As 2024 nears its end, a look back at the Marvel Cinematic Universe movie and the three films in Sony’s Spider-Man Universe that were released this year shows that many powerful characters graced the silver screen. After many years with multiple releases, Deadpool & Wolverine was the MCU’s only movie in 2024. That was due to delays caused by the 2023 Hollywood strikes and internal restructuring at Marvel. Still, the film featured many powerful heroes and villains.
Adding to the list are also the three final entries among Sony’s Spider-Man Universe movies. Recently, it was reported that Kraven the Hunter would be the final movie in the SSU after multiple films bombed at the box office. Of the MCU and SSU movies released in 2024, only Madame Web is not represented on the list. Some players on the list could return in future Marvel movies, while others bid farewell in 2024. Here are the 10 most powerful characters in the 2024 MCU and SSU movies.
10
Chameleon
Appeared In Kraven The Hunter (SSU)
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First up is the Chameleon. Kraven the Hunter‘s reviews pointed out how the movie was flawed, but the focus on Kraven’s family and his upbringing under a stern father did resonate at times. While Aaron Taylor-Johnson’s Sergei Kravinoff was often propped up by their father as the strongest of the two, Fred Hechinger’s Dmitri Smerdyakov, Kraven’s brother, also had his own particular set of skills.
Kraven the Hunter teased the Chameleon’s ability to copy another person’s voice and mannerisms throughout the film. That was an interesting aspect of Hechinger’s character to follow, as Kraven the Hunter saw the character go from a kid to an adult, showing how his abilities would grow. At the end of the movie, Dmitri reveals he underwent a secretive surgery that gave him the power to shape-shift into anyone, copying their voice, expressions, and more, which made him powerful in a covert way.
9
Gambit
Appeared In Deadpool & Wolverine (MCU)
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Deadpool & Wolverine surprised fans with many exciting cameos and multiverse characters in supporting roles. Channing Tatum’s Gambit fits the latter. Tatum was first cast as Gambit in 2014, meant to lead a solo movie as the mutant and join Fox’s X-Men franchise. However, that film would be stuck in development hell for many years, being ultimately canceled when the Disney/Fox merger happened.
Thankfully, Ryan Reynolds championed for Tatum to get to play Gambit in Deadpool & Wolverine. Not only did he look comic book-accurate, but Gambit’s powers were perfectly depicted on the big screen. As it was an R-rated MCU entry, Gambit could freely use his powers to imbue cards with kinetic energy and explode many villains along the way. Gambit also showed his hand-to-hand fighting skills, and he was a threat with his staff.
8
Rhino
Appeared In Kraven The Hunter (SSU)
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Kraven the Hunter had the task of bringing a better version of Rhino to life after the character was let down by The Amazing Spider-Man 2. Alessandro Nivola’s version of Aleksei Sytsevich, aka Rhino, is easily better than the mechanical Rhino from Andrew Garfield’s final Spider-Man solo movie. Contrary to that take on the character, Kraven the Hunter actually had Nivola’s version of Aleksei undergo a physical transformation.
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Kraven the Hunter
R
Kraven the Hunter explores the origin story of Sergei Kravinoff, known as Kraven, as he navigates his tumultuous relationship with his father, Nikolai. This path of vengeance sets Kraven on a journey to become a formidable hunter with a reputation for fearsome brutality.
Release Date
December 13, 2024
Runtime
127 Minutes
Cast
Aaron Taylor-Johnson
, Russell Crowe
, Fred Hechinger
, Ariana DeBose
, Christopher Abbott
, Alessandro Nivola
, Levi Miller
, Chi Lewis-Parry
, Billy Barratt
, Jessica Zhou
, Michael Shaeffer
, Dritan Kastrati
, Greg Kolpakchi
, Elander Moore
, Filiz Fairweather
, Duran Fulton Brown
, Alex Skarbek
, Rachel Handshaw
, Preslav Shipkaliev
, Murat Seven
, Robert Ryan
Director
J.C. Chandor
Expand
The Rhino looked great, save for a few uncanny valley shots, and he was hard to stop. In the movie, Rhino is the final character Kraven the Hunter fights. Despite all the powers Aaron Taylor-Johnson’s character possesses, Rhino is simply a hard beast to take down. He has impenetrable skin, a horn, and super-human strength. Nivola’s character kept his human form through medication, turning into the Rhino every time he stopped it.
