Magic being introduced into the Marvel Cinematic Universe was a major game changer for the studios. The earlier phases of the Marvel Cinematic Universe originally focused on more grounded and earthly superheroes before progressing on to explore those in space. Thor, a character typically associated with magic in the comics, in his first two films was downplayed to be more science fiction based with the line "science and magic are one in the same". Yet, with the release of Doctor Strange in 2016 the studio became more comfortable using the term magic as part of the massive cosmology of powers that exist within the MCU.
Since then, more magic users have joined the franchise, and even more appear to be on the way. The universe is filling up with powerful sorcerers, witches, and gods who can use magic to both save or destroy reality. Here are the most powerful magic users in the MCU. For the sake of this list, elemental figures like Ctholon and Dormammu are not counted, and neither is Thor or Odin since the MCU is still unclear if they are magic or just using special Asgardian tools to enhance their ability. Even without them, there are still plenty of powerful magic users in the MCU.
Update January 3, 2024: This article has been updated with even more magic users in the MCU, including some recent reveals seen in series like Loki season two and What If...? season two.
10 America Chavez
Designated MCU newcomer America Chavez (Xochitl Gomez) is a dimension-hopping hero who forms an allyship between Strange and Christine Palmer (Rachael McAdams) in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Chavez actually comes from the Utopian Parallel, which is a universe that is not a part of the Multiverse, and she is also able to move through the Multiverse. This makes her the target of the Scarlet Witch, who wants to use America's power to travel between dimensions to reunite with her children.
America Chavez is ranked low here due to the simple fact that she is new to magic. She is last seen training at Kamar-Taj under Wong and the other sorcerers. While her dimension traveling powers are certainly powerful, it is unclear if those are actually a form of magic or instead a naturally born power similar to a mutation. Yet a potential sorcerer with an incredible superpower already built in could make America Chavez a powerful hero in the future of the MCU.
9 Kaecilius
Kaecilius was also a part of the Masters of the Mystic Arts and worked closely together with the Ancient One. However, the two of them eventually do not share the same opinions anymore, since Kaecilius felt as though his tutor has no right in keeping the dimensions separated, and fails to see that the Ancient One is doing it to keep humanity safe. Having lost his wife and his son, Kaecilius believes that uniting the dimensions could also mean uniting with his loved ones, which leads him to be convinced by Dormammu to join him. Kaecilius ends up helping the ruler of the Dark Dimension, following the goal of swallowing Earth and connecting it to Dormammu's dimension.
Seeing that Kaecilius was taken under the wing of his tutor, the Ancient One, it should come as no surprise that he has immense power and is also able to make use of the Eldritch Magic. He was not only one of the best students in general, but he also had outstanding knowledge of several artifacts and other ancient relics. Using his knowledge, intelligence, and skills to his advantage, he ends up digging deeper into the powers of the Dark Dimension. With that, his desire to unite the dimensions grows stronger, and he eventually taps into this Dark Magic after finding an ally in Dormammu. Kaecilius gains the ability to change surroundings in the form of reality warping, create weapons, or shock his opponents by manipulating energy, turning him into a significant threat.
8 Wong
It has been established in Spider-Man: No Way Home that Wong (Benedict Wong) now holds the title of Sorcerer Supreme in the MCU. Previously, Wong was known as the protective keeper of ancient books when he was first introduced to Doctor Stephen Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch), quickly stepping in and assisting him in his studies. He stood alongside Strange when the Black Order attacked Earth, protecting the Sanctum Santorum before Strange perished in the Blip for five years' time. He then assembled the worlds sorcerers to hold off the threat of Thanos and his army during the Battle for Earth.
Wong has been one of the most consistanct faces in the MCU. He has shown up not just in Doctor Strange and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness but also in Avengers: Infinity War, Avengers: Endgame, Spider-Man: No Way Home, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, and She-Hulk: Attorney at Law. He has shown incredible displays of powers, holding off some powerful threats and thanks to being the Sorcerer Supreme he has access to ancient magical text that other magic users do not.
