There are already a ton of super heavy hitters in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. You've got your pure strength players, like the Hulk, who was the de facto strongest hero for a while and Thor, who proved as of Infinity War that he was genuinely the mightiest Avenger. And there are the magic powerhouses like Doctor Strange, who was slick enough to trap Loki in an infinitely falling abyss for 30 full minutes, or those like the Scarlet Witch whose true power is still fully untested but has demonstrated she's on par with the strongest of Marvel's heroes.
But despite the 20-movie long span of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, there are still countless Marvel Comics heroes who have yet to make their way to the big screen. Sure, the Vision's pretty tough thanks to the Infinity Stone mounted in his head, but how does that compare to the solar generated light manipulation wielded by The Sentry? Doctor Strange turned time back on itself to trick the evil Dormammu into releasing Earth, but America Chavez could have literally kicked him into another dimension. And don't forget beings like One-Above-All and Death, who can literally reshape the universe as they see fit on a whim. Iron Man and Captain America have already set the standard for power of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but these heroes are leagues above them in terms of power. In fact, we've got 20 of them below, and we're pretty sure they're too strong for the MCU, no matter how you try to adapt them.
20 CAPTAIN UNIVERSE
The Uni-Power might just be the most powerful force of the Marvel Universe. It has no wielder, no determined bearer, but instead bounces between individuals who need it. This means a host of characters have wielded the power and the name Captain Universe, including MCU mainstays like Spider-Man and the Hulk.
Captain Universe's power is astonishing. First off is the incredible Uni-Vision and the ability to manipulate all forms of matter and energy means they can just do whatever needs to be done to save the day. Captain Universe hasn't been seen in the comics since Secret Wars and may no longer exist, but an MCU version is far too powerful to capitalize on.
19 GALACTUS THE LIFEBRINGER
Galactus has been an insatiable force of damage ever since he debuted in 1966's Fantastic Four #38. The hungering conqueror has had a rich and thorough history, present for many of Marvel's biggest events. But his most interesting change came about in a 2015 instalment of Ultimates.
Forcing Galactus to go through the process that first created him once more, the Ultimates created Galactus the Lifebringer. No longer hounded by an insatiable hunger, Galactus had the ability to now recreate the worlds he had eaten. While the classic Galactus has a place in the MCU when the time is right, it's hard to imagine something as powerful as Lifebringer fitting in.
18 THE SENTRY
Put away the Superman comparison for just a few minutes, and let's look at how The Sentry is actually depicted. The story beats work perfectly for a movie character -- the mysterious nature of Bob Reynolds' self-induced amnesia, the tragedy of The Sentry and The Void's duality.
But on a power level, he's impossibly strong. He can manipulate matter, even bringing himself back to form after being turned into a liquid. He's strong enough to shatter Terrax's cosmic ax. And if that doesn't stop you, he can burn you with generated light. For the Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Sentry is so strong that it's problematic how to write him into a story.
17 WONDER MAN
Wonder Man has come so close to being in the Marvel Cinematic Universe that it's almost offensive. Simon Williams appeared in unseen posters in Guardians of the Galaxy, and in deleted scenes from Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, portrayed by Firefly and Castle alum Nathan Fillion in both appearances.
While fans have clamored to see the proper Simon Williams appear on film, it seems unlikely. His ionic powers are some of the most impressive in the Marvel Universe, allowing him to cheat the end of his life and granting him strength that lets him go toe to toe with The Hulk and beyond. The deleted cameos work as a wink and a nod to fans, but as a character, Wonder Man is leagues beyond the MCU.
16 HYPERION
Hyperion would make for the basis of one incredible Avengers movie. The leader of the Squadron Supreme, an alternate reality superhero team that sure does resemble another major company's league of superheroes, first debuted in 1971. Since then, they've been allies to and enemies of The Avengers and more on several occasions.
The team's leader, Hyperion, has been both Squadron leader and Avenger member, with another universe's Hyperion recently joining the team for the Marvel NOW! volume of The Avengers. But on film, he's tough to pin down, and it's the same problem that haunts Superman as a character. When a character can just solve any problem by punching it until it's resolved, how do you make that character work?
15 AMERICA CHAVEZ
America Chavez came out of nowhere to become one of Marvel Comics' most popular characters. Since her 2015 debut during the Vengeance event series, she has remained near the forefront of Marvel's stories, joining up with the Young Avengers and leading the Ultimates. Most recently, she found herself joining the West Coast Avengers alongside her friend Kate Bishop.
