Bruce Banner, a.k.a. the Hulk, has often been referred to as the strongest Avenger in the MCU, but there are several characters who are even stronger.

Despite often being called the strongest Avenger, there are actually several MCU characters stronger than the Hulk. Edward Norton debuted as Bruce Banner in 2008’s The Incredible Hulk, but Mark Ruffalo has become synonymous with the role after taking over from 2012’s The Avengers onwards. Banner’s exposure to lethal levels of gamma radiation gave him the ability to transform into the Hulk, a huge, green, muscular creature fueled by rage. Originally seen as an uncontrollable monster, the Hulk became a founding member of the Avengers in the MCU, and has since gone on to play an invaluable role in a variety of Marvel Studios projects.

Aside from being one of the most brilliant minds on Earth, Bruce Banner’s Hulk form gifts him a range of powers such as enhanced strength, durability, agility, and stamina, and a regenerative healing factor that means it’s very difficult to take him down. The Hulk is widely considered to be among the most physically powerful characters in the Marvel Universe, which has been showcased several times in the MCU – such as when he punches a Leviathan in The Avengers, or battles Fenris, Hela’s undead wolf, in Thor: Ragnarok. Even so, there are a number of MCU characters who can match or beat the Hulk in battle.

15. Thanos

Easily Beats Hulk 1 On 1

During Thanos’ attack on the Asgardian refugee ship in Avengers: Infinity War, Banner, temporarily stuck in Hulk form, was tasked with taking on the Mad Titan Thanos – already equipped with the Power Stone. However, the Jade Giant was no match for Thanos, who didn’t even have to use the Infinity Stone to defeat the Hulk. While the Hulk’s rage certainly makes him a formidable fighter (the angrier he gets, the stronger he gets), he is no match for Thanos’ brute strength and indomitable will.

In fact, the Hulk’s defeat by Thanos is so traumatic that the “strongest Avenger” refuses to make an appearance for the rest of Infinity War. Unfortunately, this is the last time audiences get to see a raging Hulk fight (save for a time-traveling flashback in Endgame). Shortly after, Banner and Hulk merge into “smart Hulk,” seemingly putting Hulk’s more violent days behind him.

14. Steve Rogers, A.K.A. Captain America

The Only Perfect Super Soldier

Although Bruce Banner and Steve Rogers never fought one-on-one in the MCU, there is evidence to support the idea that Chris Evans’ Captain America is, in fact, stronger than the Hulk. Banner’s condition was caused by a failed attempt at recreating the super-soldier serum that created Captain America, so it could be assumed that Rogers’ successful transformation made him significantly stronger.

Also, during Avengers: Infinity War, Steve Rogers is able to hold Thanos back for a moment after each of the other Avengers had been defeated, including Banner in the Hulkbuster armor. However, Captain America was soon incapacitated by the Mad Titan. While it’s unlikely that Steve is actually, in practice, anywhere near as strong as Hulk, some small moments like this make for interesting points of discussion.

13. Thor Odinson

The God Of Thunder Knows Few Equals

Chris Hemsworth’s Thor and the Hulk’s first battle came during The Avengers after the Hulk was awakened aboard SHIELD’s helicarrier. Although this battle seemed evenly matched, Thor gained the upper hand multiple times, even being able to hold the Hulk’s arm to avoid being crushed – though Mjolnir provides some assistance. Thor and the Hulk battle again in Thor: Ragnarok, which sees Thor outsmart the Hulk at almost every turn.

In the fight, Thor eventually embraces his true potential and is seemingly set to land the final blow into Hulk. However, trying to preserve the image of his undefeated Champion, the Grandmaster intervenes and turns on Thor’s shock collar. It’s a running joke that Thor believes himself to be the strongest Avenger – and as it turns out, he’s right.

12. Gilgamesh

The Strongest Eternal

Introduced in the MCU’s Phase 4, the Eternals are some of the most powerful characters in Marvel Studios’ roster. They’re imbued with cosmic energy, which manifests as various remarkable skills. Gilgamesh, for instance, is able to enhance his strength, making him the strongest of all the Eternals.

Though Gilgamesh and the Hulk haven’t yet met in the MCU – and likely won’t as Gilgamesh died in Eternals – it’s very likely that Don Lee’s Eternal is much more physically strong than Bruce Banner’s Hulk, allowing him to quickly take down Deviants, and withstand attacks from Angelina Jolie’s Thena. Given the late-movie reveal that the Eternals are biomechanical, however, it’s possible that any of them could return if a sequel ever happens.

