Marvel: Best Superhero Teams In The MCU, Ranked

Summary

Superhero teams in the Marvel Cinematic Universe showcase diverse dynamics and relationships.
The Thunderbolts* are a team of anti-heroes that gradually evolve into caring superheroes.
Characters like the Avengers and Guardians of the Galaxy have led to beloved trilogies and series.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe has created a cohesive universe that connects numerous films and shows within a single storyline. This interconnectedness has allowed beloved superheroes to team up and save the universe, captivating audiences with their relationships and dynamics, even if they appear together for just one movie.

Superhero teams are a beloved idea in comic books, as fans always wonder how certain characters would play off each other and how their different skills and abilities are incorporated. The Marvel Cinematic Universe features several teams that have formed and disassembled across the various phases.

Hulk, Nick Fury, Loki Characters Who Appear Most In The MCU

Marvel Cinematic Universe: Characters Who Appear In The Most Movies & Shows, Ranked

Here are the characters who appear in the most MCU projects, ranked by the number of appearances and how important their appearances were.

Posts 3

By Ben Painter

8 The Howling Commandos

The Superheroes That Helped Win World War 2

First Established: Captain America: The First Avenger

Not all heroes wear gimmicky costumes, and the Howling Commandos are an example of that. They were assembled by Captain America during World War 2 as a special task force that utilized unorthodox tactics to fight the highly advanced forces of Hydra. They consisted of Captain America, Bucky Barnes, Dum Dum Dugan, Gabe Jones, Happy Sam Sawyer, Pinky Pinkerton, Jim Morita, James Montgomery Falsworth, Jacques Dernier, and Junior Juniper.

Captain America wouldn’t have ever defeated the evil Red Skull without their help, and they would continue to operate as soldiers of fortune after the war ended. Their exploits would end up becoming an entire exhibit in the Smithsonian, arguably turning them into the first superhero team of the MCU.

7 The Defenders

The MCU’s Team Of Street-Level Heroes

Jessica Jones, Iron Fist, Luke Cage, and Daredevil assembled as The Defenders

Elektra fighting the Defenders in Marvel's The Defenders

Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, Claire Temple, and Colleen Wing in The Defenders

First Established: The Defenders Season 1

Netflix created a world of interconnected Marvel shows, consisting of Daredevil, Luke Cage, Jessica Jones, Iron Fist, and even The Punisher. While that last one never joins the team, the first four heroes came together to form the Defenders, who have their own spin-off series in which they have to stop The Hand from destroying New York City.

It was impressive that Netflix was able to pull off an ambitious crossover, even if the series wasn’t as beloved as the individual shows. The four heroes each provided something different to the story and the action, whether it was their drastically different personalities, powers, or costumes. Since the Punisher and Daredevil have since been reintroduced into the MCU, fans are hoping that the Defenders end up reuniting in the future.

6 The Resistance

Marvel Studios Showed Love To The Past

First Established: Deadpool & Wolverine

While fans have felt that the multiverse concept has grown stale of late, Deadpool & Wolverine did it right by showing love to the Marvel movies that came out before the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Inside the Void, the two meet Wesley Snipes’ Blade, Jennifer Garner’s Elektra, Dafne Keene’s Wolverine, and Channing Tatum’s Gambit, who assemble as the Resistance against Cassandra Nova and help Deadpool return to his universe.

rocket racoon starlord warmachine nebula

Marvel: Best Friendships In The MCU, Ranked

Even when they are busy saving the day, these Marvel characters still find time to forge lasting friendships.

Posts

By C.M Edwards

It was a nice send-off to an era of Marvel that started the golden era of Marvel movies, and the MCU wouldn’t exist without them. The team has even had a permanent impact on the MCU. Channing Tatum’s Gambit is set to reappear in Avengers: Doomsday alongside other legacy Marvel characters, such as Ian McKellen’s Magneto, James Marsden’s Cyclops, and Alan Cumming’s Nightcrawler.

