Let’s be real—Marvel movies wouldn’t hit nearly as hard without villains who make even the most powerful heroes sweat bullets. The MCU has served up everything from vengeful gods to unhinged AIs, and we’ve loved (and feared) every moment of it. If you’ve ever found yourself debating which villain could wipe the floor with the rest, this list is for you. Here’s a glance at 10 of the strongest and most menacing MCU villains, sorted by just how much destruction they unleashed.
10. Ultron
Ultron is what occurs when artificial intelligence develops a superiority complex. Built by Tony Stark and Bruce Banner with the best of motivations (typical), he shortly resolved that humanity was the real issue. Due to his power to jump from body to body, Ultron was all but unkillable—and almost succeeded in eradicating life on Earth by dropping a city from the skies. He ultimately lost, but the destruction he caused (hi, Sokovia Accords) still resonates across the MCU.
9. Namor
Namor commands the underwater nation of Talokan, and he’s not in the business of making friends. With superhuman powers of strength and flight and a civilization rich in vibranium supporting him, he almost destroyed Wakanda and murdered Queen Ramonda in the process. He’s a centuries-old warrior, and unlike certain other villains, he’s very much alive and scheming. Sleep on him at your peril.
8. Agatha Harkness
Agatha stole the show in WandaVision—almost stole Wanda’s powers. This witch has been around for centuries and is a master of sucking magic out of people and possessing dark energies that even other sorcerers find intimidating. She’s manipulative, a patient operator, and very, very powerful. Wanda managed to defeat her, butAgatha’s hardly done—and we haven’t seen the last of her.
7. Ronan the Accuser
Ronan is not subtle. This Kree warlord introduced a Power Stone to a planetary genocide and barely batted an eye. Holding the stone, he was all but unstoppable, taking direct hits and scheming to destroy Xandar. He may have been out-danced by Star-Lord, but don’t be mistaken—Ronan was one of the MCU’s most formidable physical threats while he existed.
6. Gorr the God Butcher
Spurred on by loss and wielding the Necrosword, Gorr embarked upon a galactic killing spree of gods. He’s motivated, unsettling, and deceptively effective. With dark tendrils, reality-warping abilities, and the capability to fight Thor on an even footing, Gorr came perilously close to erasing divine entities from existence altogether. He ended up favoring love over revenge, but not before leaving a string of deceased gods in his wake.
5. Ego
Ego’s not an evil-doer—he’s a planet. A literal, thinking planet with god complexes. With his Celestial abilities, he attempted to blanket the galaxy with his mind, devouring worlds in the process. Deceptive and power-mad, he came very close to succeeding by using his son, Peter Quill, as a celestial battery. Fortunately, a motley crew of Guardians had other ideas.
4. Kang the Conqueror
Kang is a multiverse-level threat with time travel technology and variants that stretch across infinite realities. The one we encountered in Quantumania was terrifying enough—equipped with advanced technology, an army, and intelligence beyond human understanding. But the real threat is what’s on the horizon: infinite versions of Kang, each more brutal than the next. This is merely the start of his dominion.
3. Ikaris
Ikaris of Eternals is essentially a Marvel take on Superman—but dedicated to a cosmic agenda rather than manan. With flight, super strength, energy projection, and all-but-impenetrable durability, he’s a force of destruction on legs. It took a bunch of Eternals joining forces to even slow him down, and even then, he almost brought about the devastation of Earth. Guilt might have triumphed in the end, but Ikaris at his full power? Scary.
2. Cassandra Nova
A warped take on Charles Xavier’s twin from an alternate dimension, Cassandra Nova is possibly the most dangerous psychic menace the MCU has encountered yet. Existing in the TVA’s Void, she possesses mind-bending psionic abilities, phases through solid objects, teleports, and regenerates. Essentially, unless you have psychic shielding, you don’t stand a chance. She’s a mutant-level threat with horrifying potential.
1. Scarlet Witch
Wanda Maximoff has had one of the MCU’s most tragic and powerful arcs. By the time Multiverse of Madness rolls around, she’s gone full Scarlet Witch—rewriting reality, taking down sorcerers, and mowing through multiversal heroes with brutal efficiency. Few characters in the MCU have as much raw, unchecked power. If you’re standing in her way? Good luck. You’re probably toast.
Whether fueled by revenge, ideology, or sheer brute power, these villains tested the MCU’s heroes to their limits. They’re not simply bad men—they’re scene stealers, universe-shakers, and unrememberable forces of devastation. Who’s your choice for the most perilous? Or is there a villain still in the wings, waiting to take the crown?