The Most Dangerous MCU Monsters Ranked
The Marvel Cinematic Universe is a unique crossover saga that incorporates many different genres. While all of the films in the MCU are bound together by canon, the individual films and shows take wildly different approaches to the original source material. "Ant-Man" feels like a classic caper adventure, "Captain America: The Winter Soldier" feels like a political thriller from the 1970s, "Spider-Man: Homecoming" feels like a John Hughes-era coming-of-age high school comedy, and both "Thor: Ragnarok" and "Thor: Love and Thunder" feel like epic space satires.
While the expansive nature of the MCU's world-building has allowed a diverse set of filmmakers to tell their stories, the universe is definitely grounded in its core fantasy and science fiction elements. The first three phases of the MCU built toward an epic science fiction battle, and there's been many other creatures, monsters, and strange animals introduced along the way. Here are the most dangerous MCU monsters, ranked.
15. Screaming Goats
"Thor: Love and Thunder" is certainly one of the funniest movies in the MCU thus far, and one of the best recurring gags is Thor's use of some particularly obnoxious goats to pull his Asgardian vehicle. It's an amusing reference to a popular Internet meme (which Taika Waititi has said was an homage to Taylor Swift). The silly goats actually help balance out the film's tone, especially during the darker subplots with Gorr the God Butcher's (Christian Bale) backstory and Jane Foster's (Natalie Portman) struggles with cancer.
Thor's goats, Toothgrinder and Toothgnasher, were given to him and Korg (Waititi) as a gift from the Indigarrians for their heroism in battle. While the goats may be annoying, they do come in handy when Thor starts his next quest. There is concern that Stormbreaker may not be able to control the power of the Bifrost. Jane suggests that Stormbreaker's power could be used to launch a larger vehicle into space. With the added magic, the goats are able to carry Thor, Jane, Korg, and King Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson) across the Bifrost into Omnipotent City. The goats prove their merit during the battle with Zeus (Russell Crowe). We have the goats to thank for saving Korg's face from destruction, and they even help fight some of the city's inhabitants. Apparently, the love of goats is all in the family, as Loki (Tom Hiddleston) spares a few goats from certain doom during the destruction of Pompeii in "Loki."
14. Alligator Loki
So far, "Loki" has been the strongest of the MCU shows released on Disney+. Tom Hiddleston adds a lot of humor to the series as Loki interacts with the variant versions of himself. Loki even starts a romantic relationship with the variant Sylvie (Sophia Di Martino), but he's slightly less charmed by a version of himself that is an alligator. It's unclear whether "Alligator Loki" was born an alligator, or if he was turned into an alligator at some point. However, Alligator Loki apparently ate a neighbor's cat, which prompted the Time Variance Authority to banish him to the Void.
Despite his hefty appetite, Alligator Loki ranks lower on the list because he seems to be relatively self-conscious, and thus would be able to listen to reason. However, that doesn't mean that any of the MCU heroes would want to get on his bad side. Alligator Loki has been able to avoid the Alioth by working with Kid Loki, Classic Loki, and Boastful Loki in their underground lair. He's also savvy about detecting misinformation, as when Alligator Loki refutes Boastful Loki's claims that he was able to kill Captain America and Iron Man in his timeline.
13. Ant-thony
The MCU has certainly shown that it is willing to go to some pretty dark places. Shows like "Moon Knight" and "WandaVision" have dealt with emotional themes of loss and guilt, and darker films like "Captain America: The Winter Soldier" and "Black Panther" have tackled relevant political debates. That being said, 2015's "Ant-Man" and its sequel, 2018's "Ant-Man and the Wasp," are both basically comedies. They feel closer to classic heist capers than gritty action films.
