The Marvel Cinematic Universe is overflowing with heroes and villains, each with powers that outweigh the other. Be it Iron Man’s high-tech suit or Thor’s enhanced axe Stormbreaker, these superheroes get assistance from the coolest weapons. But when it comes to speed, there are a few characters who clear the way for most.
After opening the Multiverse, the MCU has expanded its territory and threats show up from vast spaces. In such a setting, being the fastest among the lot has many perks. The fastest characters in the MCU have proved that when speed is used for good, it can save the day. Because in a high-stakes battle, velocity turns out to be helpful in saving the innocent, attacking out of thin air, or simply making a quick and unnoticed exit.
But beyond all the action, owning speed as a superpower also opens up other possibilities for displaying a character’s ordinary life in the MCU. Imagine getting your errands done in the blink of an eye, or reading millions of books in a rush, or better yet, traveling across planets in a jiffy (yes, we’re talking about Thor and the Bifrost). These things add to the thrill of showing off for our flashy, kinetically-charged speedsters.
By far, the MCU has added a number of fast characters in the mix, and while they’re all blurs of motion with their exceptional speed, they add depth and meaning into the story they’re featured in. This list celebrates the raw speed, mobility, and the most exciting and pulsating display of the superpower at the hands of some of our favorite characters.
Falcon
In the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Falcon is seen skyrocketing in his high-tech wingsuit that gives him exceptional aerial maneuverability. Named after the fastest animal on Earth, Sam Wilson’s suit allows him to reach Mach 2 speed and compete with the likes of Iron Man and War Machine when it comes to flight. With his bulky suit, he can take sharp dives and rather abrupt pivots like they’re nothing. Falcon’s has been a great assistance to the Avengers, and he has time and again given air support to Captain America. We have seen him in combat, and he gives an exhilarating performance by striking out of the blue. Although Falcon doesn’t possess the super strength that other Avengers do and cannot run at such a high speed on land, he’s a delight to watch in the air.
War Machine
Disney
Tony Stark’s high-risk, high-edge, high-tech suit is bound to be on this list. Lieutenant Colonel James Rhodes dons the Stark armor and blazes through the skies as he was born for this. Of course, the suit is no comparison to Iron Man’s own fit when it comes to the crazy speed and heavy firepower, but it can still gain some pretty decent velocity. Moreover, it is an outstanding way to trick or intimidate rivals in combat or track villains from a distance. Honestly speaking, though, Rhodey is sometimes seen struggling with the hulking outfit and the toll it takes on him. So while he’s not the naturally fastest superhero, War Machine does give him the upper hand over many other MCU characters.
Vulture
A daunting one among the villains in the MCU, Adrain Toomes recovered part of the Chitauri technology to create a high-tech armor and named it Vulture. The suit featured enormous wings that possessed both human and alien powers. Vulture gave Toomes the ability to fly at inhuman speed and the strength to fight good forces. The Vulture's customized suit allowed him to outrace planes with its supersonic speed. Even Spider-Man's spidey-sense couldn't anticipate the Vulture's next move. The only way for Spider-Man to win against the Vulture in an aerial dogfight was by putting him in a deadlock with his web. Regardless of being a human, Voomes managed to give Spider-Man a good fight as the Vulture because of his unnatural speed.
Hulk
Bruce Banner's Hulk is undoubtedly one of the strongest and the fastest characters in the MCU. When he first showed up in The Incredible Hulk, he was but learning to manage his enormous strength and raging capacities. But with time, we've seen how the madder Hulk gets, the faster he smashes. Hulk is capable of leaping across buildings and intergalactic arenas, making the green giant unstoppable when he's in his element. If we're actually debating the numbers, Hulk's blistering speed packed with a powerful punch could easily knock the air out of any bad guy. Hulk is a testament to using speed as an advantage in the MCU.
Thanos
Disney
Don’t be fooled by Thanos’ stature because despite being one of the biggest characters in the MCU, he doesn’t fall short in the speed department. The Mad Titan only wants to acquire one thing – the Infinity Stones. And he would go to any lengths to get those. The Infinity Gauntlet makes him powerful and allows him to control space, and time and fabricate reality itself. Other than being fast, Thanos can teleport across galaxies and reverse time to defeat his opponents. In Avengers: Infinity War, he uses all his strengths and speed to shower surprise attacks on the Avengers and remains one step ahead of even the fastest hero.
Hela
Hela, the Goddess of Death, makes her formidable appearance in Thor: Ragnarok, and of course, as Thor’s big sister, she’s stronger, faster, and more persistent than the God of Thunder. After being released from imprisonment, returns to destroy Asgard. Her superhuman skills, jaw-dropping speed, and finesse with which she uses her magic weapons make her the coolest villain. Hela draws power from death itself, and her speed multiplies when she conjures her soldiers, it's clear that she is capable of much more than the fastest Avengers. Hela is seen catching Mjolnir at max speed, fighting the Valkyrie, and striking her opponents faster than lightning.
