We may have lost most of the original Avengers in the current Marvel Cinematic Universe continuity, but it can't be denied that the founding members of the Earth's Mightiest Heroes remain influential in the billion-dollar franchise.
The seemingly unbeatable team of Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, Hulk, Black Widow, and Hawkeye reigned supreme in the MCU for a full decade, beginning in 2012’s The Avengers.
Considering how varied and unique the powers and abilities each Avenger has, they were the unforgettable forces that came together in Marvel Comics and the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Here’s all six original Avengers ranked from weakest to strongest in the MCU:
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Hawkeye
Apart from being the only original Avenger who doesn’t have his own solo movie, Hawkeye is no match for his teammates.
As Earth’s Mightiest Marksman, Clint Barton’s skilled hand-to-hand battles and a sharp eye for his bow and arrow can only bring him so far.
Although he was one of the only original six who survived Avengers: Endgame, his archery skills wouldn’t exactly beat a Super Soldier and the God of Thunder.
Black Widow
Next to Hawkeye is one of his best buddies, Black Widow aka Natasha Romanoff.
Trained and raised to be a proficient hand-to-hand combat fighter under the Black Widow program, she later joined S.H.I.E.L.D. before becoming a part of the Avengers.
Not to mention, she managed to come up against Ant-Man himself despite having no powers of her own. Her gadgetries and close fighting range allow her to face her enemies, in accordance with her strength and speed.
Iron Man
As the kickstarter of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Tony Stark relies highly on his intelligence when it comes to crafting inventions and weapons for Stark Industries, and eventually, for the Avengers, as well.
His iconic Iron Man suit that can deflect even the strongest of forces (including Thor’s lightning strikes) paired with his high IQ render him an unstoppable opponent.
Let’s not forget how he doesn’t leave his suits to rust, as in every Marvel film he comes out of, he always manages to improve and evolve its nanotechnology that could protect him and help him save the universe.
Mind you, he even got to procure the six Infinity Stones to his own suit, transforming it into that similar to the gauntlet that could withstand its powers to snap the universe back from the ashes.
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Hulk
Similar to Tony Stark’s intelligence, Dr. Bruce Banner is often found assisting and conjuring up ideas in the lab with his colleague.
But when the glasses are off, his skin turns green and transforms into a giant Hulk who can plow through anything he runs towards.
His brute force is not something to sneeze at, considering that at one point, he even got to destroy Iron Man’s suit when he was losing consciousness while he was still in Hulk mode.
Aside from this, what makes him stronger than Iron Man is the fact that over time, he has grown accustomed to staying as the Hulk without losing his consciousness, which made him even more powerful starting from Avengers: Endgame.
Captain America
Thanks to the Super Soldier serum, Steve Rogers became Captain America, a mascot turned hero who has a big heart for doing what’s right, no matter the circumstance.
With his enhanced strength and physical figures, equipped with his hand-to-hand combat skills on the field, Cap is definitely one of the strongest Avengers from the original six.
Heck, he even got to beat Tony Stark’s team in Avengers: Civil War when he went up against Spider-Man and even Black Panther.
He’s also one of the few people who can lift Thor’s hammer, Mjolnir, which makes him an even bigger threat to fight against if he ever returns to the MCU.
Thor
Of course, who else would be the strongest among the six Avengers if not the God of Thunder himself?
As one of the most powerful heroes in the MCU, he is not only the strongest for having his title and being the son of Odin, but Thor: Ragnarok proved just how stronger he is compared to when we first met him in his own Thor franchise.
The fact that he was initially portrayed to be highly reliant on his hammer meant he had his limits despite being the God of Thunder.
However, once he mastered controlling thunder and lightning with just the use of his own bare hands, this essentially turned him into the strongest and most powerful of the original Avengers.
While we have no idea yet who's the next set of MCU heroes ready to take the mantle of becoming the new generation of Avengers, there's a chance we'll be seeing Spider-Man, Doctor Strange, Captain Marvel, Black Widow, and the new Captain America banding together when the time comes.
Hopefully, the new set of heroes do realize that what makes the Avengers great in being Earth's Mightiest Heroes is not solely based on their superpowers and supernatural abilities, but in being able to work as a team to defend their home planet.
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