly suggested they be brought into the MCU to revive them in the mainstream. With the Disney/Fox deal pending it’s not out of the realm of possibility.
23 ANT-MAN (SCOTT LANG)
Hank Pym as Ant-Man is a character longtime comic book readers are very familiar with, but they may be less familiar with Scott Lang. In the comics, he’s been involved with the Fantastic Four, The Avengers and was central to the conclusion of the controversial "Secret Empire" storyline.
However, it’s Paul Rudd’s hilarious portrayal in the MCU, that has elevated the character into the mainstream.
Ant-Man had an almost meta feel to it, as he said many of the things fans are often thinking while they’re watching the movies. Why doesn’t everyone just call The Avengers? The more comical elements of the movie have made it stand out from the rest of the franchise. The film has also done what Marvel really wants the MCU to do, create more interest in the comic book stories of the hero.
22 STORM
No matter what anyone else says, Storm is really the most important female hero in the Marvel Universe -- she is the heart and soul of the X-Men. Through all the ups and downs, she’s the one that keeps the team together. Add in that she’s also been the Queen of Wakanda, and it’s hard to find a hero who’s had a greater impact on the comic book world.
Outside of the success of the X-Men movie franchise, in the last 10 years, Storm has continued her role as a protector for mutants and Inhumans through various attacks and wars. The impact of such a strong black heroine, who can fly, control the weather and also be a mother for all these special young people who feel like outcasts that no one can understand cannot be overstated.
21 DAREDEVIL
It’s nice to know there are heroes saving the world when Thanos wants to destroy it. However, it’s even better to see that there are heroes protecting people from criminals seeking to hurt them and destroy their everyday lives.
Considering the negative backlash to the Ben Affleck feature film, no one has made a better comeback than Daredevil.
Blind lawyer Matt Murdock uses his abilities as Daredevil to protect his neighborhood. Daredevil was the first major hero with a disability, providing inspiration to an often ignored part of the world. In the Netflix series, he is portrayed as a trained ninja, fighting the evil Wilson Fisk and the all-powerful Hand. It’s fascinating to watch him balance his desire for a somewhat normal life with knowing that he’s at his best as Daredevil.
20 CAPTAIN MARVEL (CAROL DANVERS)
If there is a First Lady of Marvel, it’s Carol Danvers. She’s already a role model as an air force pilot, expert fighter and all-around powerhouse making her a hero even without superpowers. After an explosion caused her to gain the powers of Captain Marvel, she had super strength, flight, she’s practically invulnerable and has sort of a sixth sense precognitive ability.
Over the years, she’s become a strong leader in the universe, fighting various alien invasions, attempted Skrull takeovers and needless Civil Wars. She’s overcome her own terrible losses and attacks, often emerging even stronger in the end. As popular as she is now, with an MCU movie starring Brie Larson on the horizon, she is poised to become one of the company’s biggest characters.
19 BLACK WIDOW
Over the years, Natasha Romanoff has primarily been a supporting character. She’s a Russian spy who switched to working for S.H.I.E.L.D. The fascinating thing about Black Widow is that despite her sidekick status, she’s able to draw enough attention away from the lead that fans always want to know more about her story.
While she’s been popular with readers for years, mainstream fans discovered her through Scarlett Johansson’s earnest portrayal in the MCU.
Though she’s a spy, which routinely requires her to pretend to be someone else, she’s very upfront about who she is. This is a rare trait among superheroes, as they’re often so conflicted about their dual lives. With Natasha, what you see is what you get. There’s just something interesting about a woman with so many identities, who is so comfortable in her own skin.
18 WAR MACHINE (JAMES RHODES)
In entertainment, there’s a long standing idea that some characters, while perfectly enjoyable in life, become even stronger in death. This has been the recent story of James Rhodes’ War Machine. Before we get to all that, we’ve got to discuss Rhodes’ roller coaster of a friendship with Tony Stark. They have a love/hate relationship, where they hold each other to such high standards, there are bound to be disappointments. However, Rhodes is able to talk to Stark in a very frank manner, that very few can get away with.
Like many other characters on this list, his profile has been considerably raised by his appearances in the MCU. Don Cheadle is so instantly likeable, we think he’s our best friend too. This comfort with the character made his comic book death more devastating and wide reaching than it may have normally been.