7 Baron Karl Mordo
Former member of the Masters of the Mystic Arts, Baron Karl Mordo (Chiwetel Ejiofor) was a strong ally to The Ancient One (Tilda Swinton) and was responsible for training new sorcerers. After encountering Doctor Strange, he invited him to learn how to harness his power at the Kamar-Taj. He later joined him in the battle against Kaecilius and the Zealots, when it was revealed that The Ancient One was drawing their power from the forbidden Dark Dimension. After the battle was won and The Ancient One was killed, Mordo decided to turn his back on his allies, stripping the power of the sorcerers that he believed were abusing magic.
Mordo was once a Master Sorcerer, regarded as one of the most powerful members of Masters of the Mystic Arts. He is able to shape, create, and manipulate the state of his reality through the use of magic. He also possesses the ability to detach himself from his physical being through astral projection and travel through portals with the assistance of the Sling Ring. Additionally, Mordo's power allows him to absorb energy from those around him. Even in another part of the Marvel Multiverse, he proved to be one of the most powerful characters as he stood alongside figures like Professor X, Mr. Fantastic, Captain Carter, Black Bolt, and Maria Rambeau's Captain Marvel.
6 The Ancient One
Before Doctor Strange and even Wong, the Ancient One held the title of Sorcerer Supreme and was the Masters of the Mystic Arts's head. Starting to grow her powers at a young age, the Ancient One dedicated her life to magic, constantly nurturing her talents and gaining new skills. She was the protector on Earth, keeping threats away and ensuring peace. However, when that peace was threatened by one of her prior allies, Kaecilius, she took in Doctor Strange, teaching him everything about the mystical arts.
Like the previous Sorcerer Supremes, a long line of ancestors who upheld the same task of keeping Earth safe, the Ancient One was one of the most powerful beings on Earth. She was incredibly wise, although her age is unknown, tutoring many who would either stumble across Kamar-Taj or set their minds on reaching it. The Ancient One has highly formidable astral powers, and is able to cast incredibly powerful spells.
5 Loki Laufeyson
The history of Loki Laufeyson is as rich in Norse lore as it is complex with Marvel Studios' additives. Biologically a Frost Giant of Jotunheim and the son of Laufey, Loki was adopted by Odin and Frigga to be raised as their own. Bitter at their brother Thor Odinson (Chris Hemsworth) for being heir to the throne of Asgard, Loki set out to sabotage the coronation, leaving Odinson to retaliate against the attacks from the Frost Giants of Jotenheim. God of Mischief, Loki's live-action interpretation of a trickster allowed more magic to be woven into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. His reign of terror continued on as he commanded the Chitauri Army to destroy New York City in Avengers, and claimed possession of the Tesseract. From there, Loki's arc acted as a redemption for the Frost Giant, slowly yet surely seeking out to salvage the Trickster's morality.
Loki's powers offer a range of superhuman abilities outside of their superhuman feats. His range of magic grants them the ability to manipulate and control those around them. Illusion manipulation gave Loki the power to project extremely detailed images of themselves from afar, casting the illusion that they were present in other situations. Duplication casting acts in the same way that a holographic mirror does while projecting multiple false likenesses in order to fool the enemy at hand. While these projections cannot interact directly with one another, they can take on a number of roles while all being cast at once. Loki used presence concealment to keep themselves from being given away, rendering himself invisible to those around him. Mental manipulation works much like mind control, allowing Loki to influence the mindset of others. Conjuration was used to summon anything into his grasp, and shapeshifting abilities allowed Laufeyson to take any form they wanted.
4 Agatha Harkness
After facing accusations of practicing dark magic with her witch's coven in Salem, Massachusetts, Agatha Harkness sensed the presence of chaos magic being used in Westview, New Jersey. Obsessed with Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen)'s use of chaos magic, Harkness weasels her way into the sitcom-influenced narrative created by the Scarlet Witch. She "cast" herself as the nosy neighbor, Agnes, and involved herself in Maximoff's enslaved town. Harkness is a powerful witch with the capability of manipulating the use of magic for her personal benefit.
Her status as a witch allows her to manipulate energy while shaping the mystic and dark energy that she emits. She can absorb the energy around her and has the ability to sense energy that is not her own. Telekinesis gives Harkness an easy mental advantage, being able to move objects around her without having to physically lift a finger. Mental manipulation offers a cognitive and psychological advantage for Harkness as she interacts with and alters the mental state of others. Illusion manipulation permits the Master Sorceress to create illusionary spaces both physically and mentally. Transmutation, much like shapeshifting, was detrimental to allowing Harkness to switch up her appearance depending on the time period of Maximoff's choosing. Audiences will get to learn more about Agatha when her Disney+ series, Agatha: Darkhold Diaries, hits the streaming service in 2024.
