For all its flaws, Marvel’s Avengers boasts a roster of heroes that can be incredibly fun to play as. From the immense power of The Hulk to the stealthy mechanics of Black Widow, the playable characters of the game feel vastly different from one another. With the roster set to grow a bit larger via Hawkeye’s upcoming addition (Clint Barton) to the game, Marvel’s Avengers’ biggest strength remains the characters that the game is focused on. While other aspects of the games-as-a-service title certainly need work, Crystal Dynamics has nailed its lineup of controllable superheroes.
While each character may be diverse and fun to play, that certainly does not mean that every character in Marvel’s Avengers is equally balanced or viable in every situation. Some heroes are undeniably better than others, offering more build variety and versatility as well as better support for their teammates. While weaker characters may get buffed in the future, and the best heroes may be knocked down a peg via upcoming updates, it is possible to determine who are the best (and worst) Marvel Avengers' characters that are currently in the game.
C Tier: The Hulk
It is a bit of a shame to put the usual strongest Avenger at the bottom, but the reality is that The Hulk is far from “the strongest there is” in Marvel’s Avengers. While he may boast some cool costumes like Joe Chill and his Planet Hulk armor, his kit leaves something to be desired. Perhaps the biggest issue with him in the game is how easily he can be interrupted during his attacks, as seeing small, basic AIM enemies breaking up the Gamma monster’s attacks is beyond frustrating. Further, while he boasts some nice moves like a crowd-controlling ground pound, his Thunderclap ultimate feels incredibly weak on single targets. Fortunately, Crystal Dynamics can fix these issues, stopping Hulk from being interrupted and buffing the damage on his ultimate ability. Until then, though, Hulk will remain a painfully average tank character.
B Tier: Iron Man and Ms. Marvel
A fair bit above Hulk sits Iron Man, with the Armored Avenger boasting far more versatility than the angry, beefed-up version of Bruce Banner. Able to shield himself upon overloading his weapons, which provide three powerful ranged attacks, Iron Man can cover a good bit of ground while on the field. With Tony Stark’s Hulkbuster ultimate allowing for a temporary playstyle that lets him mimic the actions of the Hulk, while also maintaining his ranged skills, Iron Man is a solid character with a deep moveset to master. That said, with more powerful abilities like rockets quickly draining Iron Man's suit power, the character is held back by occasionally feeling like a chore to play.
Slightly above Iron Man and far above Hulk rests the young Kamala Khan. While Ms. Marvel's strong bond with Bruce Banner and her motivational story helped make her one of 2020’s best female characters, her moveset is nothing to scoff at either. Though recent nerfs to her Embiggen ultimate have made her a bit less powerful, her attacks still lay down lots of impactful damage. What she lacks in range, Kamala makes up for in support, as one of Ms. Marvel's secondary skills allows her to heal her teammates — something that makes her worthwhile in just about any hero lineup that the game has to offer.
A Tier: Black Widow and Captain America
While Black Widow was an underdog coming into Marvel’s Avengers, Natasha Romanov caught players off guard by just how fun she is to play. Boasting invisibility, deadly Widow’s Bite mines for single targets, several guns for ranged play, and an ultimate ability that gives her a staff for enhanced melee attack power, Black Widow can do just about everything in Marvel’s Avengers. With Black Widow guides required to comprehend all that the assassin-turned-SHIELD spy can do, it is impossible to not place her at the top of a tier list for the game.
Despite Captain America only becoming available to players in the final act of Marvel’s Avengers, the super soldier is more than worth the wait. While rare glitches have seen Steve Rogers wielding Mjolnir in-game, his iconic shield is more than effective enough to bring down dozens of foes at once. Offering the best crowd control of any hero in Marvel’s Avengers as well as amazing potential for combos, his offense is hard to top. With great defense and an ultimate that gives Cap increased melee abilities to match his deadly shield throws, the character is on the verge of sliding into S tier. Only held back due to his painfully slow movement and weak platforming, Cap is a terrific choice for all players.
S Tier: Kate Bishop and Thor
At the very top of the list for Marvel’s Avengers characters is the recently added Kate Bishop. While her DLC in Marvel’s Avengers tells a strong story, Kate’s abilities steal the show. Boasting every style of arrow shooting seen in the Hawkeye comics, as well as an added ability to teleport, Crystal Dynamics’ take on Kate Bishop is a blast to play. Her ranged gameplay makes close-range combat unnecessary, dealing absurd damage to foes while also boosting the damage dealt by allies. Her addition to the game is a great sign for her mentor Clint Barton, as the original Hawkeye should also be fun to play as.
However, above Kate and all other Marvel’s Avengers heroes, the God of Thunder stands tall. Reigning supreme due to an absurd Heroic level, every single lightning-charged attack from Thor decimates foes. While Thor without his Odinforce is much less imposing, he is rarely without the powerful intrinsic ability. Charging Mjolnir with lightning while simultaneously deflecting attacks, Marvel’s Avengers version of Thor is by far the most overpowered character in the game. Boasting dangerous abilities like God Blast and Warrior’s Fury, it is possible that he is nerfed in the future — though Crystal Dynamics should consider making the other heroes just as strong as Thor Odinson instead.
Marvel's Avengers is out now on PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One, with PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X versions currently in development.