Bringing America to the live action, grounded world of the Marvel Cinematic Universe seems like a no-brainer, but her power levels are off the charts for that world. Speed and strength aren't that had to communicate, but her ability to travel through dimensions by literally kicking holes in the fabric of space and time makes her way overpowered.
14 NOVA
Sure, you already saw the Nova Corps in Guardians of the Galaxy, but they weren't THE Nova Corps. They were powerless, little more than beat cops with ships and fancy helmets. And while they factored in significantly to the finale of the film and the plot to thwart Ronan the Accuser, they were a pale imitation of what fans think when they hear the name Nova.
But that could be because the real Nova is too powerful for the Marvel U. He doesn't seem like much at first, but over the years he's become a bruiser. Wielding the combined might of the Worldmind and the whole of the Nova Corps, Richard Ryder became arguably the strongest being in the Marvel Universe.
13 SILVER SURFER
The Silver Surfer has come and gone on the silver screen once already, appearing in 2007's aptly titled Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer. With motion capture by Doug Jones and voice work provided by Laurence Fishburne, Surfer's film debut was well enough received, but fell short of being truly spectacular.
With the Fantastic Four rumored to be on their way to the MCU thanks to the Disney/Fox merger, the Surfer seems like a no-brainer. But he's just too strong for the expanding galactic wing of the MCU, with the Power Cosmic allowing him to outclass the strongest of the Marvel Cinematic Universe's growing roster.
12 SKAAR
Believed to have perished in the explosion that destroyed the planet Sakaar and sent Hulk to Earth on a roaring rampage of revenge, Skaar has proven to be even more powerful than his father. This shouldn't be a surprise. After all, he's the son of the Hulk and Casiera, from whom he inherited the Old Power.
The Old Power is the tipping point that puts him over. His strength surpasses that of The Hulk when tapping into the Old Power, and his mastery of weapons makes him substantially more lethal than his father. Given his ties to a World War Hulk film we'll never get and his absurd power levels, it's unlikely he'll come to the MCU.
11 RED HULK
At first glance, Red Hulk isn't really that different from the jade giant we've seen on-screen. He's big, he's angry, he's just red instead of green. And he's smart, which makes him pretty formidable. But he has a few other tricks that make him too powerful for Marvel's Cinematic Universe.
Red Hulk was able to go toe to toe with Thor on the moon, and even used the low gravity to throw Mjolnir. He was able to absorb radiation, which includes the gamma radiation powering the Hulk and the Silver Surfer's Power Cosmic. He may look like just another Hulk, but Thunderbolt Ross's Red Hulk is way stronger than the original Hulk, and that makes him too powerful for the MCU.
10 ETERNITY
How does one even being to conceive the idea of Eternity for something like a movie? Even for the grand scope of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, easily pushing past 20 films with the release of Infinity War and planned releases such as Captain Marvel, Eternity is a sprawling, massive concept.
Eternity isn't a person. They are the personification of the cosmos and the multiverse as a whole. Even with the destruction of the multiverse, Eternity persists, as demonstrated in the pages of Ultimates following Secret Wars. Eternity is so powerful that the only being seems to truly trust during the run of Ultimates was Galactus the Lifebringer, which truly demonstrates the level of power he possesses.
9 ONE-ABOVE-ALL
In the world of the Marvel Universe, there are plenty of deities, but none are as awesomely powerful as the aptly named One-Above-All. You don't see One-Above-All that often in the Marvel Universe, but when he does appear it's because things are about to go sideways in a big way.
What is One-Above-All, anyways? The most prevalent theory is that it's a tongue-in-cheek joke, a deific figure representing the very Marvel Comics creators who designed these many characters. This wouldn't be the first time such a joke has happened in comics, with Jack Kirby meeting the Fantastic Four and Grant Morrison even meeting DC's Animal Man, but few have left the impression One-Above-All has.
8 DEATH
There are many constants in the Marvel Universe, and among them is, of course, the timeless incarnation of Death. She takes many shapes, but in her most common form typically appears as a skeleton with female attributes clad in long, black robes.
It's clear the creative forces behind the Marvel Cinematic Universe already know how problematic Death is to their films. After all, she was completely written out of Thanos' backstory for Infinity War. And rightfully so, too. The comic iteration is a being that is truly immortal, as it isn't actually alive. Thanos already wiped out half the universe. How do you write a character that could wipe out the other half and then bring them all back just for fun?
