For the first 11 years of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, mutants were off-limits. In the comics, the Avengers and the X-Men always cross paths. However, no corner of the Marvel Cinematic Universe could even reference mutants for eons. This was thanks to 20th Century Fox holding the film rights to the X-Men and all mutants. This problem came crumbling down in March 2019 when Marvel Studios parent company Disney absorbed 20th Century Fox. Now, Marvel Studios has access to all the mutant characters only Fox could previously toy with on the silver screen. No wonder, then, that the Marvel Cinematic Universe began rapidly introducing mutants into various movies and TV shows at the dawn of the 2020s.

So far, there aren’t hordes of Marvel Cinematic Universe mutants and fresh new live-action visions of classic heroes like Rogue, Storm, and Nightcrawler (among many others) have yet to be seen in this multimedia franchise. However, recent titles like “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” and especially “Deadpool & Wolverine” have offered up enough of these characters to cement certain MCU mutants as being more powerful than others. Ranking the MCU’s mutants from “weakest” to strongest shows this saga manifesting these figures in deeply varied ways, from silly comedic visions to terrifying villains with powersets that stagger the mind. The comics have shown that mutations come in all shapes and sizes. Ranking the MCU’s strongest mutants shows this sprawling franchise is already reflecting that approach.

In the “She-Hulk: Attorney at Law” finale, Jennifer Walters/She-Hulk uses her fourth-wall shattering powers to confront K.E.V.I.N., the mechanical being controlling the Marvel Cinematic Universe. In their exchanges, Walters excitingly asks K.E.V.I.N. if she can receive any information on when the X-Men are coming into the MCU. Though this automaton refuses to provide clarification on that answer, Walters unknowingly interacted with a mutant earlier on in this series. Alejandro Montoya/El Águila, a comic book mutant, previously appeared in his dapper colorful comic book costume in “The Retreat.” Played by Joseph Castillo-Midyett, he’s one of many obscure Marvel Comics villains showing up to Emil Blonsky’s Summer Twilight event that ends up providing important advice for Walters while she’s in a relationship crisis.

The goofier, more intimate scope of “The Retreat” means Montoya, like the other villains in the episode, doesn’t get to register as a super formidable presence. He does get to unveil his sword as well as his electricity-based superpowers from the comics. However, it’s hard to tell how powerful or meek he truly is when most of the episode focuses on humorous conversations. Additionally, Montoya’s status as a mutant isn’t explicit in his “Attorney at Law,” though Blonsky referring to his electrical powers as “bio-electricity” indicates his shocking powers emanate organically rather than through mechanical means. Montoya proves incredibly helpful in giving Walters a personal epiphany. As for displaying the might of mutants, though, he comes up short.

Alejandro Montoya/El Águila isn’t the only mutant comic book character to show up in “She-Hulk: Attorney at Law.”  The earlier episode “Just Jen” features a subplot revolving around Mr. Immortal (David Pasquesi). Though recurring suicide attempts are kept from his comic book incarnation, the “She-Hulk” version of Mr. Immortal is a bit different than John Byrne’s original “West Coast Avengers” creation. Instead of being a younger man adorned in a red-and-blue outfit, Mr. Immortal is here presented as an older schemer in his 60s who constantly fakes his own death to leave various marriages. Though his comic book ability to constantly regenerate from any sort of pain or injury is firmly presented on-screen, he’s not explicitly codified as a mutant.

Unlike Alejandro Montoya/El Águila, Mr. Immortal does demonstrate his superpowers constantly throughout his “She-Hulk” screentime. His ability to quickly recover from falling on top of a car would certainly come in handy for any Avengers mission. Meanwhile, the plethora of jilted lovers demonstrates that he’s lived a lengthy life with these superpowers. Surely he’s left some kind of mark on this world beyond what’s going down in divorce court. Still, this MCU mutant adaptation is clearly more of an ordinary soul at heart than a crime-fighter. If he didn’t have to use his powers for selfish means, it’s doubtful he’d ever utilize them. Mr. Immortal has superpowers worth being envious over. However, he’s also clearly not a game-changer in terms of overall strength.