3 Hela
Hela was Odin's oldest daughter and the older sister of Thor and Loki. She was imprisoned for acentures. However, upon the death of her father, she was released and immediately tried to seize power. It was her intention to rule over Asgard, but Odin's people refused to join her side. Raging due to the disobedience, Hela starts slaughtering the Asgardians, and it took Thor and Lok releasing a powerful entity like Surtur to destroy Asgard to end her reign of terror.
Considering that Hela was the firstborn, she had an immense connection with Asgard, and was capable of drawing energy from her home, using it to her advantage. She had the ability to create things, reaching from weapons to other tools, out of nothing, making her incredibly dangerous and superior to her brothers. With regard to her ability to use magic, Hela was definitely one of the most powerful sorcerers. Without any difficulty, she could bring the dead back to life. The lengths of her power was even showcased in a new episode of What If...? that showed how in another universe, Hela could become even more powerful had she gone down the path of good.
2 Doctor Stephen Strange
The face of MCU magic. Facing the upheaval of his life after surviving a near-fatal car crash, Doctor Strange's (Benedict Cumberbatch) life becomes, well, strange. In order to reconcile the damage done to his hands, Strange steps away from Western medicine to seek out alternative treatments. His East Asian journey leads him to the Kamar-Taj, and it was there where Strange began to explore the unknown of alternative dimensions and magic. Training from The Ancient One allowed him to not only focus on the recuperation of his hands and his successful career as a neurosurgeon, but to gain a deep intimacy with the mystic arts. His newfound path of following the mystic arts brought about his involvement with the Avengers, later gaining (and then losing) the title of Sorcerer Supreme.
Master Sorcerer and keeper of the New York Sanctum Santorum grants Strange a high level of superiority over other Masters of the Mystic Arts. He has the ability to create portals, Tao Mandalas, and Eldritch Whips, though Eldritch Magic. The Sorcerer finds use through a handful of spells: Wind, Binding, Warding, Shield, Duplication, Transformation, Teleportation, Imprisonment, Earth-Swallowing, Locator, and Enchantment. Energy projections permit Strange to use energy around him to his advantage and control powerful torrents of energy. He has the power to create and manipulate the Mirror Dimension, and control the reality within reality on his own. It's been established that he has the ability to fly, and can manipulate dimensions with ease. Formerly, the ex-Sorcerer Supreme could manipulate time, create time loops, and recreate events. What If...? and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness have hinted at exactly how powerful Doctor Strange could be and he would be the biggest threat to the multiverse...if not for one other magic user.
1 Wanda "Scarlet Witch" Maximoff
Easily the most powerful magic user in the MCU and likely the most dangerous being in the MCU multiverse is none other than Wanda Maximoff aka The Scarlet Witch. She was orphaned at a young age, born with the power to control chaos magic. She, with twin brother Pietro, agreed to join HYDRA, and the Mind Stone was responsible for awakening Maximoff's powers fully. In her teenage years, she was recruited to join the Avengers during the events of Age of Ultron. She sided with Captain America (Chris Evans) during the Avengers' Civil War and, following her freedom from imprisonment, reconciled with Vision (Paul Bettany). Through her time with the Avengers, Maximoff's weight of grief over her loss of Vision and her brother interfered with her mental health, and, as seen in WandaVision, she "created" the town of Westview to cope with her deteriorating psyche. The captured town and re-imagined family that she created for herself was quick to slip from her control. In order to attempt to compensate for the damage she has done, Maximoff fled Westview to study the Darkhold.
Due to her exposure to cosmic energy, Maximoff has developed psionic powers and psionic manipulation. She is a skilled telekinetic and telepath gifted with force-field generation and flight. With chaos magic comes reality manipulation, time manipulation, and the creation of life. The Scarlet Witch controls additional manipulations of energy, weather, water, and fire. She has the ability to absorb energy, astrally project, teleport from place to place, and of conjuration. The Scarlet Witch is one of the most powerful beings in the Marvel multiverse and is listed as being able to destroy reality, making her the most powerful magic user in the MCU.