5 The Marvels

Three Fun Cosmic Heroes With No Toxicity

First Established: The Marvels

Ms. Marvel, Monica Rambeau, and the powerful Captain Marvel get their chance to shine as the Marvels, a trio of heroes utilizing light-based powers, but in an unexpected way. They are forced to work together due to their connected powers, resulting in them swapping places whenever they use their powers simultaneously. This leads to bonding and deepening friendships, much to the delight of Ms. Marvel, a Captain Marvel fangirl.

While they did have some issues at first, the Marvels were a refreshing team because they didn’t spend the majority of their time together bickering before they became a team. Instead, they are just three good-hearted people who have fun saving the universe while still taking their job seriously, resulting in creative action sequences unlike any other Marvel film.

4 The Web Warriors

Three Generations Of Spider-Men Warmed Audiences' Hearts

First Established: Spider-Man: No Way Home

Spider-Man: No Way Home gifted audiences with a team of heroes that tugged at the hearts of multiple generations. Tobey Maguire, Andrew Garfield, and Tom Holland united as the Web Warriors to fight a multiversal team of Spider-Man villains from various Spider-Man movies, giving fans the closest thing to a live-action Spider-Verse movie.

The three variants of Spider-Man were not only a strong way to give an ending to Andrew Garfield and Tobey Maguire, but also appealed to the nostalgia of many Spider-Man fans. They each had their own ways of fighting, swinging, and quipping that made them stand out while working together in Spider-Man: No Way Home. Fans were happy enough just to see them banter on the same screen.

3 The Thunderbolts*

From Scruffy Anti-Heroes To The New Heroes Of Earth

First Established: Thunderbolts*

Marvel Studios’ Thunderbolts* had fans confused when it was first announced, due to its roster being unlike the comics and consisting mostly of super soldiers. However, the Thunderbolts* surprised many as they delivered an experience unlike most Marvel superhero teams, with a consistent theme of self-worth and deprecation.

Split image of Yelena, Void, and Bob in Thunderbolts

Marvel: 9 Biggest Surprises In Thunderbolts*, Ranked

Thunderbolts* features many surprises for the audience, such as much darker subject matter for an MCU movie and its shocking post-credits scene.

Posts 2

By Melody MacReady

The new Yelena Belova, John Walker, Ghost, Red Guardian, Winter Soldier, and Sentry all have dark pasts. At first, they can barely stand each other, but by the end, they arguably feel more like a family than the Avengers did, and they show more concern for collateral damage and the safety of civilians. That becomes a factor in how they stop Sentry/Void from destroying the world. Rather than fight with their fists and weapons, they use friendship to help Sentry defeat his darker half, which leads to them becoming The New Avengers.

2 The Guardians Of The Galaxy

The Cosmic Team That Led An Iconic Trilogy

First Established: Guardians Of The Galaxy

After the success of the Avengers, Marvel Studios gambled by giving an obscure team of B-list characters a big-budget movie. However, the Guardians of the Galaxy have not only proven capable of leading a movie. They have one of the most beloved film trilogies in the MCU and played major parts in Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame.

James Gunn excelled at creating a team of ragtag intergalactic criminals who become like a family by the end, and their bond as a found family continues to evolve with each movie. It also helps that Guardians of the Galaxy features some of the most unique visuals in the MCU when it comes to costumes, worlds, and action sequences. When the Guardians went their separate ways, it was a bittersweet but fitting ending for an iconic team.

1 The Avengers

Everything In The MCU Builds Up To Avengers Movies

First Established: The Avengers

Few truly believed that Marvel Studios could actually pull off an official team-up movie about The Avengers. However, after a few movies, that fantasy became a reality with Iron Man, Captain America, Hulk, Thor, Black Widow, and Hawkeye forming the initial Avengers, fending off Loki and the Chitauri forces as Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, even if they bickered a lot.

Since then, the team has expanded to include characters like Doctor Strange, Vision, Ant-Man, Scarlet Witch, War Machine, Spider-Man, Black Panther, and so many more. Even other superhero teams like the Guardians of the Galaxy became official members, creating an army of heroes in Avengers: Endgame that continues to grow, even when they are disbanded throughout the Multiverse Saga.