Part of the fun of both films is seeing Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) put together a goofy crew to perform his heists. Lang isn't entirely sure how to handle the Ant-Man suit that Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) trains him to use. Pym doesn't entirely trust Scott, so he attaches a camera to an ant named "#247" to spy on the former thief. Pym doesn't distinguish any of the ants by name, but Scott decides to give #247 the name "Ant-thony." The ant becomes a loyal steed of sorts, which Scott rides during the heists in the first "Ant-Man" film. Ant-thony has shown enough loyalty and dedication to merit inclusion on the list, but it's clear that anything too dangerous might be too much for the lowly insect to handle. When Scott sneaks into a facility owned by Cross Technologies, Darren Cross/Yellowjacket (Corey Stoll) kills Ant-thony in the ensuing battle. Hopefully, a variant version of Ant-thony has a brighter future ahead of him in one of the multiverses' many realities.
12. Jackals
Similar to the way the "Thor" franchise has introduced Norse mythology to the MCU, "Moon Knight" intertwined elements of Egyptian mythology. When Steven Grant (Oscar Isaac) is working at the National Art Gallery, he has access to an ancient Egyptian compass known as the "Scarab of Ammit." The artifact was stolen by his alternate personality, the mercenary adventurer Marc Spector. The cult leader Arthur Harrow (Ethan Hawke) is keen to get his hands on the Scarab of Ammit, so he sends a jackal to kill Steven.
The Egyptian monster that Harrow summoned would clearly be more than a match for a common person like Steven, who is easily chased and pinned down by the mythological creature. However, Steven is more than he seems, and manages to take the jackal by surprise when he transforms into the superhero Moon Knight and uses his superpowers to overpower the creature. It's not the last time that Moon Knight has to deal with one of Harrow's jackals, as when one chases Mark and Layla Abdallah El-Faouly (May Calamawy) in London. Once again, it takes Moon Knight to outwit the creature. Jackals rank lower on the list because it seems like any seasoned superhero should be able to elude or deceive them. However, they're still incredibly strong creatures and are capable of carrying the weight of two humans.
11. Abilisk
The Abilisk ranks slightly higher on this list due to its sheer size alone. The massive, tentacled creature is drawn to the power source on the Sovereign Planet. The Sovereign people are clearly incapable of dealing with such a giant creature, so they hire Peter Quill (Chris Pratt), Gamora (Zoe Saldana), Drax (Dave Bautista), Rocket Racoon (Bradley Cooper), and Groot (Vin Diesel) to get rid of the Abilisk.
Although the Abilisk seems viscous from afar, in actuality it's not nearly as terrifying up close. The Abilisk isn't inherently violent, it's just trying to take the energy from the batteries. Even when Drax attempts to go head-to-head with the creature, the Abilisk simply swallows him but does not eat him whole. The Abilisk doesn't put up much of a fight, as Gamora is easily able to slice it wide open with the blade of her sword. That being said, the Abilisk was still able to survive many laser blasts from Peter's Quad Blasters and all of Rocket's weapons, so it is not worth dismissing entirely as a non-threat.
10. White Rhinoceros
While the White Rhinoceroses are simply native creatures within Africa, the Wakandan Border Tribe has bred many of them for combat. As a result, the White Rhinoceroses that appear in the MCU have all the advantages of being part of the Wakandan military. Wakanda has one of the most powerful armies in the entire MCU, so it's worth taking these creatures seriously if you ever find yourself in trouble with the Wakandan government.
In "Black Panther," W'Kabi (Daniel Kaluuya) summons a group of White Rhinoceroses during the battle between T'Challa (Chadwick Boseman) and Killmonger's (Michael B. Jordan) opposing forces. During the conflict, the White Rhinoceroses prove to be a major asset to Killmonger and W'Kabi. They mercilessly chase down and bludgeon the Wakandan soldiers that are in their way. However, it's also clear that the White Rhinoceroses are intelligent creatures, and possess a strong sense of loyalty. When W'Kabi's White Rhinoceros, M20, sees that its path is blocked by Okoye (Danai Gurira), it simply stops and greets her with a customary lick. The White Rhinoceroses are bred for battle, but their goal is ultimately to be peaceful. After M20 becomes domestic, the other White Rhinoceroses in the battle also cease their fighting. It wouldn't make sense to rank them higher than creatures that are more inherently malevolent.