In the days leading up to “Black Widow’s” domestic release, actor Olivier Richters divulged who he was playing in the feature. Not only that, but he announced and claimed that he was inhabiting the first-ever mutant in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. This tremendous proclamation came from Richters inhabiting the role of Ursa Major, a mutant that, in the comics, can transform into a gigantic violent bear. In his very brief “Black Widow” screentime, though, no real traces of those heightened super-powers emerge. Ursa Major is instead depicted as another prisoner in a Russian gulag where Alexei (David Harbour) is confined. He steps up in one sequence to challenge Alexei’s stories about fighting Captain America through arm-wrestling, a competition the seemingly slovenly Alexei manages to win over the physically towering Majors. 

Given that Richters is such an innately imposing figure, the MCU version of Ursa Majors certainly doesn’t need to turn into a big bear to register as a threat. However, if this individual has any mutant super-powers in his live-action incarnation, they certainly weren’t displayed in “Black Widow.” The character’s primary purpose in his minimal screentime was to demonstrate Alexei is still a decent fighter after so many years rather than impactfully establishing mutants in this multimedia franchise. Given how many seemingly one-and-done figures have come back for further MCU appearances, Ursa Major could eventually be a mighty mutant in live-action. For now, though, he’s one of the more disposable mutants the MCU has introduced in terms of superpowers.

The big blue mutant known as Hank McCoy/Beast doesn’t just have wit and lots of fur. He’s also a deeply powerful comic book superhero that can take down Sentinels and cosmic adversaries with ease. In his previous live-action movie appearances, the Kelsey Grammer and Nicholas Hoult incarnations of this character were prim-and-proper guys who could also slice down foes without blinking an eye. There always been a mixture of intellect and fearsome power within this mutant that’s captivated fans for decades. Grammer reprised the role of Beast in a “The Marvels” mid-credits scene, though he’s now taken on a fully-digital more comic book-accurate appearance compared to his “The Last Stand” and “Days of Future Past” appearances. Beast’s cameo here is incredibly brief and is used to help cement the reality that Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris) is in another dimension.

In the comics, Beast is powerful enough to be a fixture of both the X-Men and Avengers teams. In his minuscule “The Marvels” screentime, it’s difficult to tell just how powerful this incarnation of Beast is. Since he’s only seen in a lab coat rattling off brief science jargon, his strength and powers in the Marvel Cinematic Universe are uncertain. It’s further unclear if this is a fully new version of Beast or a continuation of the Fox-era character (though some production design and music cues indicate this could be the “Last Stand” version of Beast). In short, Beast’s MCU debut is too nebulous to warrant a higher ranking.

If you thought Charles Xavier’s grim definitive demise in “Logan” was the last time this Patrick Stewart character would grace the silver screen, think again. In 2022, “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” introduced a one-off new iteration of this mutant. Technically the first explicit mutant to show up in a Marvel Cinematic Universe movie, Xavier was presented in “Multiverse of Madness” as one of several super-powered members of The Illuminati in an alternate universe. Protecting humanity alongside Black Bolt and Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic, this incarnation of Xavier was clearly powerful enough to warrant a seat at the Illuminati table. He’s also treated with a sense of reverence and authority from his Illuminati cohorts suggesting this Xavier has a deeply impactful legacy under his belt.

Like all the other “Multiverse of Madness” Illuminati members, Xavier ends up being no match for Wanda Maximoff’s vengeful might. After infiltrating her mind, Maximoff turns the tables on Xavier and snaps his neck. This marks the third on-screen demise of Stewart’s Xavier and we still may not have seen the last of this character. This death demonstrates severe limits to the strength of this mutant. While a “Last Stand” post-credit scene and movies like “Days of Future Past” showed Xavier surviving slayings, this Illuminati Xavier remained firmly dead in “Multiverse of Madness.” The MCU’s first explicit big screen mutant was no slouch as a defender of Earth, but he’s also clearly not the most powerful version of Xavier in the multiverse.

