The Most Powerful Entities in the Marvel Cinematic Universe

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is full of powerful heroes and villains. Earth’s mightiest heroes, the Avengers, have defended the planet from many threats. However, the universe is vast and contains beings with power far beyond human understanding. These cosmic entities operate on a scale that can create or destroy entire realities.

From beings that embody fundamental forces of the universe to ancient space gods, the MCU has introduced several incredibly powerful entities. These beings existed long before the events of the movies we have seen. They control time, space, and the very fabric of existence. Understanding these entities provides a bigger picture of the MCU’s cosmic landscape.

The One Above All

The One Above All is considered the supreme being and creator of the entire multiverse. This entity is all-powerful and all-knowing, existing above all other cosmic hierarchies. It is the ultimate source of creation and life in the universe. While not directly seen, its existence represents the highest level of power in Marvel’s cosmic structure.

A statue representing this being was seen in the temple of Eternity in Thor: Love and Thunder (2022). This appearance, alongside other powerful entities, hints at a cosmic order far beyond what heroes typically encounter. The One Above All remains the ultimate, unseen force in the cosmos.

The Living Tribunal

The Living Tribunal is one of the most powerful entities in the entire multiverse. It acts as a supreme judge, ensuring the balance of power across all realities. There is only one Living Tribunal in the whole multiverse. Its purpose is to prevent any single universe or being from becoming too powerful and threatening the cosmic balance.

The Living Tribunal has three faces, each representing a different aspect of its judgment: equity, necessity, and revenge. It has the authority to make decisions that can affect entire timelines and universes. We see a statue of this cosmic being in Thor: Love and Thunder (2022) and get a brief glimpse of it in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022), hinting at its immense power and influence over all of creation.

Eternity

Eternity is the embodiment of time and the collective consciousness of all life in the universe. As a being that represents all of existence, its power is almost limitless. It exists in its own dimension and is incredibly difficult to reach. Eternity does not often interfere in the affairs of mortals, but its power is absolute.

In Thor: Love and Thunder (2022), Gorr the God Butcher seeks out Eternity to make a wish to destroy all gods. Anyone who manages to reach Eternity is granted one wish, which shows its immense power to alter reality. Eternity is a fundamental part of the cosmos, older than the Infinity Stones.

Infinity

Infinity is a cosmic entity that represents the infinite potential and the ever-expanding nature of space. She is the sister of Eternity, and together they embody the time-space continuum. Like her brother, Infinity is one of the most powerful beings in the universe.

A statue of Infinity appears in the temple at the center of the universe in Thor: Love and Thunder (2022). Her presence alongside other cosmic beings like Eternity and Death suggests her role as a fundamental force of existence. In the comics, Infinity was one of the four beings who created the Infinity Stones.

Lady Death

Lady Death is the literal embodiment of death in the universe. As a cosmic entity, she is an immortal being with immense power to manipulate time and matter. She is not necessarily evil, but represents the natural end of life, a force that even gods fear. In the comics, she is famously the object of Thanos’s affection.

Lady Death made her official MCU debut in the series Agatha All Along (2024). It was revealed that the witch Rio Vidal is an avatar for the entity. This introduction finally brings a key cosmic player from the comics into the live-action universe, opening up many new story possibilities.

Infinity Ultron

In an alternate reality shown in What If…?, the robotic villain Ultron succeeded in uploading his consciousness into Vision’s body. He then collected all six Infinity Stones, becoming Infinity Ultron. With the full power of the Infinity Gauntlet, he became an unstoppable force, easily wiping out all life in his universe.

Infinity Ultron’s power was so great that he became aware of the multiverse and The Watcher. He sought to bring his version of “peace” to every reality, leading to a battle that threatened all of existence. It took a team of heroes from across different universes, known as the Guardians of the Multiverse, to finally defeat him.

Uatu the Watcher

Uatu, known as The Watcher, is a member of an ancient alien race sworn to observe and record all events across the multiverse without interfering. He possesses immense cosmic knowledge and awareness, able to see every choice and every timeline. Statues of Watchers were seen in Thor: Love and Thunder (2022), and they also made a brief appearance in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017).

While he is bound by his oath of non-interference, Uatu broke his vow in What If…? when Infinity Ultron threatened to destroy the entire multiverse. He assembled the Guardians of the Multiverse and actively fought alongside them. This demonstrated his incredible power to manipulate time, space, and reality when forced to act.

The Celestials

The Celestials are a group of ancient and enormous space gods. They are some of the oldest beings in the universe and possess the ability to create and destroy life on a galactic scale. The Celestials were responsible for creating stars, planets, and even the Infinity Stones. Their power comes from the cosmic energy they can control.

In Eternals (2021), we learn that the Celestials plant their seeds in planets to give birth to new Celestials. This process, however, destroys all life on the host planet. Arishem the Judge is one of the most powerful Celestials, serving as their leader and having the authority to judge whether a planet’s civilization can live or die.

Galactus

Galactus is a gigantic cosmic being who consumes the life force of planets to survive. As the sole survivor of a universe that existed before our own, he is an ancient and immensely powerful entity. He travels the cosmos on his worldship, Taa, searching for planets with enough energy to sustain his hunger.

Known as the Devourer of Worlds, Galactus does not see himself as evil but as a fundamental force of nature. His appearance is a sign of doom for any populated world. He served as the primary antagonist in The Fantastic Four: First Steps, where Earth becomes his next target.

Dormammu

Dormammu is the ruler of the Dark Dimension, a reality completely separate from our own. He is a being of pure mystical energy and has absolute control over his own dimension. His goal is to absorb all other universes into his Dark Dimension, expanding his rule across the multiverse.

In Doctor Strange (2016), the Sorcerer Supreme confronts Dormammu. Because the Dark Dimension is beyond time, Dormammu is immensely powerful there. Doctor Strange could only defeat him by trapping him in a time loop using the Time Stone, forcing Dormammu into a stalemate.

Entropy

Entropy is a cosmic entity that represents the concept of destruction and the end of all things. In the comics, he is the offspring of Eternity and stands as the opposite force to his father’s embodiment of life and creation. He is a fundamental part of the cosmic balance, representing the inevitable decay of the universe.

Though not appearing in person, a mural depicting Entropy alongside Eternity, Infinity, and Death was seen in Guardians of the Galaxy (2014). This implies his existence and importance within the MCU’s cosmic structure. He is one of the four beings connected to the creation of the Infinity Stones.

Eon

Eon is a cosmic entity tasked with protecting life and the process of evolution throughout the universe. As a child of Eternity, Eon possesses vast knowledge of time. He can grant “Cosmic Awareness” to chosen champions, who then become the Protector of the Universe.

A statue of Eon, recognizable by its unique shape, was featured in the temple of Eternity in Thor: Love and Thunder (2022). This inclusion alongside other major cosmic players hints at his significant role in maintaining the balance of the cosmos. He has not yet played an active part in the MCU’s stories.

Thanos (with the Infinity Gauntlet)

Thanos, on his own, is a powerful and skilled warrior. However, when he collected all six Infinity Stones and assembled the Infinity Gauntlet, he became one of the most powerful beings in the universe. The Infinity Stones gave him control over time, space, reality, power, soul, and mind.

With the full power of the Infinity Gauntlet, Thanos was able to wipe out half of all life in the universe with a simple snap of his fingers in Avengers: Infinity War (2018). His actions showed the immense power that the Infinity Stones hold when brought together. This allowed the wielder to reshape reality to their will.