9. Shadow Monsters
In "Thor: Love and Thunder," Gorr takes advantage of the new powers at his disposal once he claims possession of the Necrosword. The Necrosword is a powerful blade that Gorr plans to use as he tracks down and destroys all of the gods that have lied and betrayed their loyal followers, and Gorr uses it to summon powerful creatures that follow his commands without question.
Gorr uses the shadow monsters to raid an Asgardian village and kidnap the children. This is all part of his trap to goad Thor, Valkyrie, and Jane to go to the Shadow Realm so that he can steal Stormbreaker. The shadow monsters create enough chaos to disrupt the peace within New Asgard, and they're able to overwhelm the group and steal the innocent children. The shadow monsters' powers are only strengthened once Gorr is in the Shadow Realm. The only reason that the shadow monsters don't rank any higher is that they are controlled by whoever wields the Necrosword. If someone like Thor is using the ancient weapon, then you are probably safe. If someone like Gorr has control of it, then you better watch out. Also, bonus points for the fact that the creatures were apparently designed by children.
8. Gargantos
If you know anything about Sam Raimi, you know that he sure loves his monsters. Raimi opened this year's "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness" with an epic action sequence that easily ranks among the MCU's best. As Stephen Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) awkwardly attends the wedding of his former lover, Christine Palmer (Rachel McAdams), he hears the pending danger of the massive creature known as Gargantos, who has traveled to New York from another reality at the command of Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen).
Gargantos quickly proves to be a dangerous creature that is capable of destruction on a massive scale. Doctor Strange has already become an expert at wielding magic, but he struggles to control Garganto, who is both incredibly strong and unpredictable (a dangerous combination). Gargantos doesn't rank any higher because, as powerful as it is, it is not the brightest monster within the Multiverse. By using the Cloak of Levitation to cover the creature's eye, Strange is able to buy enough time to stab the monster through that eye with a light post.
7. Flerken
Who doesn't love cats? Well, the Flerken is much more dangerous than a domesticated pet. This alien creature may resemble a normal cat, but in actuality, the Flerken are able to swallow many objects at once. The pocket dimensions within their bodies allow them to hold on to any sort of weapon or powerful device that they may need in a time of crisis. The Flerken are able to withstand the powers of the Tesseract, which is something that very few MCU characters are able to do.
However, the Flerken that we see in the MCU appears to be relatively intelligent and friendly. Goose, the Flerken owned by Mar-Vell (Annette Bening), becomes an ally to Carol Danvers (Brie Larson) and Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) during their mission to rescue the Skrull refugees from Starforce and the Kree. That doesn't mean you want to cross the Flerken, since Goose devours the Kree soldiers that try to attack Fury.
6. Outriders
Thanos is the most powerful character that the MCU has introduced so far, and it only makes sense that he would require a dangerous army for all of his evil plans. Thanos uses the Outriders to launch a massive assault on Wakanda in "Avengers: Infinity War." Although the Outriders aren't very intelligent, they are completely subservient to Thanos' commands. It doesn't seem like any other MCU characters would be able to control them.
The Outriders are powerful because of their dangerous claws and incredible speed. A swarm of Outriders overwhelms the highly-trained Wakandan military, and they will stop at nothing to consume their prey. The Outriders continue to swarm the force field, and even though many of them are killed, they manage to weaken the powerful protective device. They also don't need to rely on any weapons, as their bodies are powerful enough. Outriders would rank higher if they created more danger for any of the heroes. Thor is able to easily defeat many Outriders, but there are just so many of them that the Avengers face a crisis.
5. Frost Beasts
You know that a creature is dangerous when even the Asgardians struggle to defeat it. The Frost Beasts come from the realm of Jotunheim. The ancient creatures have been alive for many years, and unlike the Outriders, they don't need to travel in packs to put their prey in danger. It takes the combined powers of Thor, Lady Sif (Jamie Alexander), Volstagg (Ray Stevenson), Fandral (Josh Dallas), and Hogun (Tadanobu Asano) to defeat just one Frost Beast, and that's when Thor had the power of Mijolnir. Who's to say that the brave Asgardians would have survived the encounter without their most powerful weapon?
