Warning: Spoilers for Moon Knight episode 3
Through multiple factions of gods dwelling in Marvel’s cinematic world.
How the Marvel movies and shows treat mythological deities is in line with how they’re utilized in the source material. In Marvel Comics, numerous pantheons in mythology are represented by ancient and secretive groups of super-powered warriors. The Norse, Greek, Egyptian, Mayan, Incan, Irish gods, and more all exist as real, living people. Over the years, of each faction have been encountered by Marvel’s superhero teams. Sometimes, they’re presented as villains, while others are full-fledged of the superhero community. Of course, the MCU’s world isn’t quite so expansive – yet. That being said, its Phase 4 projects have played major roles in helping the MCU grow.
Movies and shows like Thor: Love and Thunder’s All-Black the Necrosword has a Knull connection. But even without these characters, Marvel has plenty of gods already at its disposal. However, not all are deserving of the divine title. The Eternals and the Elders of the Universe are immortals but aren’t considered true gods. Here are all of the gods in the MCU and which group is the most powerful of them all.
Asgardians
Introduced in Thor, Avengers: Endgame. Despite the heavy losses they’ve endured in recent years, it’s important to note that some of the strongest MCU characters are of the Asgardian race. All are superhuman to at least some degree, while others – such as Thor, Odin, and Hela – possess a tremendous level of power. Odin, for instance, likely would have beaten Thanos if they had fought when the former was in his prime.
Olympians
The Greek gods don’t currently have a presence in the MCU, but they’re confirmed to make their MCU debut in Phase 4. Thor: Love and Thunder is set to introduce Russell Crowe’s Zeus, the leader of the Greek pantheon. Based in the secret city of Olympus, Marvel Comics’ Greek gods are typically portrayed as characters equal – or at least extremely close – to the power levels of the Asgardians. That’s why Thor and Hercules, the sons of their respective pantheon leaders, have had so many stalemates over the years. With that in mind, the MCU version of Hercules should be as powerful as Chris Hemsworth’s Thor if and when he arrives on the big screen.
Egyptian Gods
Commonly referred to as the Heliopolitans in Marvel Comics, the Egyptian gods are the newest race of superhumans to the MCU. It was discovered in Moon Knight episode 3 that these ancient deities turned their backs on humanity thousands of years ago. Many left Earth, while others have elected to remain as observers who refuse to interfere in the affairs of mankind. Exactly what they’re capable of remains unclear for the time being, but Khonshu’s ability to manipulate the sky and how Arthur Harrow can summon magical jackals with Ammit’s staff hints that these supernatural entities are not to be trifled with.
Related: Moon Knight’s God Betrayal Is Deeper Than You Realize
Wakandan Gods
The people of Wakanda seemingly have their own pantheon. And like the Asgardians, their gods also appear to be more than just myths. Captain America: Civil War. Since so little is known about them, it’s hard to say just how powerful they really are or how many of them are in existence. It’s also possible that the gods of Wakanda will eventually be lumped into the same faction as the Egyptian gods. After all, the comic book version of Bast is an Egyptian deity, so it is at least possible that Moon Knight (or Black Panther: Wakanda Forever) will bind them together.
The Watcher
During an episode of Uatu the Watcher disagreed with Evil Doctor Strange when he called him a god. But while the Watcher doesn’t seem to think he’s a god, his capabilities suggest that he fits the criteria as well as any of the other MCU gods – if not better. He has qualities that make him appear omnipotent, which is exactly what one would expect from a god. He can go anywhere he wants in the multiverse, visit any point in time, and observe any moment he chooses. He's not supposed to interfere, but Marvel’s What If…? proved that when the Watcher does take action, the number of characters powerful enough to oppose him is very limited. His cosmic powers outclass most MCU characters. But, that doesn’t mean he’s unbeatable. He couldn’t defeat an Infinity Gauntlet-powered Ultron.
The Celestials Are The MCU’s Strongest Gods
There’s a good reason why Guardians of the Galaxy movies. With their abilities, they created the Eternals and imbued them with great amounts of cosmic energies. Throughout their long histories, they’ve successfully given life to billions of people all over the world and are easily capable of bringing extinction to their creations. Also, how powerful the Eternals are in the MCU stands as a small testament to the strength of the Celestials. Even an army of Watchers fell to them in Marvel Comics. And by all indications, the MCU’s Celestials are every bit as powerful as their comic book counterparts.
Moon Knight releases new episodes on Wednesdays on Disney+.