17 SAM WILSON
Sam Wilson has spent the majority of his comic book career as Captain America’s sidekick. For a character with the stature of Cap to have his best friend and partner be a black hero was a very big deal when he was created. Sam and Cap have mostly been portrayed as equals, with Sam providing the perspective that Steve can’t understand.
His biggest impact came later when he became the new Captain America.
The image of a black hero decked out in red, white and blue, carrying Cap’s famous shield, was one that was long overdue. Sam brought a completely different style from Steve, leading the character to fight new foes with new tactics. And of course, the endlessly charming Anthony Mackie is a hilarious match to Chris Evans' perfectly cast Steve Rogers.
16 THE WINTER SOLDIER
Fans love a good redemption story. It’s always captivating to see a bad guy come over to the other side and fight alongside the heroes. One of the best iterations of this has been the Winter Soldier. Captain America’s presumed dead friend Bucky returns as a amnesiac Soviet assassin who can hold his own against many of the universe’s top heroes.
Once he regains his memory and begins to atone for his crimes, it’s fascinating to watch him try to move on, while never really letting go of his guilt. In the films we met Bucky Barnes long before there would ever be a Winter Soldier. Knowing what was coming made the seamless chemistry between Sebastian Stan and Chris Evans even more heartbreaking. As the MCU portrays Bucky’s transformation into a hero, look for Winter Soldier to become even more famous and sought out among mainstream fans.
15 RUNAWAYS
Looking for a way to attract more teen readers, Marvel introduced the Runaways in 2003. They’re a group of teenagers who discover their parents are evil and that they have special powers. All this leads them to run away together and figure out how to take down their parents.
It’s a brilliant origin story, since most teenagers think their parents are evil and trying to ruin their lives.
The series’ immense popularity has led to an increased focus on the younger members of the Marvel Universe. Despite their short tenure, the Runaways have crossed paths with the X-Men and Avengers, playing major roles in the company’s biggest events and crossovers. A new TV series is introducing them to audiences that may know nothing about comics to interesting characters, which can’t help but lead to heightened visibility for the team.
14 LUKE CAGE
As one of the Heroes for Hire, Luke Cage has always been involved with major characters and storylines. However, he’s always been right on the edge of offensive, while occasionally crossing the line. The updated version was made much more modern and fit in with the ever changing superhero world. When Marvel announced Netflix would be making a Luke Cage series, fans wondered how the show would balance the toy friendly MCU franchise with current day issues facing the black community.
Turns out no one needed to worry, as the smart tone and realistic style of the show perfectly captured the neighborhood feel of Luke Cage’s story with the importance of discussing what black citizens in Harlem would be worried about. The show was such an instant hit that it even broke Netflix.
13 HAWKEYE (CLINT BARTON)
Yes, we’ve heard all the Hawkeye jokes, but just hear us out. Clint serves the always important role of the regular guy surrounded by powered people. He’s there to remind all these super beings of how life works in the real world.
He never loses sight of the fact that they’re meant to protect the little guy.
Killing Bruce Banner in Civil War II pushed him into a new direction toward the "Occupy" story. This gave him the ability to get back to his roots and save people from the everyday threats that sometimes get ignored by superheroes when there’s bigger enemies to fight. All joking aside, fans know that without Jeremy Renner bringing Hawkeye to life in the movies, he may not have gotten the storylines he did in the comics.
12 THOR
We promise, this entry isn’t all about Chris Hemsworth. Sure, it’s a little about him, but it’s mostly about Thor. As a longtime major player in the Avengers, Thor has been central to every big storyline and event of the last 10 years. His character was able to undergo an extreme change when he could no longer lift Mjolnir and lost his arm in battle. Throughout all this, at his core he remained the Asgardian warrior fans loved.
Hemsworth has used his comedic timing and yes, amazing good looks, to make Thor a favorite for a whole new generation of fans. Thor: Ragnarok saw the hero’s journey go through a reboot where he loses his hammer and finally becomes the leader of his people. It’s a fresh start that has given the character new life and made him even more popular with MCU audiences.
