The Marvel Cinematic Universe has introduced a wealth of powerful Marvel characters into the live-action franchise, but not all get the attention they possibly deserve. From the franchise’s very beginning back in 2008 with the release of the movie Iron Man, the MCU has strived to deliver one of the most expansive shared continuities in cinematic history. The movies of the MCU have therefore seen many of Marvel Comics’ most iconic characters brought into the franchise, and many of them boast truly impressive powers. The abilities of a hero or villain effectively determine where they come in on the MCU’s broader power rankings, because some superpowers are far stronger than others.
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As some powers have been decidedly more useful than others within the stories told by the movies and TV shows of the MCU, there exists a certain hierarchy of power within the franchise. There are also lots of other abilities that the characters of the franchise possess that are often overlooked, whether by the franchise itself or by fans discussing it. Despite being some of the coolest, most useful, and overpowered abilities in the entire franchise, these MCU powers hardly get talked about at all.
7) The Skrulls’ Shapeshifting
The plight of the Skrulls seems to be an MCU storyline Marvel has forgotten about, but the alien race is still very much a part of the fabric of the franchise. The shape-shifting species plays a less villainous part in the MCU than they do in the comics, and are primarily defined by their innate ability to take on others’ appearances at will. The power is a hugely useful one, and also comes with so many excellent story opportunities, but it isn’t often talked about, perhaps because of the weak reception the Skrulls’ stories have so far received in the franchise.
6) Heimdall’s Enhanced Senses
The former gatekeeper of Asgard and protector of the Bifrost, Idris Elba’s Heimdall might currently be in Valhalla in the MCU, but his abilities remain one of the best overlooked power sets in the franchise. He is able to see and hear across the Nine Realms, effectively making him omnipresent, in a sense. Combined with the enhanced strength and longevity of his Asgardian physiology, Heimdall’s powers are, all in all, pretty great.
5) Vision’s Phasing
Ahead of his return in the MCU’s Vision series, it’s worth considering how overlooked one part of Vision’s power set is within the franchise. As well as his various other powers, including those given to him by the Mind Stone before it was taken from him, Vision can phase through solid objects. He can also do so without the drawbacks of other phasing MCU characters, such as Ghost, but rather he can effortlessly phase through walls, floors, and people whenever he wants. In terms of its broad applications, it’s a pretty awesome ability that doesn’t get enough attention.
4) Sue Storm’s Invisibility & Force-Field Generation
After making her debut in the MCU’s The Fantastic Four: First Steps, Sue Storm already stands out as one of the franchise’s heavy hitters. Her ability to bend light and make herself invisible has always been the namesake of her superhero alias, but her force-field generation is by far the stronger power. The movie shows her using it to incredible effect, pushing Galactus with its raw strength. Additionally, she is able to make surprisingly large objects invisible, such as an entire spaceship, without too much strain, immediately making her powers some of the MCU’s most underrated.
3) Sersi’s Matter Transmutation
If Eternals had a protagonist, it would have been Sersi. That’s not just because she was named as the Prime Eternal after Ajak’s death, but because her power makes her one of the most important members of the team during the Emergence. Sersi’s ability to transmute matter into a completely different element is both incredibly cool and has so many potential uses. Used creatively, it could hugely benefit its wielder or help all of humanity. Perhaps it’s only Eternals‘ lukewarm reception that has led Sersi’s power rarely being talked about, but it’s subtly one of the MCU’s most interesting.
2) Hulk’s Invulnerability
It’s no secret that Hulk is one of the MCU’s most significant powerhouses. One of the few MCU characters who could beat Sentry, Hulk’s strength dominates any conversation about the hero. However, this forgets one of the most important parts of his character’s power set, as his strength was written in the comics to be proportionate to his rage, and also renders him immortal. Hulk is undeniably one of the strongest beings in the entire Marvel Universe, although there are whole facets of his powers that are often overlooked in conversations around the MCU.
1) Makkari’s Super Speed
Makkari wasn’t the MCU’s first speedster, and she won’t be its last. Even so, her power, which allows her to move a remarkably high speeds, is one of the most overlooked in the franchise. While Quicksilver also possessed the same ability before his death, Makkari also has the added benefit of Eternal physiology to support her super speed. Makkari’s speed makes her one of the most adaptable and useful heroes in the entire MCU, as she could employ the ability in a wide range of situations. As such, it’s one of the best powers in the MCU, even though it rarely gets talked about.
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