Ultron
The two masterminds of the MCU, Bruce Banner and Tony Stark, together created Ultron, a high-functioning A.I. system that constantly betters itself. While Banner and Stark want to bring peace to Earth, Ultron uses his own mind and decides that humanity must be destroyed completely to achieve peace. Ultron processes data at the speed of light and reacts to it fast enough. He has the capacity to systemize attacks and manipulate gravity. Ultron did manage to create his army of robotic drones and give a good competition in flight and strength while attempting to annihilate mankind, but the good guys got rid of Ultron quite early in the movie. Otherwise, we could have seen him unlock his full potential and reach greater, more villainous heights.
Vision
Created by Ultron himself and reprogrammed for good by the Avengers, Vision is everything we wished Ultron was. Unlike Ultron, Vision fights for the welfare of mankind. His powers include impressive strength, super speed, and the ability to shoot laser beams with the help of the Mind Stone in his forehead. However, we only see Vision unleashing his flight powers in Avengers: Age of Ultron when he’s fighting the AI, and in Captain America: Civil War when he is intervening in battles and helping allies. Speed isn’t Vision’s primary strength, but paired with the rest of his abilities, we see how high velocity can be a savior in near-death situations. What’s a bonus is that we even get to see the robot’s soft-spoken side in WandaVision.
Iron Man
Tony Stark as Iron Man is excellent as a superhero. With each new movie, his high-tech suit has become more powerful and accomplished greater speeds, going up to Mach 10+ swiftness while traveling across the skies. Being filthy rich and incredibly smart, Stark leaves behind many others and uses his resources and innate knowledge to enhance his Iron Man suit with repulsor beams and missiles. Stark is also quick-witted, so naturally, he controls Iron Man with the help of Jarvis, an artificial intelligence created by him. Apart from his superhero side, Tony Stark has a restless personality too, making him always too eager to act and find solutions.
Thor
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Thor is the God of Thunder (literally), so it is natural that he flies at the speed of lightning. He can wield the power of thunder with Mjolnir – now Stormbreaker – and is a warrior through and through. In the course of his appearances in the MCU, he isn't entirely portrayed as the fastest superhero, but his agility, strength, and access to the Bifrost make him an unstoppable force. Like Hulk, anger makes Thor faster and stronger. Thor is the very epitome of how speed paired with an impressive arsenal and a good strategy can defeat enemies of the highest might.
Spider-Man
Peter Parker gained all his powers and strengths when he was bitten by a radioactive spider. As Spider-Man, Peter possesses a neat spider-sense that helps him anticipate perils and his spider-like speed helps him tackle all sorts of threats and attacks. In a fight, Spider-Man uses his speed, webbing and quick thinking to defeat enemies. Spider-Man has also, time and again, used his stark speed to save civilians and deal with school life. Regardless of having a superior kinetic functioning than others his age, Spider-Man is among the more relatable MCU characters because of how he grapples with daily life challenges similar to ours.
Ancient One
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We know the Ancient One as an incredibly powerful, mind-bending sorcerer responsible for aligning the fate of the universe, mentor at the Kamar Taj, and protector of the New York Sanctum. The Ancient One’s true power lies in her magic, but when necessary, she can travel in blurring motions, dazing her enemy. We see her unleash some of her potential in Doctor Strange, when, despite being scarred, she fights with utmost ferocity and godlike speed. The Ancient One is wizened with years and her warrior-like combat skills paired with high velocity are the very proof of how power is fickle, and when wielded the right way, it can decide the mechanisms of the universe.
Black Panther
T'Challa is the king and protector of Wakanda, and possessing optimum speed, panther-like reflexes, strength, and highly-charged senses come with the duties of Black Panther. His neat suit, adorned with the power of vibranium, helps him enhance all his powers and race against air fiercely. Black Panther is graceful in his power and skilled in combat so he used his physical prowess with the kind of blink-and-you-miss-it precision that is awe-inspiring. He has shown his immense amount of agility while defending his home, Wakanda, and helping the Avengers defeat the Mad Titan. But beyond that T'Challa also follows his royal inheritance, ruling his kingdom and fashioning a sustainable reality for his people.
Captain Marvel
Carol Denvers, also known as Captain Marvel, can take laps from one side of the universe to the other in a matter of minutes. Her piloting skills as Denvers paired with Kree-human physiology make her powers extremely intense but controlled. As in intergalactic defender, Captain Marvel is a force to be reckoned with. We saw her remarkable speed on full display in Avengers: Endgame when she came to protect Earth against Thanos. And she wasn't even close when it happened. So all that travel is commendable.
Quicksilver
Wanda Maximoff's brother Pietro Maximoff gained his supersonic speed after being exposed to the power of an Infinity Stone. Right from his first appearance in Avengers: Age of Ultron, he's known to be the fastest superhuman with a perceptive mind and quick-witted motion. He dodged attacks and fazed foes by circling them at a blurring pace. Quicksilver, while being exceptionally speedy, was also quite inexperienced. His short tenure in the MCU showed how being impatient can cause you to lose the little moments with the ones you love and walk right into danger. Although Quicksilver deserved more screen time, he showed us the importance of slowing down and appreciating life with all its pros and perils.
Makkari
Makkari is the MCU's first superhero with a hearing impairment and the second fastest woman in the universe. In the Eternals movie, she's seen speeding through time and space at the highest velocity. The MCU is still in the process of developing her backstory and fleshing out her full power, but from her brief appearance in Eternals, it is clear that Makkari is going to get her own heroic adventure as a super-speedster.