The untold story of Channing Tatum’s Gambit movie is one rife with disappointments and creative dead ends. For nearly a decade, Tatum toiled away to get a solo movie starring this Cajun mutant off the ground. He was even once planning to direct such a project himself before the Disney/Fox merger killed “Gambit” off for good. Years later, though, Tatum got to finally inhabit the role in a major blockbuster in “Deadpool & Wolverine.” Here, the character is portrayed as one of several superheroes that’s survived Cassandra Nova and other evil forces in The Void against all odds. Subsequently, he joins Deadpool and Wolverine’s ragtag group of superheroes confronting Nova in a desperate bid to get those two mutants back home. In his screentime, Gambit is the butt of many jokes revolving around his thick Cajun accent, but he also gets to demonstrate his skills with playing cards on the battlefield.

Rather than functioning as a mocking punchline, Gambit’s ability to control kinetic energy and lethally imbue that into playing cards is depicted in a visually striking fashion. Gambit memorably takes out several of Nova’s minions with both this mutant gift and his proficiency with a bō; he even proves himself a solid enough warrior on the battlefield to survive the events of “Deadpool & Wolverine.” It took years for the character to come to the big screen. Now, Tatum’s dreams have been realized, all while proving Gambit is one of the MCU’s more powerful mutants.

Wolverine can die; 2017’s “Logan” proved that and such a fact was solidified in “Deadpool & Wolverine’s” opening sequence, which showed The Merc With a Mouth using Wolverine’s adamantium-laced skeleton to take out a slew of Time Variance Authority agents. The fact that he’s mortal under the grounded circumstances of “Logan” alone indicates that Wolverine, no matter what universe he hails from, isn’t the strongest mutant alive. Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine has also demonstrated extreme vulnerability throughout other big-screen adventures, particularly in his solo motion pictures. The first of those spin-off movies saw his memory getting erased from an adamantium bullet while a later visit to Japan resulted in him temporarily losing his healing factor. Wolverine’s a formidable foe, but he’s not a mutant that’s impossible to take on.

Still, examine any of the 12 best live-action Wolverine moments, just for starters, and it quickly becomes clear he is still a force of nature. His adamantium-laced claws are capable of slicing and dicing foes with incredible precision. He’s also endured long enough (thanks to those healing powers) to have survived countless wars and historical atrocities. Heck, he’s even able to last through the finale of “Deadpool & Wolverine” with the aid of Deadpool, of course. Wolverine’s ability to inhabit deeply vulnerable and heroic moments with equal levels of severity is what makes him such an endlessly transfixing character. However, that former quality ensures he’s not quite as powerful as other MCU mutants who are more impervious to death.

Try as so many have, you just can’t shut up the motor-mouth mutant known as Deadpool. The character made famous through multiple performances from Ryan Reynolds, Wade Wilson/Deadpool unlocked mutant superpowers like regenerative healing through the most tumultuous events chronicled in 2016’s “Deadpool.” After all that suffering, he discovered he couldn’t perish, a fact he’s used to fight crime of all shapes and sizes. He’s so resilient that not even a major studio merger could kill him off. Reynolds reprised the Deadpool role in a theatrical film for the first time in six years in July 2024’s “Deadpool & Wolverine.” The Disney/Fox merger only solidified that the MCU had a place for this Merc with a Mouth rather than disposing of him. After all, how could you get rid of a mutant this skilled in combat, not to mention profitable at the box office?

If there’s anything keeping the indestructible and fervently violent Deadpool from a higher ranking on this list, it’s his innate silliness. As reflected in endless preposterous elements of the character like various disgusting facts about Deadpool’s body that gross out Marvel fans, Wilson is a ludicrous figure. That makes his enormously powerful mutant abilities more comical than outright imposing. He can tickle people’s funny bones, but part of that comes from his inability to directly fight other mutants like Juggernaut or Colossus. Deadpool’s powerful enough to survive even corporate shenanigans, but his penchant for sarcastic quips keeps him from becoming the MCU’s most formidable mutant.

