Warning: This article contains spoilers for Spider-Man: Brand New Day.
The MCU’s Multiverse Saga is almost over, meaning a new chapter is on the horizon. Although Marvel Studios has yet to offer any information about what the next era for the franchise will be called, fans have long suspected that it may be dubbed the Mutant Saga, owing to the fact that the upcoming X-Men reboot is the most notable movie of the post-Avengers: Secret Wars slate. This remains just a theory for now, but Marvel has certainly been laying the groundwork for a prospective Mutant Saga, as various mutants have been introduced into the Earth-616 reality this decade.
While the folding of fan-favorite characters from previous franchises into the MCU multiverse — as seen in Deadpool & Wolverine, X-Men ’97, and Avengers: Doomsday — has grabbed most of the attention, a number of mutants native to Marvel’s prime timeline have already appeared in a range of movies and TV shows across Phases Four to Six. The mutant powers of this eclectic bunch diverge wildly, but some of them immediately count among the most powerful characters featured in the MCU to date.
8
El Águila
Debut — She-Hulk: Attorney at Law
Say what you like about She-Hulk: Attorney at Law (and many do), but one thing it certainly succeeded in was depicting the Marvel world as a place where superpowered people are an everyday, unremarkable occurrence. Every episode of the legal comedy series was filled with random Z-list comic book characters, ranging from Asgardians to mystics to mutants. This also included El Águila, the comical and buffonish superhero who is very keen for people to know he is not a matador.
While it is not outright said on screen that he is a mutant, the comics’ version of El Águila is. As Attorney at Law suggests, he has the same powerset as his counterpart in the source material — the ability to generate electrical charges — so presumably his origins are the same, too. In She-Hulk Episode 7, his only MCU appearance to date, El Águila uses his electrical abilities to charge up his sword. A nifty trick, to be sure, but it’s unlikely that he will be receiving an invite to Professor Xavier’s mansion anytime soon.
7
Doorman
Debut — Wonder Man
Much like El Águila, Wonder Man‘s Doorman isn’t confirmed to be a mutant on-screen, but due to his similarities to his comic counterpart, fans can assume that the MCU incarnation shares his origins as a mutant. The episode does suggest that the character coming into contact with Darkforce matter is what gives him his powers, but it’s possible this incident merely activated his latent mutant abilities.
In Wonder Man Episode 4, the reason for the Doorman Clause, which prohibits actors with enhanced abilities from appearing in Hollywood productions, is revealed. DeMarr Davis became a media sensation after he gained the ability to create portals through his own body, but his career plummeted after Frozen star Josh Gad vanished inside one of his portals and never re-appeared. Doorman’s mutation provides him with unique, interdimensional powers, yet his inability to control them limits what he can do.
6
Kamala Khan
Debut — Ms. Marvel
Although she is an Inhuman in the comics, Kamala Khan is confirmed to be a mutant in the MCU. The shocking revelation came in the post-credits scene of the Ms. Marvel finale, officially making her the first mutant introduced into the Earth-616 universe. As the great-granddaughter of a Clandestine, a being from the Noor Dimension, Kamala had dormant powers that were activated when she first wore her great-grandmother’s bangle, a Quantum Band.
In another change to the source material, in which she has stretching abilities, MCU Kamala is able to generate hard-light constructs. These have a variety of uses, both defensive and offensive, and are extremely durable, although not indestructible. With both Quantum Bands at her disposal, Kamala becomes even more powerful and was instrumental in closing a tear in space-time in The Marvels. Kamala may need external modifiers to boost her latent abilities, but if she has her bangles on, then Ms. Marvel is not to be messed with.
5
Mister Immortal
Debut — She-Hulk: Attorney at Law
El Águila was not the only implied mutant who appeared in She-Hulk; the second was Craig Hollis, who called himself Mister Immortal. The MCU’s adaptation of this character is far removed from the comic book original — in the source material, he is a young adult member of the New Warriors while the MCU version is a regular, adult citizen — but as no origin is given for his death-defying powers, it is reasonable to assume he remains a mutant.
In She-Hulk Episode 6, Mister Immortal is revealed to have used his life-long extreme healing factor to fake his own demise numerous times, allowing him to skip out on his rich spouses and get away with a portion of their fortunes. In theory, Mister Immortal’s invincibility makes him comparable to the likes of Wolverine and Deadpool, but his decidedly selfish use of his power makes it hard to judge how resilient his healing factor really is.
