Since launching in 2008 with Iron Man, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has introduced audiences to over 40 different superheroes across multiple franchises, varying in their strengths and powers. For comic book and action film fans alike, the unfolding of each story leading up to the inevitable assembling of the Avengers was unprecedented. Throughout The Avengers franchise, audiences witnessed the superheroes uniting and showcasing their incredible powers facing off against villains like Loki, Ultron, and Thanos.

Update April 14th, 2023: Following recent developments in the MCU, this list has been updated regarding various characters' strengths.

Jokes are made as to which Avenger is the strongest. Arguably one of the best scenes in the MCU occurs in Avengers: Age of Ultron, where the Avengers attempt to lift Thor’s hammer Mjölnir, but each of them who tries, fails. For argument's sake, lifting Mjölnir has more to do with being worthy than being strong.

The quest for strong Avengers now looms large over the next chapter of the MCU, as it appears the need for more Black Widows, Tony Stark's armor, recreating the super soldier serum, and an army of Hulks will play out across projects like Captain America: New World Order, Armor Wars, and Thunderbolts. While Stan Lee famously said that the writer determines who wins in a fight, comic book and film fans alike have several theories as to who is the strongest Avenger. Here is our ranking of who is the most powerful member of the original Avengers lineup.

6 Hawkeye

Hawkeye in the MCU
Marvel Studios

While Hawkeye, aka Clint Barton, played by Jeremy Renner, is a highly skilled archer, when it comes to actual strength, he is still a human. Fans were given some incredible scenes of Hawkeye’s skill set in each film appearance, as well as the Disney+ show Hawkeye he is rather limited in battle. Despite his athletic endurance, he still manages to be one of the most skilled Avengers.

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Those who have taken up any kind of sport are aware of the dedication to failure; Hawkeye probably hit the mark as much as any amateur or beginner did, but he persevered. Clint did not gain his skill set overnight. Even if he did, who else would shoot at invading alien ships without looking and still destroy them? Compared to his teammates, Hawkeye's athletic ability unfortunately is no match for the other Avengers. Yet he still is a valued member of the team, and his ingenuity has allowed him to face off against threats no mortal would dream of fighting.

5 Black Widow

Black Widow in the MCU
Marvel Studios
Disney

Natasha Romanoff, aka Black Widow, played by Scarlett Johansson, is the most formidable spy in the franchise, giving even Nick Fury a run for his money. Like her best friend, Clint, Black Widow is a highly trained human. However, her endurance is much higher than Clint’s, as she can take on practically every Avenger. She is also the glue of the Avengers, and her death in Avengers: Endgame served as a major motivation for the team.

In each film appearance, Black Widow is one of the first to protect or care for an injured teammate. From her first film appearance in Iron Man 2, audiences were rooting for this incredibly agile spy. After The Avengers, fans across social media were calling for a stand-alone film for the beloved Black Widow. In 2021, fans’ wishes were granted with the release of Black Widow, with Johansson reprising her role alongside a star-studded cast including Florence Pugh, David Harbour, and Rachel Weisz. While Black Widow might be gone, her legacy still lives on.

4 Iron Man

A scene from Iron Man 3
Marvel Studios
Disney

While Tony Stark’s Iron Man, played by Robert Downey Jr., wears many hats in The Avengers, his AI-operated suit does a majority of the work for him. Tony's superhero suits are designed to tackle a variety of threats and help him face off against various enemies. His Hulkbuster armor allowed him to fight the Hulk. His suit can absorb Thor's lightning to power himself up. It can even analyze fight patterns to help Tony take on someone more skilled in hand-to-hand combat. While Black Widow may be the glue of the Avengers, Tony Stark is the cornerstone of the team. After all, he was the first superhero to be recruited by Nick Fury despite his character flaws.

While his suit makes him super, Iron Man becomes the first one to start the fight, often using his intellect to outsmart the enemy. In Avengers: Infinity War, Tony Stark’s Iron Man battles the genocidal Titan Thanos and survives a moon being thrown at him. His armor helped wield the Infinity Stones to kill Thanos, although it did cost him his life. What makes Tony Stark the cornerstone of the Avengers is his stubborn ability to start the fight and eventually finish the fight, once and for all.

3 Captain America

Captain America
Marvel Studios
Disney

Named The First Avenger by the MCU, Steve Rogers, aka Captain America, played by Chris Evans, is the result of something out of science fiction. A frail adult with more illnesses than one can imagine is recruited by a German scientist to undergo experimental training to become the ultimate soldier to win World War II. The super soldier serum resulted in giving Captain America enchanted strength and speed that make him more powerful than a mortal man.

Related: Every Movie Scarlett Johansson & Chris Evans Starred in Together, Ranked

Throughout the MCU, Captain America has held his own against many opponents that would typically outclass him in power levels. He easily can hold his own against Spider-Man, The Winter Soldier, and Black Panther. During Avengers: Infinity War, he was even able to hold Thanos in place for a short time, something that shocked the Mad Titan himself.

2 Thor

Thor Dark World Thor Screams
Marvel Studios
Disney

The only non-human on the team, an argument could be made that Thor is the stronger Avenger. Played by Chris Hemsworth, Thor is the only one powerful enough to go toe to toe with the Hulk in hand-to-hand combat. It is difficult to determine Thor's strength, but Avengers: Infinity War showed some incredible feats of strength. Not only did he survive his ship being blown up by Thanos, but he was also able to restart a massive star forge. Then he held it open while taking the full might of a star, something that would have killed anyone else.

While some would say Thor's power is because of his hammer Mjolnir, Thor: Ragnarök proved that he is not the god of hammers, he has his title for a reason. The power comes from within him, and he can still summon and control lightning even without Mljonir or his axe, Stormbreaker (although they certainly help him in a fight). Thor: Love and Thunder also showcased that he can share his power with others, as he did with Jane Foster and the Asgardian children. All of these things certainly suggest that Thor could be one of the most powerful Avengers.

1 Hulk

The Hulk in Thor: Ragnarok
Marvel Studios
Disney

The fact of who is strongest between Hulk and Thor has been a long-standing debate among Marvel fans, and in the MCU, the two have had a fun rivalry starting in The Avengers. Pitting the two Avengers together was a major part of Thor: Ragnarök. According to Tony Stark, Bruce Banner is the “Strongest Avenger” which is how he gains access to the Quinjet in Thor: Ragnarök.

In many ways, the Hulk is the ultimate Avenger, as his powers are a result of a failed attempt to replicate the super soldier serum that created Captain America. Originally played by Edward Norton, The Hulk has since been played by Mark Ruffalo for over a decade in the MCU.

With the threat of an entire army facing down on Earth, Tony Stark confidently says "We have a Hulk" signifying him as the team's ultimate weapon. Half of the Chitauri forces needed to dedicate their firepower to slow him down in the battle of New York. While Hulk may have been beaten by Thanos in hand-to-hand combat, that would influence both Hulk and Banner to merge into one being that the public and he called "Smart Hulk." He may not have the exact raw power as Berserker Hulk, but Smart Hulk still displays incredible strength. For instance, She-Hulk: Attorney At Law showcased the character throwing a boulder into space with ease.

Yet the best case for The Hulk being the strongest Avenger is he used the Infinity Stones to bring back all life in the universe and survived. Even Thor was not deemed strong enough to use the Infinity Gauntlet. The divide between Banner and Hulk would make the character less powerful but united they are a greater force than ever before. Combining Bruce Banner's intelligence with the strength of the Hulk truly earns him the rank of the strongest Avenger.