The top 18 Marvel Cinematic Universe superheroes, ranked from worst to best

Who? Quicksilver was Scarlet Witch's annoying brother, who Ultron killed during the Battle of Sokovia. He didn't even last an entire movie, and that's a good thing. He wasn't a fully fleshed-out character, and "X-Men: Days of Future Past" (2014) used this character in a much more clever way the same year.

Flaws are good for any character, especially a superhero — and a lack of them is one of the reasons Superman is so hard to translate to the big screen. Tony Stark is probably the most flawed hero in the MCU, which was fun for a few movies, along with his one-liners. But over time, he became relentlessly arrogant, ignoring the needs of others unless they related to his need to feel glorified.

The only thing that makes Hawkeye any different from arrow-slinging heroes like Legolas or Katniss Everdeen is that he has a secret family, which is not even a secret anymore because he introduced them to the Avengers in “Age of Ultron.” The most personality we’ve seen from Hawkeye was in “Captain America: Civil War” when he shows up out of retirement to help fight on team Cap. Why? We don’t know and probably never will.

War Machine, played by Don Cheadle, doesn't have much going on besides being Tony Stark's best friend. Rhodes, often called Rhodey, tries to keep Tony in check, but isn't very good at it. He's crippled now as a result of that big fight in "Civil War," so we're curious what role he'll play in "Infinity War."

Black Widow is a mystery. All we really know about her comes from what other people have said about her past. Black Widow’s development throughout the MCU movies (she made her first appearance in “Iron Man 2”) is a bit lacking because she hasn’t had a standalone movie, though one is in the works. Her love story with Bruce Banner/Hulk in "Age of Ultron" could have worked with more context to her character, who has been lazily written. She deserves better and we truly wish she were higher up on this list.

Star-Lord is basically the opposite of Thor: a human in outer space. He's obsessed with 80s music, constantly delivers snappy one-liners, and has major daddy issues. His dad, Ego, was a planet that tried to have him killed. What makes Star-Lord most appealing, though, is his attachment to his Sony Walkman that his mother gave him.

Finally, a version of Peter Parker, a high school teen, who is played by an age appropriate actor instead of a grown man. The MCU's version of Peter Parker captures the character that people fell in love with in the comics: cheesy one-liners, a little bit of ignorance, and a sense of immense responsibility due to his powers. We also didn't even have to witness Tom Holland's Parker get bit by a spider to get to know him.

Scarlet Witch got off to a bad start in "Age of Ultron." For most of the movie, she and her brother were Team Ultron, but eventually flipped to the good side. Scarlet Witch is one of the few heroes who doesn't have complete control of their power. She's coming into her own after her isolation in "Civil War," and has proven she's one of the most powerful members of the team.

Falcon is loyal to Captain America and while he takes his job seriously, he always does it with a bit of a wink. He's a welcome addition to the Avengers family, and has helped loosen Cap up a bit. There's good for each other, and Falcon is good for the franchise.

Are you thinking that Bucky is a sidekick? He might be now, but depending on who dies in “Infinity War,” Bucky Barnes could be one of the next leaders of the Avengers. His backstory as a brainwashed soldier for Hydra who killed Tony Stark's parents adds more layers to his character than even some of the characters with standalone movies have. And he is finally living as his true self with immense regret for what Hydra made him do for decades.

Vision is basically an Alexa or Siri in human form, but a man. He’s only had minor roles in “Age of Ultron” and “Civil War,” but he’s one of the strongest supporting characters in the MCU. He’s really powerful and that Infinity Stone on his head brings some necessary drama. Because Vision is so serious, he’s also a source of some much-needed comic relief.

Valkyrie hasn't technically fought with the Avengers yet, but she fought with two of them in "Thor: Ragnarok." Her role in the movie, made even more significant by Tessa Thompson, puts her on the list. A powerful former warrior for Asgard, Valkyrie drinks away her dark past on Sakaar until she stumbles upon Thor and somewhat reluctantly joins his team.

Yet another anti-hero! Scott Lang is a former criminal with a pretty optimistic (if sarcastic) attitude and a master's in electrical engineering. Coming into the MCU late has benefitted Lang's character. With so much success already, there was a little more freedom to make his first movie, "Ant-Man" (2015), a little weird and quite ambitious for a blockbuster hero. Lang's also memorable for his genuine excitement when he finally meets his hero, Captain America. Lang also wouldn't work so well if it weren't for Paul Rudd, perhaps the most charming guy on the planet (apologies to Chris Evans).

What makes Bruce Banner/the Hulk so interesting is that he's more of a liability than he is a superhero, but the Avengers keep bringing him back anyway. Mark Ruffalo brings more humanity to the role than we thought possible. And while his storylines in "The Avengers" (2012) and "Age of Ultron" (2015) center on how much of a problem he is, his character (both Banner and the big guy) transform in "Thor: Ragnarok" because Hulk is treated as a character instead of a weapon, and of course, there's some humor woven in.

Stephen Strange follows the Tony Stark formula. He’s a rich, stubborn jerk whose powers come after he’s made a huge mistake. In Stark’s case, he was selling dangerous weapons and feels bad about it. In Strange’s case, he was drinking while driving recklessly and lost the ability to perform surgery. But unlike Stark, Dr. Strange evolves with his power, which makes his character a little more interesting than Stark. Strange, played perfectly by Benedict Cumberbatch, has exciting banter with other MCU characters including Thor and Loki that make him a welcome addition to the MCU lineup of heroes.

Initially quite vanilla, Thor's adventures on Earth and in Sakaar have transformed him into a character almost as interesting as his brother, Loki. Thor grows on you the more you watch his movies and the more you see him. At this point, he's lost his hammer, an eye, his dad, and his evil sister, but has brand new lighting-eye powers that we can't wait to see him take advantage of against Thanos.

T’Challa, like Captain America, is one of the best heroes in the universe because he has a conscience outside of himself and the superhero world. While it took a while for him to get there on his journey in "Black Panther" because he is noble to a fault, T’Challa understands that there is a world and people outside of Wakanda and outside the Avengers that he has the power and responsibility to protect.

Captain America has the richest backstory and is somehow, as a person, the most relatable hero despite the fact that he is a super soldier who was frozen in ice for decades. His adjustment to modern life is relatable to everyone coming into adulthood (or anyone really). He thinks and acts with his emotions first, and is loyal to his friends like Bucky Barnes and Peggy Carter in "Civil War," which gives him a better sense of humanity and strength compared to our other MCU heroes. And we haven't even seen "Infinity War" yet, but can just tell from the trailers that he's even more charming with a beard.