The MCU is not short of powerful characters, especially the Avengers, but that doesn’t mean they are the most powerful characters in the MCU, with even some side characters exceeding their power levels. One thing that makes the Avengers so compelling is that they are neither infallible nor impervious. In fact, one of the best MCU stories – Avengers: Infinity War – shows just how badly they can lose, and their battles with even minor villains rarely look like a certain victory.

With the MCU timeline being so awash with godlike beings, it stands to reason that some of its most powerful characters aren’t conveniently part of the same team of main characters. Unsurprisingly, given that the MCU includes so many characters, some could give the Avengers as much of a run for their money as Thanos. While these side characters may not have plot armor on their side, it’s easy to see how they could also bring the Avengers to their knees.

10. Heimdall Is An Asgardian God Who Wields The Bifrost
First Appeared In Thor (2011)

As an Asgardian god, Heimdall is already on a par with Thor; but as the Asgardian in control of the Bifrost, Heimdall’s power is hugely augmented. The power of the Bifrost is hard to overstate, but Heimdall was the first to articulate it in Thor when he divulged that it was capable of annihilating entire worlds. Unfortunately, Heimdall was dispossessed of the Bifrost relatively early on in his MCU career, culminating in his death at the hands of Thanos. Still, without it under his sway, Heimdall would be a worthy match for the Avengers if they threatened the nine realms.

9. Laufey Stood Up To Odin

The King of the Frost Giants may have been bested by the Asgardians on more than one occasion, but the fact that Laufey could stand up to them at all is a testament to his power. Laufrey’s giant stature is one thing, but his ice-manipulating abilities also have some added benefits, particularly if they are akin to omega mutant Bobby Drake AKA Iceman’s. Laufey’s full power was also curtailed by Odin when he confiscated the Casket of Ancient Winters, an artifact that could cause some serious damage to Earth’s Mightiest Heroes (and Earth itself).

8. Wong Is The Sorcerer Supreme
First Appeared In Doctor Strange (2016)

Although Wong is largely a font of comic relief, his ascension to the role of Sorcerer Supreme in Doctor Strange’s absence speaks volumes. The abilities of the world’s most powerful sorcerers are nigh unparalleled, with Strange’s vast power set showcasing exactly what Wong may also be capable of. Wong has demonstrated his abilities on several occasions, but the fact that he could hold his own against Abomination – a creature of similar strength to Hulk – is a stark illustration of how capable Wong has become.

7. Kurse Already Defeated Thor
First Appeared In Thor: The Dark World (2013)

Kurse was a highlight of an otherwise disappointing movie, particularly for his terrifying character design. More terrifying, however, was the fact that the Dark Elf could capably go a few rounds with Thor and come out on top until Loki’s cunning stood in his way. As one of the strongest Avengers in the MCU so far, Thor’s loss at the hands of Kurse goes to show how powerful the Dark Elf formerly known as Algrim the Strong is.

6. Frigga Is A Formidable With A Sword And Sorcery
First Appeared In Thor (2011)

Frigga’s role in the MCU was largely non-combative, but Frigga would have cut Thor: The Dark World short were it not for Kurse’s intervention. The extent of her abilities manifested most impressively in her short bout with Malekith, the leader of the Dark Elves, in which she demonstrated her skill with a sword and proved that she does not necessarily need to rely on her illusion magic. As Loki’s teacher and the mother of Thor, it is easy to see how Frigga’s powerful magic and godlike status could give the Avengers cause for concern.

5. Eitri Forges God-Killing Weapons
First Appeared In Avengers: Infinity War (2018)

The hulking stature of Nidavellir’s last remaining Dwarf is intimidating enough, but Eitri’s true power rests in his smithing abilities. As one of the beings responsible for forging god-killer weapons like Stormbreaker, Eitri is more than capable of bringing Avenger-killing artifacts into existence. His cosmic knowledge and materials are widely believed to be unparalleled and already helped to defeat the Avengers by forging the Infinity Gauntlet that facilitated the Snap.

4. Black Bolt Can Obliterate Practically Anything
First Appeared In Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness (2022)

While Blackagar Boltagon was a part of the ill-fated Inhumans series, its canonicity remains distinctly unconfirmed as Marvel seems keen to sweep its existence under the rug – even going so far as to avoid all mentions of Hawaii, where it was based. With that in mind, Black Bolt’s fleeting appearance as part of Earth-838’s Illuminati is about as close to being canon as he can be. With that being his only appearance, his role alongside the rest of the Illuminati was cut decidedly short.

When Earth-838’s Illuminati condemned Doctor Strange to death, it was Black Bolt who delivered the sentence, obliterating the Sorcerer Supreme on the backdrop of a ruined Titan. Black Bolt was also the Illuminati’s first line of defense against the rampaging Scarlet Witch before her reality-warping powers made short work of him and his colleagues. Considering this was a Darkhold-empowered Wanda with godlike powers, Black Bolt barely stood a chance. Against the rest of the Avengers, however, he would be a force to be reckoned with.

3. Zeus Is The King Of The Gods
First Appeared In Thor: Love And Thunder (2022)

Despite growing lazy and complacent in Omnipotence City, it’s safe to assume that the King of the Gods is on a par with Odin in terms of power, if he tried. Thor made a fool of Zeus by impaling him with his own thunderbolt, but Zeus was later shown to have survived the ordeal, hinting at an invincibility that only the Necrosword could counteract. Zeus also holds sway over the gods of Omnipotence City, which affords him quite a formidable army with which to decimate the Avengers.

2. Alioth Killed Countless Kangs

The sheer scale of Alioth’s power is demonstrated by the fact that he killed multiple variants of the Multiverse Saga’s arch-villain, Kang the Conqueror. This is in addition to various figures condemned to the void at the end of time. Loki and Sylvie’s powerful magic was able to swindle and then control Alioth in the events of Loki season 1, but only worked to temporarily subdue the beast before he would continue to embody the terrifying nature of the void at the end of time.

As a practically formless cloud of pure entropy, it is hard to see how the Avengers would stand a chance against him without simply bringing him to their side. This is, after all, how He Who Remains succeeded in winning his Multiversal War. Deadpool & Wolverine, which looks like it may feature Alioth, might reveal an as-yet-unseen weakness in the entity, but from what has been seen so far, Alioth is simply unstoppable.

1. Dormammu Was Only Convinced To Stop His Assault
First Appeared In Doctor Strange (2016)

As the ruler of an entire dimension, Dormammu’s power is self-evident. Doctor Strange was smart enough to recognize that he could not kill the Dark Dimension’s avaricious ruler by conventional means and deployed the power of an Infinity Stone to put Dormammu in a bargaining mood – though not before he was effortlessly killed countless times by the dark entity. It was here that Strange established that he, too, is a force to be reckoned with, though had he not successfully obstructed Dormammu’s designs, the MCU would look decidedly different.

Dormammu demonstrates a plethora of godlike powers when in his dimension, which nearly swallows the MCU’s reality. Had that been the case, there is little to no chance that the Avengers could have stood up to a being that is on a par with gods in raw power. As her uncle, the involvement of Charlize Theron’s Clea may reintroduce Dormammu to the MCU, in which case it would be interesting to see how Doctor Strange and the new lineup of Avengers decide to combat him.