Hulk Smash? 18 MCU Characters Who Could Totally Take Down the Jade Giant!
The Incredible Hulk: Not Quite the Strongest Avenger After All!
The Hulk (Bruce Banner), often called the Strongest Avenger, isn't always on top! Even though Mark Ruffalo's portrayal is iconic (after Edward Norton's 2008 debut), there are many MCU characters who could easily beat him in a fight! Banner's gamma-powered transformation makes him super strong, durable, and fast, with amazing healing powers; all demonstrated many times– such as when he decked a Leviathan in The Avengers or fought Hela's undead wolf Fenris in Thor: Ragnarok. But it’s important for readers to know: he's not unbeatable; there's lots of people out there who could wreck him.
This article explores those 18 MCU characters who could definitely overpower the Hulk. From cosmic entities to skilled sorcerers and surprisingly strong normal humans, there's quite a diversity within these powerful beings! This explores those key reasons and showcases those intense showdowns across different MCU films; some even unexpected; demonstrating the diversity that exists across many key characters, in their capabilities, skillsets and overall importance within that vast universe.
The Top 18 MCU Beings Stronger Than the Hulk: A Power Ranking
18. Thanos: The Mad Titan’s Unmatched Might
Thanos in Avengers: Infinity War (already rocking the Power Stone) easily crushed Hulk— without even using the Infinity Stones. His sheer power, skillset, and willpower make Hulk's strength insignificant in the face of overwhelming power; and the Hulk's defeat was such a trauma it even stopped him from showing up for most of that film. That created some really interesting developments!
17. Captain America: The Super Soldier's Subtle Strength
Captain America (Steve Rogers) never fought Hulk one-on-one. Yet this fact doesn’t make the theory impossible; quite the opposite. Rogers' success with that super-soldier serum—which was originally designed to replicate for Banner— suggests Rogers is much stronger! And Rogers briefly held Thanos back in Infinity War; a point highlighted throughout the film, showing just how unexpected and truly shocking some of these power displays truly are. It's unlikely that Rogers matches Hulk but those amazing moments in that incredibly challenging scene highlight why this comparison was made in the first place.
16. Thor Odinson: The God of Thunder’s Superiority
Thor and Hulk have multiple fights across The Avengers and Thor: Ragnarok. And Thor wins most times! In Ragnarok, Thor almost defeats the Hulk – until The Grandmaster intervenes. Thor always boasts of being the strongest, and it may truly be factual. The context surrounding their battle really matters.
15. Gilgamesh: The Strongest Eternal
Gilgamesh from Eternals, boasts enormous strength granted by cosmic energy; the result of an ancient, extra-terrestrial creation. Even though he is deceased, those points add strength and significance in a manner only possible through specific plotlines and moments shown early in the film.
14. Surtur: The Giant of Fire
Surtur (from Thor: Ragnarok) is monstrously huge. At full power? He effortlessly destroyed Asgard. The Hulk tried stopping him? Good effort! Absolutely useless.
13. Giant-Man (Scott Lang): Size Matters!
Ant-Man (Scott Lang)? Normally he isn’t all that powerful; however when things get bigger (which happens quite frequently!), and Giant-Man, this person really goes far beyond the limitations previously displayed: The massive, gigantic stature adds so much raw power– evidenced in Captain America: Civil War and Endgame (decking a Leviathan!). It makes for a ridiculously fun addition, yet one to keep in mind. This showcases that the hero and character design would have far more versatility and power options; than those previously portrayed.
12. Vision: The Synthetic Avenger's Versatile Powerset
Vision's power comes from many places; those vibranium properties, the power granted by the Mind Stone plus the ability to change his body density. Vision can become incorporeal; impenetrable to attacks. Avengers: Infinity War's defeat by Corvus Glaive? That was purely because Glaive's weapon countered Vision's phasing abilities. It is also important for the audience to remember the unique design in White Vision; it hasn't been well portrayed. The abilities for those multiple iterations of Vision makes comparison highly speculative.