11. Surtur

The Power To Destroy Asgard

Although Surtur is easily beaten by Thor in the opening moments of Thor: Ragnarok, the ending of Taika Waititi’s MCU debut saw the villain complete the prophecy and bring Ragnarok to Asgard. Growing taller than the mountains, Surtur was able to quickly obliterate Asgard, but not before being pestered by the comparatively tiny Hulk, who tried to take on the looming Surtur to save Asgard. Even if Thor hadn’t told the Hulk to stop attacking Surtur, it’s very unlikely that the new Revenger would have been able to defeat the enormous flaming creature.

Simply put, Surter is simply too large to be stopped by Hulk when at full power. If the being came across Hulk in a weaker state away from his source of power it may be a more interesting fight. However, some enemies simply can’t be punched hard enough my someone of Hulk’s size to die when at their best.

10. Scott Lang, A.K.A. Ant-Man

Power With Incredible Potential

Ant-Man’s powers in the MCU have always been a point of confusion and have never properly been explained. Even so, it’s probable that, in his normal form, Paul Rudd’s Scott Lang isn’t as strong as the Hulk. However, Captain America: Civil War showed off a new skill of Ant-Man’s, as the size-changing hero grew to an incredible height during the Avengers’ battle in Germany.

The hero grabbed a flying War Machine by the ankle and even tore the wing off a plane to use as a projectile. This power was seen a few times after that, most notably when Scott grew big and punished out a massive Leviathan in Endgame. As Giant-Man, there’s no doubt that Scott Lang is stronger than the Hulk, though it’s likely this brawl will never be seen in the MCU.

9. Vision

The Synthezoid Avenger Is Hard To Take Down

The MCU’s Vision has a plethora of abilities thanks to his vibranium body, artificial intelligence, and command over the Mind Stone, one of which is the power to control his body density. This enables him to become incorporeal and phase through solid objects, but also allows him to transform into a dense object himself. Vision can also shoot powerful beams of energy from the stone in his head.

Vision has only been defeated in combat once by Corvus Glaive in Avengers: Infinity War. However, while the movie doesn’t explain it well, this is due to Glaive’s weapon having a unique composition that stops Vision’s phasing. Bar that, and with his many powers, Vision should have no problem becoming impossible for Hulk to hit and having the strength to hit him back. Of course, with the original Vision dead, it’s unclear where White Vision’s power level lies.

8. Emil Blonsky, A.K.A. Abomination

A Stronger Hulk

2008’s The Incredible Hulk not only introduced Bruce Banner to the MCU but also Emil Blonsky, Tim Roth’s former Special Ops Commander, who transformed into the Abomination after being exposed to the super-soldier serum and Banner’s own blood. The Abomination is bigger, bonier, and physically stronger than the Hulk, though the villain is eventually defeated by Norton’s version of the Hulk thanks to the hero’s use of weaponry. A rematch seems unlikely given Blonsky’s redemption.

She-Hulk:Attorney At Law revisits Blonsky and shows a more human side to a man who just wanted to be a hero. In the years since The Incredible Hulk, he also gained the ability to willingly transition between his human and monstrous form. Moreover, he even maintains his usual intellect and personality while in Abomination form.

7. Carol Danvers, A.K.A. Captain Marvel

A Hero Yet To Meet Her Match

Upon her debut in 2019’s Captain Marvel, Brie Larson’s Carol Danvers changed the power levels of the MCU significantly. Her abilities come directly from the power of the Tesseract, a.k.a. the Space Stone, meaning she is one of the most overpowered and physically strongest of all of Marvel Studios’ heroes. While Danvers and the Hulk haven’t yet come to blows in the MCU, it’s very likely that a fight between the pair would leave the Hulk incapacitated.

Captain Marvel was able to withstand direct blows from Thanos in Avengers: Endgame, and a variant of Danvers easily took on Party Thor during Marvel Studios’ What If…?. In The Marvels, Danvers is powerful enough to fly into a dead star and single-handedly reignite it. The MCU has hitherto failed to introduce a threat who can go toe-to-toe with Captain Marvel, and Hulk would likely be no different.