11 GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY
The Guardians featuring Star-Lord, Gamora, Rocket Raccoon, Groot, Quasar, Adam Warlock and Drax first showed up in 2008. The team is one of Marvel’s most out there creations, as it mixes the cosmic end of the universe with all the expected drama and emotion, but also adds in a very high dose of comedy. It’s the kind of book that everyone thought could never appear on-screen.
Cut to 2014 and Guardians of the Galaxy becomes one of Marvel Studios’ most successful properties.
The characters are instant hits, with a metric ton of Groot merchandise being sold. The sequel was an even bigger hit and the team can now be seen in rides at Disney Parks around the world. What makes them work so well, is that there’s a character for everyone to identify with. It also helps that they are never not entertaining.
10 MS. MARVEL (KAMALA KHAN)
Sometimes the right character comes along at the right time and opens a discussion that no one knew how to start. Kamala Khan did that when she was introduced in August 2013. As a teenage Pakistani-American girl who discovers she’s an Inhuman capable of shape shifting, Khan is the first Muslim Marvel character to headline a series.
While there was the expected racist backlash, there was also an overwhelmingly positive response. Khan very quickly became one of the company’s most popular heroes. Her human struggles mixed with being a new teenage hero trying to gain the respect of her peers, while staying true to her family and her faith are what keeps readers coming back. She’s the example of why comic books remain so important to their fans. It’s the real world stories that help us identify with the superhero half of their personalities.
9 SQUIRREL GIRL
On the surface, a college girl who has all the powers of a squirrel doesn’t really sound like a hero that would take off. However, Doreen Green has become something of a phenomenon among fans. Perhaps it’s the idea that she’s not perfect that makes her so appealing. She’s relatively new to the superhero world, so she messes up sometimes, but she always learns from her mistakes and comes back better.
She also looks like a regular girl -- she’s not some artist’s unrealistic drawing of a perfect woman with a perfect body.
Doreen looks and sounds like a real person and that makes her someone fans want to root for. She is set to make her live-action debut in the upcoming New Warriors TV series. It will be interesting to see how her character plays with the mainstream, as she will be a hero they have never seen before.
8 THE HULK
We all have bad days where our emotions get the best of us. Maybe that’s why The Hulk has remained such a fascinating character through all these years. For the general public, they first became familiar with the hero in the '70s TV show starring Bill Bixby and Lou Ferrigno as his two halves. Later there would be two films, neither capturing the full essence of how tortured his life really is.
In the comics, The Hulk has been to Hell and back battling through wars and loss, only to be killed by his friend Hawkeye. Of course, it’s revealed that he was following Bruce’s own orders, meaning Bruce was protecting everyone from The Hulk until the very end. With Mark Ruffalo Marvel finally found the right man to portray the hero -- he never needs to overact to showcase Bruce’s constant struggle. It’s always right there in his eyes.
7 SPIDER-MAN (MILES MORALES)
Spider-Man has always been one person: Peter Parker. Then, in 2011 everything changed when Miles Morales was created as the Ultimate Spider-Man. Reflecting the modern world, his look was based on Barack Obama and Donald Glover. Just like Peter, Miles is a normal kid who is bitten by a radioactive spider and gains superpowers.
However, he isn’t interested in being a hero until he fails to save Peter from being killed.
Following Peter’s death, Miles becomes the new Spider-Man in the Ultimate Universe. This different version of an old hero has allowed a new fan base to connect with him in a fresh way. For a young man of color to carry the mantle of Marvel’s most high profile, widely known hero, it creates a world in which young fans can see themselves in their role model.
6 DEADPOOL
Though it seems crazy that a foul mouthed, unapologetic killer would be one of comics most fun and hilarious heroes, it’s true. Long before Wade Wilson made his way onto the big screen, you couldn’t walk through a convention without seeing at least a dozen Deadpool cosplayers and countless T-shirts. The Merc with a Mouth has always sort of been the best kept secret among comic book readers. Unfamiliar fans couldn’t understand why his popularity never waned and fans literally demanded that he get the film adaptation that he deserved.
Then Deadpool hit theaters, with Ryan Reynolds so perfectly embodying the character, we’re not convinced that he’s acting. Seriously, he might actually be Deadpool. It’s the uncompromising violence, the adult humor, non-stop jokes and fourth wall breaks that sets Deadpool apart from every other hero.