11. Abomination (Emil Blonsky): A Hulking Rival
The Incredible Hulk introduced Emil Blonsky (Tim Roth), transforming him into Abomination! Abomination is way bigger and stronger. However the Hulk wins – with weapons! A rematch is doubtful because he got redeemed, adding even more unique character design than previously possible.
10. Captain Marvel (Carol Danvers): Cosmic Power Unleashed
Captain Marvel (Carol Danvers)? Superpowered due to the Tesseract's energy, and easily one of the most overpowered characters ever! This is easily demonstrated across many different films! It's highly probable she could totally wipe out the Hulk. That impact would leave almost every person affected speechless!
9. Hercules: The Son of Zeus Enters the Fray
Hercules (Brett Goldstein) has immense strength from Marvel comics, matching and exceeding Hulk. He's even temporarily replaced Hulk! A battle between those two could easily become one of the greatest scenes ever– if this becomes possible; given his potential.
8. Scarlet Witch (Wanda Maximoff): Reality-Warper Extraordinaire
Scarlet Witch (Wanda Maximoff) has shown how amazingly powerful this character truly is! From intense showdowns with Thanos in Infinity War, to reality-warping power ups after losing Vision in WandaVision. The power she displays later exceeds the Hulk's entire capabilities and highlights how unique this mystical, immensely powerful being actually is!
7. Doctor Strange: Magic and Mastery Overwhelm Brute Force
Doctor Strange (Stephen Strange) might not be as strong physically. His huge range of magical skills lets him overcome Hulk’s brute strength; it is especially interesting how his intelligence enhances his power even further. It demonstrates what could possibly be done given his incredibly sharp intellect combined with years of mystical mastery.
6. Sentry: The Power of a Million Exploding Suns
Sentry (Robert Reynolds) debuts in Thunderbolts! His powers match Superman's, this insanely powerful superhero's raw power, speed, and abilities make it easily probable that they are matched quite closely with the Hulk. His insane ability (“a million exploding suns”) means he might just take the win. But there’s that issue… his darker side. This duality of the character might just come back!
5. Hela: Goddess of Death's Army of the Dead
Hela is exceptionally powerful, easily rivalling Thor—maybe even exceeding that. Her power isn't merely limited to brute strength; her command over her literal army makes the odds shift immediately, her weaponized forces vastly exceed the Hulk's physical limitations!
4. Hulkbuster: Stark Tech Takes Down the Green Goliath
Tony Stark’s Hulkbuster armor in Avengers: Age of Ultron was designed to neutralize Hulk. And it really does do a great job. They're somewhat evenly matched; and even though it doesn’t completely overwhelm the Hulk, this massive and impressively effective piece of tech's capabilities surpass those powers typically available to others; showcasing its immense effectiveness during those critical moments that truly mattered! It does allow repairs and integrates Stark Tech. It completely pushes the advantage.
3. Galactus: The Planet-Devouring Cosmic Entity
Galactus (coming in Fantastic Four: First Steps)? Forget it. He eats planets. The Hulk doesn't even have a chance!
2. Doctor Doom: Intelligence and Strategy Over Brute Force
Doctor Doom (played by Robert Downey Jr in Avengers: Doomsday)? He's shown to be this brilliant tactician – exceeding physical capability by a significant margin! It does seem likely that his immense tactical genius would make for one of the most creative showdowns and possibilities inherent to those matchups. His power comes from sheer planning!
1. Red Hulk (Thaddeus Ross): The Gamma-Powered General
Red Hulk (Thaddeus Ross) in Captain America: Brave New World! His abilities are somewhat uncertain, this immense, possibly unexpected rival showcases those very surprising showdowns; but his enormous strength (likely comparable to Abomination) combined with possibly his experience fighting against the Hulk, already a significant rival during the previous Incredible Hulk film means there's significant possibilities, especially that those possible future battles.
Conclusion: Beyond the Hulk’s Smash!
So the Hulk isn’t unbeatable. These 18 characters showcase just how much sheer creative capacity and design exists within the MCU’s expansive roster. The fact that many diverse character abilities easily exceed what the Hulk possesses shows that his place isn't that clear, and much more creativity might possibly exist within the MCU. These moments truly showcase a lot of interesting elements, including showdowns that really show the importance of strategy and character designs.