6. Hercules

The Powerful Figure Of Greek Mythology

Hercules’ power hasn’t actually been shown in live-action yet. Brett Goldstein debuted as Zeus’ son, Hercules, in Thor: Love & Thunder’s mid-credits scene, teasing a bright future for the character in the MCU. In Marvel Comics, Hercules has bested the Hulk on multiple occasions and even acted as the Jade Giant’s replacement following the World War Hulk event in 2007.

With World War Hulk rumored to be coming to the MCU (despite confusion over the Hulk’s movie rights), it’s possible that audiences could witness an epic battle between Hercules and the Hulk. Given how close the fight was between Hulk and Thor in Ragnarok, and with Hercules similar to Thor in strength, it would likely be a good fight. However, it’s hitherto unclear when Hercules will return to the franchise.

5. Scarlet Witch

Powerful Almost Beyond Limits

Scarlet Witch is shown as a powerful magic user right from her first appearance in Avengers: Age of Ultron, but she doesn’t reach her full potential until much later. After losing Vision to Thanos in Infinity War, grief fuels her power, and she goes toe-to-toe with the Mad Titan. Moreover, she seems to have the upper hand.

However, Wanda grows even more powerful in WandaVision as she learns of her reality-altering potential in WandaVision. The Darkhold, a corrupted book of magic, makes her even stronger while corrupting the one-time Avenger. At her strongest, Wanda can hope between timelines and alter the fabric of reality itself. Hulk is strong, but he doesn’t have a defense against arguably the most powerful magic user in the MCU.

4. Doctor Strange

Magic Is Tough For Hulk To Handle

Another powerful sorcerer who would likely best Hulk is Stephen Strange, Earth’s former Sorcerer Supreme. While Stephen is no match for Hulk regarding blunt force, Strange’s wide variety of spells makes him clearly stronger. Strange isn’t just notable for his understanding of the mystic arts but for the way his intellect allows him to use that knowledge creatively and effectively.

A prime example is Stange’s run-in with Loki in Thor: Ragnarok. It’s unclear who the more powerful magic user is between the two, but Strange smartly opts to simply capture the God of Mischief in an unending loop of falling. He could likely do the same to Hulk, rendering him incapable of escape.

3. Sentry

Incredible Strength With A Dark Secret

Sentry has yet to appear in the MCU, but he’ll make his debut in the upcoming Thunderbolts* movie. Robert Reynolds isn’t quite the same as DC’s Superman, but they’re not too far apart in power level. The hero has the power of “1 million exploding suns,” which manifests in incredible strength, speed, and an apparent lack of physical weakness. Sentry is one of the very few characters who can simply match Hulk punch for punch.

However, Sentry does have a massive downside holding him back. Simply put, the Void is the other side of the Sentry coin – a terrible monstrosity that emanates from the hero. However, that’s unlikely to be a problem for Sentry when fighting the Hulk, even if it’s bad news for the world at large.

2. Hela

The Goddess Of Death

Hulk has been shown struggling against Thor, and Hela is, at worst, evenly matched with Thor as his most powerful in the MCU. The self-described Goddess of Death has incredibly raw strength, but that isn’t where her power ends. Her helmet and incredibly sword let her act as a veritable army, and she also commands a literal army as well.

Hulk would undoubtedly be able to pose a significant threat to Hela, but her magic and command over the dead would give her the edge. After all, Hulk was present in Thor: Ragnarok, but Thor still had to summon Surter to stop Hela. It’s unlikely the pair will ever directly face off after Hela’s apparent death, and it’s a shame it didn’t happen on screen when the opportunity presented itself.

1. Hulkbuster

A Purpose-Built Iron Man Suit

Tony Stark has a wide array of Iron Man suits in the MCU, many of which are custom-made for a specific task. In Avengers: Age of Ultron, Tony reveals a massive suit that his normal Iron Man suit slips into like he does to it. The “Hulkbuster” is designed to do just that – take on Hulk in hand-to-hand combat.

Fortunately for audiences the two duke it out in Age of Ultron as Hulk loses control and needs to be stopped. The two are relatively evenly matched, but Hulkbuster’s ability to get repairs on the fly and incorporate other pieces of Stark Tech makes it too much for Banner to handle. Though the fight doesn’t end with a clear winner, Stark retains the upper hand for most of the brawl with Hulk.