4
Namor
Debut — Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
While Kamala is Earth-616’s first mutant overall, the first 616 mutant to appear in a Marvel movie is Namor. This is a pleasing coincidence for fans, as the Submariner is the first mutant to chronologically appear in the comics as well. While his underwater home changed from Atlantis to Talokan in the MCU, Tenoch Huerta’s Namor retains the anti-hero’s prodigious power set and mutant physiology.
Namely, Namor has pointed ears, ankle-wings, the ability to breathe on land and underwater, and a heady genetic cocktail of enhanced strength, speed, stamina, and vision. He is also understood to be exceptionally long-lived, as he is roughly 500 years old. Namor’s one weakness, however, is his reliance on water. In his natural element, Namor is nigh-on unstoppable, but if he is unable to return to the sea or is not able to rehydrate himself, then his energy levels and durability are significantly depleted. Still, the sheer range of Namor’s abilities marks him out as easily the most powered of the 616 mutants so far, if not the most powerful.
3
Simon Williams
Debut — Wonder Man
The mystery of whether Simon Williams is a mutant or not in the MCU is currently unsolved, but it is a fact that Wonder Man showrunner Andrew Guest has confirmed his writing team intended to imply this and left it deliberately ambiguous so as not to interfere with any future plans Marvel might have for the character. If fans assume that he is a mutant, however, then Wonder Man is easily one of the most powerful on his Earth.
Like most mutants, Simon’s powers are known to have first manifested during adolescence and are triggered by moments of emotional stress. In short, Simon’s powers give him the ability to manipulate or generate ionic energy, thus granting him superhuman strength, durability, and even flight. His most notable power is perhaps his ability to create ionic blasts, which both cause geological tremors and effect electronics. In terms of raw power, Simon is arguably stronger than every other mutant in this ranking. If he learns to master his abilities, he could become as formidable as his comic counterpart, who once defeated Red Hulk.
2
Sara Grey
Debut — Spider-Man: Brand New Day
In the latest instance of Marvel turning a non-mutant from the comics into a mutant in the MCU, Spider-Man: Brand New Day introduced Sara Grey, Jean’s older sister. Via flashbacks, the film reveals that Sara possesses matching telepathic powers to her younger sibling. What’s more, Sara appears to have developed them earlier than Jean and so was more adept than her sister at one point. Tragically, Sara died during her incarceration at the hands of Damage Control, who experimented on her in an attempt to extract and duplicate her powers.
It seems that it was Sara who pioneered Jean’s signature “jumping” move, which involves telepathically projecting one’s consciousness into another’s mind, essentially possessing their body. While Jean would go on to weaponize this ability to far greater effect than her sister, it’s clear that Sara would herself have become a talented telepath in her own right had she lived on. Still, in the comics, Sara is resurrected after her death (resurrection runs in the family), so it is feasible that Sara could return in a future MCU project.
1
Jean Grey
Debut — Spider-Man: Brand New Day
Although Namor and Wonder Man may both sport a greater range of abilities and superior physical strength, it’s hard to deny that Sadie Sink’s Jean Grey is the most powerful mutant introduced into the Earth-616 universe to date. In the early part of Brand New Day, her telepathy allows her to present herself as a terrifying, almost inhuman threat capable of controlling anyone’s mind, except Peter Parker.
It’s currently unclear why Jean could not possess Peter’s mind, but it’s possibly something to do with his Spider-Sense (which is, in itself, a kind of telepathic power), and not a sign that Jean is unable to take over the mind of a fellow enhanced individual. Assuming she can jump into a superpowered person’s body, Jean’s telepathy means she would make quick work of the likes of Namor, Simon Williams, and potentially even the Avengers.
Thankfully, Jean’s encounter with Spider-Man appears to have redeemed her, and she is unlikely to use her powers for nefarious ends again. At least until she bonds with a certain Phoenix Force, that is. Even as new mutant characters — like Cyclops and Emma Frost — are introduced into continuity, Jean could well remain the most powerful MCU mutant for a while to come.
- First Film
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Iron Man
- Cast
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Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Mark Ruffalo, Jeremy Renner, Chadwick Boseman, Zoe Saldana, Chris Pratt, Tom Hiddleston, Iman Vellani
- Latest Film
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Marvels
- Movie(s)
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Iron Man, Spider-Man: Homecoming, Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Endgame, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
- Character(s)
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Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, Hulk, Black Widow, Hawkeye