Namor has been part of the Marvel Comics legacy since April 1939, but it would take until 2022 for the character to finally appear in live-action. Here, the underwater king was the primary antagonist of “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” and was portrayed by Tenoch Huerta Mejía. In this feature, the character announces himself as a mutant, which includes abilities like his gift of flight, pointed ears, and a capability for living on land and in water. Making Namor a mutant in the Marvel Cinematic Universe plays into his comic book reputation as “the first mutant”. After decades of carrying this label, the live-action version of Namor had the honor of being the first Marvel Cinematic Universe movie character to refer to themselves as a mutant. 

“Wakanda Forever” does far more with this comic book legend than just confirm Namor is the first and oldest MCU mutant so far. He’s also depicted as an incredibly powerful figure who’s existed for centuries and commands the respect of the Talokan civilization he rules over. His ruthlessness and efficiency in exacting his vengeance eventually led to the Wakanda nation being flooded and even the death of Queen Ramonda. He’s also shown to have come out on top in countless prior skirmishes throughout history, leads a mighty army, and nearly defeats Shuri multiple times in combat. So much of our planet is covered in water. This is the domain where one of the powerful MCU mutants resides and rules.

While Namor is one of the oldest Marvel Comics creations, Kamala Khan/Ms. Marvel is a much more recent pop culture phenomenon. First conjured up in 2013 through a creative team that included G. Willow Wilson, Khan immediately left an impression on viewers with her plucky attitude, entertaining home life, and youthful exuberance. 

In her initial comic appearances, Khan’s superpowers were due to her Inhuman heritage. Once it was time for the character to leap into live-action Marvel Cinematic Universe storytelling, everything Inhumans-related had been put on the back burner. A change was needed. “Ms. Marvel’s ” season one finale said the word everyone had been waiting for in the MCU in divulging Khan was a mutant. This development finally realized the original plans for the character in the comics.

Throughout “Ms. Marvel” and “The Marvels,” Khan uses a magical bangle to unlock her gifts and create crystal-looking structures of various shapes and sizes. With these gifts, she’s able to protect her friends and family and even eventually garners enough skill with her abilities in “Ms. Marvel” to “embiggen” her size. Later in “The Marvels,” Khan’s gifts are critical in helping Monica Rambeau and Carol Danvers in fixing a rip in the multiverse. She’s also able to fight alongside these two adult heroes without breaking a sweat. Despite her young age, Khan has already demonstrated incredible mutant powers across just two MCU appearances. No wonder she’s one of the most impactful mutants introduced yet in this franchise.

Let’s get the obvious out of the way: yes, Cassandra Nova technically perishes at the end of “Deadpool & Wolverine.” While this does clarify the character isn’t immortal, she does use her mutant superpowers for staggeringly wicked means before she bites the dust. Heck, her extreme might is reflected in the Time Variance Authority sending her to The Void when she was just an infant. That maneuver was meant to snuff out a figure the TVA already considered dangerous. Instead, Nova reveled in her new desolate home. She not only survived as a child, but she used her telepathic powers (evoking the gifts of her twin brother Charles Xavier) to later amass a ragtag army here. Given that she can peel off your skin with one flicker of her finger or investigate the inner workings of your mind without blinking, it’s no wonder others do her bidding.

In a landscape full of death, Nova is a terrifyingly lively force of nature. She’s also an immensely powerful foe whose home and various possessions reflect the assorted superheroes Nova easily slaughtered, like Doctor Strange or Ant-Man. Eventually, her ambition exceeded her grasp. Her attempt to destroy the Multiverse and garner even more power led to Deadpool and Wolverine uniting to stop her. However, while she was alive, Nova demonstrated an extreme level of power that no other mutant in the MCU could even dream of. The champion of The Void will live on as the MCU’s most powerful mutant.