Superhero movies have a difficult task. When characters can fly around and shoot lasers from their eyes, there’s a certain expectation that the action is going to be off the chain. However, there has to be a balance because going too wild can lead to criticism. Man of Steel is a controversial retelling of Superman’s origin story that doesn’t do too much damage to the character until it sends him through the streets of Metropolis like a bull in a china shop. Things get so bad that the DC Extended Universe has to address all the destruction in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.
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The Marvel Cinematic Universe teaches its heroes lessons as well, notably in Captain America: Civil War, where the Sokovia Accords divide the Avengers due to governments worldwide seeking to influence their actions. But despite having a bad rap, Earth’s Mightiest Heroes do spend a lot of time helping humanity. Here’s every original MCU Avenger, ranked by how many people they’ve saved.
6) Hawkeye
There’s only so much a man with a bow and arrow can do. After working in the shadows with S.H.I.E.L.D., Clint Barton steps into the light in The Avengers and helps the residents of New York City get to safety during the Chitauri Invasion. He steps up to the plate again in Sokovia in Avengers: Age of Ultron, ensuring civilians get to the helicarrier before the titular android’s meteor comes down. Without any major world-saving events on his resume, though, Hawkeye ends up at the bottom of this list.
5) Black Widow
Natasha Romanoff is in a similar boat to her best friend, but she’s got more time in the field. In addition to helping in New York and Sokovia, she protects people in Iron Man 2 by shutting down the Hammer drones and rescues plenty of Red Room survivors in Black Widow. She also gets credit for saving Barton in Avengers: Endgame when she gives up her life to acquire the Soul Stone.
4) Captain America
Steve Rogers starts out small in the MCU, saving some soldiers trapped behind enemy lines in Captain America: The First Avenger. However, after that, he kicks things up a notch. He’s responsible for stopping the Red Skull’s bombs and HYDRA’s Project Insight, which would’ve killed thousands upon thousands of people in an instant. Of course, he’s also present in New York City and Sokovia, meaning there’s a long list of people who owe him their lives.
3) Thor
Given that Thor is over 1,000 years old, it’s clear he saved many people in his younger years. He didn’t really get the heroic itch until his first solo movie, though, so it’s easier to start the clock there. The God of Thunder is responsible for helping out in Sokovia, New York, and Asgard, as well as Vanaheim, which appears at the start of Thor: The Dark World, and New Mexico. The rest of the MCU’s gods are also in his debt, as he prevents Gorr the God Butcher from destroying them all with Eternity in Thor: Love and Thunder.
2) Hulk
While it’s hard to put Hulk’s name on any saves during his first MCU appearance, he steps up after that. The Chitarui and Ultron’s bots would have caused significantly more damage if Hulk hadn’t been around. The people of Asgard also owe Bruce Banner’s alter ego a debt of gratitude because he throws down with Fenris Wolf as they rush to safety in Thor: Ragnarok. The final impressive feat on Hulk’s resume is his use of the Nano Gauntlet in Endgame to bring everyone who got dusted back to life. Only one Avenger can claim they’ve done more than that.
1) Iron Man
The MCU’s first hero has a lot of red in his ledger because of his shady business practices. However, he doesn’t play both sides forever, turning over a new leaf and becoming a full-fledged hero. What sets him apart from his fellow Avengers is that he stops a nuke from destroying Manhattan in The Avengers and sacrifices his life by using the Infinity Stones to wipe out Thanos’ army and save the entire galaxy in Endgame. No other MCU hero, Avenger or not, will ever be able to hold a candle to what Tony Stark is responsible for.
The Marvel Cinematic Universe projects are streaming on Disney+.
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