Even though they are huge in size, the Frost Beasts are also incredibly fast. The ancient monsters are able to survive for thousands of years if they are frozen solid. However, the Frost Beasts don't rank any higher because they are capable of being distracted. In one of the post-credit scenes for "Thor: The Dark World," a Frost Beast runs through the streets as it chases after birds.
4. Chitauri Gorillas
The Chitauri soldiers alone create complete chaos during the Battle of New York in "The Avengers." If the Chitauri were dangerous enough on their own, then the monsters that they use are even more powerful. In "Avengers: Endgame," Thanos uses the Pym Particles to travel across the Quantum Realm and create an army of the most powerful creatures within the MCU. One of the monster races that he collects for his invasion of Earth are the merciless Chitauri Gorillas.
The Chitauri Gorillas are unflinchingly loyal to the Chitauri soldiers, and there's no use trying to reason with them. During the Battle for Earth in the ruins of the Avengers compound, the heroes gather a massive army of the Earth's mightiest heroes, including the Guardians of the Galaxy, the Ravagers, the Asgardian military, the Masters of the Mystic Arts, and the Avengers themselves. Even then, they struggle to deal with the powerful Chitauri Gorillas.
3. Asgardians Wolves
It only makes sense that a majority of the most powerful monsters in the MCU hail from Asgard. Despite its seemingly gorgeous scenery, Asgard has a very dark history. In "Thor: Ragnarok," Thor's secret sister, Hela (Cate Blanchett), serves as a reminder of the most violent moments in the realm's past. When Hela takes over Asgard, she uses the power of the Eternal Flame to resurrect her most loyal Asgardian Wolf, Fenris, to protect her once more. During the Battle of Asgard, Fenris is only defeated after facing off against the Hulk.
The Asgardian Wolves are so dangerous that they are kept within a Treasureyard. In "Thor, The Mighty Avenger," a canon digital comic within the MCU, it is revealed that young Asgardians are forced to steal a bone from the Treasureyard and battle an Asgardian Wolf as a rite of passage. Anything that's used to train the Asgardian military is surely powerful enough to rank near the top of the list.
2. The Great Protector
The mystical village of Tao Lo requires a powerful guardian to keep it safe. The Great Protector is a dragon that the Ta Lo Armed Forces used in ancient times to defend themselves against the Dweller-in-Darkness and the Soul Eaters. Without the assistance of the Great Protector, the entire Tao Lo civilization would have been destroyed. The Great Protector has a powerful protective layer of scales, which the Tao Lo army uses to fashion their armor.
The Great Protector only emerges in times of crisis. When Xu Wenwu (Tony Leung) threatened to disrupt the peace, Xu Shang-Chi (Simu Liu) was aided in his battle by the Great Protector. This wasn't the first time that dragons appeared in the MCU, with Danny Rand (Finn Jones) battling a dragon becoming a running joke in "The Defenders," but the other heroes had to take his story seriously when the Hand tried to unleash a dragon in New York City using the power of the Iron Fist.
1. Leviathans
The Battle of New York in "The Avengers" is one of the most important moments in the entire MCU. This was the battle in which the Avengers truly worked together for the first time, and their narrow victory paved the way for their future success. However, the level of devastation in the battle caused the public to question what the heroes' priorities really were. In "Captain America: Civil War," Thunderbolt Ross (William Hurt) uses the battle as evidence in his argument that the Avengers are careless about civilian casualties.
The main reason that the Battle of New York was so deadly was Loki's use of Leviathans, the massive flying alien creatures that the Chitauri bring for their assault. They are protected by a layer of armor that makes them impervious to most weapons. Thanos also utilizes Leviathans during his assault on the Avengers compound in "Endgame." Clearly, the monsters that are used by the MCU's deadliest villains are a force to be reckoned with.