7
The Human Torch
Appeared In Deadpool & Wolverine (MCU)
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Chris Evans has been cast in Avengers: Doomsday, making it his second MCU return. The first came in the form of Deadpool & Wolverine, which saw him play Johnny Storm again. Evans was one of the best parts of the 2000s Fantastic Four movies, which showed how the Human Torch is one of Marvel’s most powerful characters. That comes from his feats in the comics, though the MCU let him down.
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Deadpool & Wolverine showed that Johnny Storm also possesses his powers of flight, fire manipulation, and being impervious to fire. However, he was easily defeated by Pyro, who could only manipulate existing flames and not create them from scratch like Johnny. The Human Torch was also killed by Casandra Nova by having his skin removed before he could do a thing. Those reasons make him go lower on the list.
6
Kraven The Hunter
Appeared In Kraven The Hunter (SSU)
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Aaron Taylor-Johnson first appeared in the MCU before leading the final movie in Sony’s Spider-Man Universe. In the Marvel Studios franchise, he played Quicksilver, a powerful speedster who was somehow killed by speeding bullets in his first MCU appearance. Thankfully, Kraven the Hunter‘s titular character was a role that gave Taylor-Johnson more to do. While it should also end up being a one-off, Kraven in the SSU is more powerful than in Marvel Comics.
Like in the comics, the film painted the character as the apex predator. Kraven also gets his powers in the movie from a mystical potion. However, the main difference between the two is that his abilities are greater than just superhuman strength, agility, speed, and reflexes. The serum — mixed with Zar the lion’s blood — leads to Kraven having new powers. Animals do not fear him, with his vision also being enhanced to track anything.
5
Deadpool
Appeared In Deadpool & Wolverine (MCU)
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Ryan Reynolds’ Merc With a Mouth returned in a big way in 2024. Deadpool & Wolverine broke several box office records, giving the MCU the highest-grossing R-rated movie of all time. Reynolds’ version of Deadpool is as powerful as he is in the comics. The character’s most important trait is that Deadpool is nearly unkillable. Deadpool’s healing factor makes him come back from severe injuries.
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9/10
Deadpool & Wolverine
R
A follow-up to the highly successful Deadpool and Deadpool 2 films starring Ryan Reynolds as the Merc with a Mouth. The third film will be the first in the franchise to be developed under the Marvel Studios banner following Disney’s acquisition of 20th Century Fox.
Release Date
July 26, 2024
Runtime
127 Minutes
Cast
Ryan Reynolds
, Hugh Jackman
, Emma Corrin
, Morena Baccarin
, Rob Delaney
, Leslie Uggams
, Karan Soni
, Matthew Macfadyen
, Brianna Hildebrand
, Shioli Kutsuna
, Stefan Kapicic
, Lewis Tan
, Randal Reeder
, Jennifer Garner
, Aaron Stanford
, Billy Clements
, Ollie Palmer
, Chris Hemsworth
, Rob McElhenney
Director
Shawn Levy
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The Deadpool movies have shown that many times, with hilarious moments where Wade Wilson grew new limbs. Deadpool & Wolverine brought more impressive feats of power from the character. Deadpool and Wolverine manage to beat all the members of the Deadpool Corps. Deadpool uses his superhuman strength, reflexes, and sword-fighting skills to dispatch many villains in the MCU movies. Deadpool also has the unique power to break the fourth wall.
4
Wolverine
Appeared In Deadpool & Wolverine (MCU)
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Deadpool & Wolverine also marked the long-requested return of Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine. The actor returned as if he had never missed a beat in the MCU movie. Physically, Wolverine and Jackman were at peak human condition. Logan also possesses a potent healing factor like Deadpool’s, something that Jackman’s X-Men movie appearances over the past couple of decades highlighted time and again. He also has enhancements Deadpool does not.