7 BLUE MARVEL
Introduced in 2009, Adam Brashear quickly became one of Marvel's most notable heroes. As a scientist, he's one of the smartest people in the Marvel Universe, a brilliant theoretical physicist and an expert on anti-matter. As Blue Marvel, he's one of the most powerful and versatile heroes Marvel had to offer.
Brashear is powered by his ability to absorb anti-matter, which allows him a measure of superhuman strength that makes him stronger than pretty much anyone Marvel has to offer. He can also manipulate anti-matter, going so far as to even rearrange the photons of Monica Rambeau's body to make her stronger.
6 HERCULES
Hercules is a tough character to imagine showing up in a film. He's a comic book fan favorite, obviously. The literal Hercules of Greek mythology, he's been turning up for decades now. He's been an Avenger, a Defender, and a powerful hero against all odds.
Hercules is impossibly strong, and he isn't afraid to show it off. He's been appearing in titles for years having contests of strengths with many Marvel heroes. Oftentimes, he shows up as a rival to Thor, but he's had more than a few bouts with Hulk as well. However, he has accessed his full godly power a couple of times, which is how we'd like to see him, and that's just impossible to see on-screen.
5 THE BROTHERS
There is perhaps no more forgotten concept of the Marvel Comics multiverse today than The Brothers. Originally introduced in 1996's DC Versus Marvel #1, The Brothers are two unfathomably giant creatures who exist in the fabric between universes, representing both the DC Universe and the Marvel Universe.
The Brothers ultimately were swayed to end the conflict and save the Marvel and DC Universes, moved by a shared vision of Captain America and Batman's histories. Even if you could untangle the legal wrangling required to get these two in a film, their off the charts power to destroy and recreate the universes at whim make The Brothers far too powerful for Marvel's Cinematic Universe.
4 FRANKLIN RICHARDS
The son of Mr. Fantastic and the Invisible Woman, Franklin Richards has long been one of the most quietly powerful characters of the Marvel universe. Thanks to the radiation exposure his parents received their powers from, Franklin was born a mutant with reality warping powers that make Scarlet Witch look like an amateur.
Franklin has demonstrated the ability to create universes on multiple occasions in the past, most notably Heroes Reborn where he saved half of Marvel's heroes by shunting them to an alternate universe. Most recently, Franklin was able to team up with Molecule Man to recreate entire realities, rebuilding the multiverse following its destruction in 2015's Secret Wars.
3 THE BEYONDER
Maybe The Beyonder is an inevitability for the Marvel Universe. You can't deny the lasting impact of Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars, a maxi-series built to sell toys that created an entire generation of comic book fans and Internet list writers. And while shows like the animated Spider-Man series of the ‘90s tried, you can't really do Secret Wars without The Beyonder.
But The Beyonder encounters the same problems as many of the deities do when trying to adapt them. His powers are seemingly limitless, and the only thing restraining the Beyonder is their own whims. The Beyonder is able to manipulate reality on an impossible scale, even demonstrating more power than the likes of Eternity or The Living Tribunal.
2 THE LIVING TRIBUNAL
The Living Tribunal is an oddity of the multiverse. Whereas there are other beings who exist in various forms across the multiple universes, there is only one Living Tribunal. Unlike the others, the Living Tribunal has no true agenda and exists only to maintain the balance between the many magical forces that threaten the cosmos.
The Living Tribunal has an all but incalculable power level and has been shown to be absolutely cutthroat. Though there are beings he pales in comparison to, such as The Brothers or The Beyonders (who would ultimately be the Tribunal's downfall), he has been shown capable of destroying planets on a whim in order to restore the balance of the multiverse.
1 MOLECULE MAN
Molecule Man seems like somebody who would have just been a joke at first. Owen Reece was bombarded with radiation, which gave him the ability to control anything at a molecular level. At first, this seemed pretty straightforward, using his powers to change basic objects, but his powers quickly demonstrated a frankly scary power level.
Over time, he would demonstrate the ability to affect more powerful objects, including Captain America's shield, Mjolnir and the Silver Surfer's cosmic-powered surfboard. By the time of Secret Wars, Molecule Man was able to reshape universes. Having largely regained his faculties, Molecule Man most recently traveled with the Fantastic Four, putting slices of himself into the realities created by Franklin Richards to anchor them in the multiverse.