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X-Men Movies In Release Order |
|---|
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X-Men (2000) |
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X2: X-Men United (2003) |
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X-Men: The Last Stand (2006) |
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X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009) |
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X-Men: First Class (2011) |
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The Wolverine (2013) |
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X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014) |
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Deadpool (2016) |
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X-Men: Apocalypse (2016) |
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Logan (2017) |
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Deadpool 2 (2018) |
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Dark Phoenix (2019) |
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The New Mutants (2020) |
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Deadpool & Wolverine (2024) |
Due to his unique Adamantium skeleton, Wolverine is more durable than most Marvel characters, and he also has a neat and powerful ability that only a few do. Wolverine’s Adamantium claws allow him to slash through enemies with ease. While not exactly a power, Wolverine is a vicious fighter, which means all his abilities added to the character’s ruthless fighting stance make him a danger to all villains.
3
Venom
Appeared In Venom: The Last Dance (SSU)
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2024 marked the end of the only successful franchise in Sony’s Spider-Man Universe, Tom Hardy’s Venom movies. Just like his last two cinematic outings, Venom: The Last Dance had many impressive displays of power from the symbiote. It all starts with the level of power of the characters Venom fought in his final SSU movie. Eddie Brock and Venom went up against Xenophages, which were made to destroy symbiotes.
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8.3/10
Venom: The Last Dance
PG-13
Venom: The Last Dance is a film directed by an undisclosed director, featuring the character Venom in a thrilling narrative. The movie explores the alien symbiote’s latest challenges and transformations as it navigates through a world full of danger and new adversaries.
Release Date
October 25, 2024
Runtime
110 Minutes
Cast
Tom Hardy
, Chiwetel Ejiofor
, Juno Temple
, Rhys Ifans
, Stephen Graham
, Peggy Lu
, Clark Backo
, Alanna Ubach
, Cristo Fernández
, Jared Abrahamson
, Hala Finley
, Dash McCloud
, Andy Serkis
, Reid Scott
, Jack Brady
, Ivo Nandi
, Jake Allyn
, Otis Winston
, Jacob Tomuri
, Brooke Carter
, Fflyn Edwards
, Elijah Cook
, Norma Butikofer
, Elizabeth Cook
, Angie Hsu
, Martin McDougall
Director
Kelly Marcel
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Venom could not fully beat them, but the symbiote could resist long enough to wipe the Xenophages out in an emotional sacrifice. Venom’s durability is impressive, with the symbiote also being able to resurrect Eddie Brock through its healing abilities, which it does multiple times throughout the Venom movies. The symbiote shoots out tendrils that allow it to swing, grab enemies, and more. With super strength, reflexes, and more classic skills, Venom is quite powerful.
2
Cassandra Nova
Appeared In Deadpool & Wolverine (MCU)
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The final two spots on the list are reserved for villains. The characters played different roles in their 2024 movies, but both are immensely powerful. First up is Cassandra Nova, who was the main villain of Deadpool & Wolverine. Emma Corrin made the character frightening. Cassandra Nova is Charles Xavier’s twin sister, which shows just how powerful of a telepath she is. Deadpool & Wolverine made sure to use her powers whenever possible.
Cassandra Nova showed off a wide array of powers in the MCU movie. Some of those included blasting psionic waves, phasing her fingers through people’s heads to enter their minds and inflict pain, telekinesis, and more. Besides being extremely powerful, Cassandra Nova was sadistic in how she used her power. In the end, Deadpool and Wolverine did not defeat her in a head-to-head fight.
1
Knull
Appeared In Venom: The Last Dance (SSU)
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Finally, Knull is the most powerful character to appear in a 2024 MCU or SSU movie. Different from Cassandra Nova, he was not the main villain of his live-action project, Venom: the Last Dance. Still, Knull’s presence was felt throughout the movie. Knull is the creator of symbiotes, being responsible for the incredibly powerful nature of Venom, Carnage, and others. When he was betrayed by them, Knull created the bloodthirsty Xenophages.
Both species have potent healing factors, which show Knull’s mastery of his powers. The villain can also send his Xenophages through portals to wherever he wants them to go, only not teleporting himself due to his imprisoned state. Knull’s list of powers is long, but some of his main skills include the manipulation of darkness and immortality. If he is let loose, he could wreak havoc in the MCU, the SSU, or wherever he appears next.
All Announced Upcoming MCU Movies
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Captain America: Brave New World
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February 14, 2025
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Thunderbolts*
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May 2, 2025
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The Fantastic Four: First Steps
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July 25, 2025
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Avengers: Doomsday (2026)
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Spider-Man Homecoming 4
Release Date
July 24, 2026
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Avengers: Secret Wars
Release Date
May 7, 2027
