By Jessica Wedemeyer
5:41am PST, Mar 5, 2019
"Captain Marvel" is upon us! In honor of the Brie Larson-led flick that hits theaters on March 8, 2019, Wonderwall.com is counting down our favorite heroes, sidekicks and antiheroes from the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Keep reading to see where Carol Danvers and more of your favorite characters rank…
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No. 41: Quicksilver/Pietro Maximoff
Aaron Taylor-Johnson's brooding Pietro Maximoff starts out as kind of a jerk but eventually redeems himself by saving Hawkeye during the Avengers' big showdown at the conclusion of 2015's "Avengers: Age of Ultron." Unfortunately, he can't compete with Evan Peters' ridiculously fun version of the Quicksilver character in the "X-Men" franchise, which hit the big screen just weeks after Aaron made his debut in a cameo in an end-credits sequence in 2014's "Captain America: The Winter Soldier."
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No. 40: Hawkeye/Clint Barton
Jeremy Renner first debuted as Clint "Hawkeye" Barton, who's an expert with a bow and arrow, in 2011's "Thor." Unfortunately, he's a bit of a blank slate and serves a primarily supporting role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, making him one of the most boring characters as far as we're concerned.
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No. 39: Scarlet Witch/Wanda Maximoff
Elizabeth Olsen debuted as Pietro's twin sister, Wanda Maximoff, in an end-credits sequence in 2014's "Captain America: The Winter Soldier." We loved watching her as the villainous Scarlet Witch, who hypnotizes her enemies in 2015's "Avengers: Age of Ultron," but as a hero, she's been sadly underutilized. Plus, her terrible Eastern European accent? Thank goodness it mysteriously (and inexplicably) disappeared in "Avengers: Infinity War."
No. 38: Pepper Potts
Gwyenth Paltrow's Pepper Potts has been keeping Tony Stark in line (personally and professionally) since 2008's "Iron Man." She's smart, beautiful and doesn't take crap from anyone. But as far as the Avengers' love interests go, she has some tough competition…
No. 37: Christine Palmer
One of our all-time favorite actresses, Rachel McAdams, stared as emergency surgeon Christine Palmer, Dr. Strange's former lover, in 2016's "Doctor Strange." As far as love interests go, a stunning surgeon's not too shabby, right?
No. 36: Vision
Paul Bettany has been part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe from the very beginning: first as the voice of J.A.R.V.I.S., Tony Stark's AI system stemming back to 2008's "Iron Man, and then as the powerful but naïve android Vision, who first appeared in 2015's "Avengers: Age of Ultron." (It was such a pleasure to see the English actor's face on the big screen after all those years!)
No. 35: Jane Foster
Natalie Portman's Jane Foster, who made her debut in 2011's "Thor," is our favorite Avenger love interest by far. Why? Um, hello, she's an astrophysicist!
No. 34: Darcy Lewis
The one great tragedy of the Marvel Cinematic Universe's decision to move away from the Jane Foster storyline is that we've had to say goodbye to Kat Dennings' Darcy Lewis, Jane's hilarious intern. The political science major, who sucks at actual science, made her debut in 2011's "Thor," in which she served as the comedic relief.
No. 33: Heimdall
If we're being honest, the Asgardian warrior Heimdall, who made his debut in 2011's "Thor," is nothing special as far as supporting characters go — except for one important factor: He's portrayed by Idris Elba, one of our all-time favorite actors!
No. 32: The Ancient One
Even though casting Tilda Swinton as the Ancient One in 2016's "Doctor Strange" drew quite a bit of criticism (in the comic book series, the character is portrayed as an older man of Tibetan descent), we loved the androgynous actress as the extremely powerful mystic.
No. 31: Luis
No Marvel sidekick has been more hilarious than Michael Peña's fast-talking Luis, Scott's former cellmate, in 2015's "Ant-Man" and its sequel. (He's so hysterical in "Ant-Man and the Wasp," we missed entire scenes of dialogue from laughing too loudly!)
No. 30: Director Nick Fury
Samuel L. Jackson made his debut as S.H.I.E.L.D. Director Nick Fury in an end-credits sequence in 2008's "Iron Man." He's the tough-talking leader you can't help but respect!
No. 29: Mantis
Pom Klementieff debuted as Mantis, an absolutely adorable alien empath who teams up with the Guardians, in 2017's "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2." She's just such a sweetheart!
No. 28: War Machine/Rhodey
Don Cheadle took over the role of James "Rhodey" Rhodes, Tony Stark's friend and sidekick, from Terrence Howard in 2010's "Iron Man 2." Watching him blossom into War Machine, a true hero in his own right, over the years has been a joy!
No. 27: Wong
Benedict Wong starred as Wong, a master of the mystic arts, in 2016's "Doctor Strange." What we love about this character is the way he was updated from a simple manservant in the comic books (a disgraceful racial stereotype) to a master in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Welcome to the future, y'all!
No. 26: Falcon/Sam Wilson
Anthony Mackie's Sam Wilson made his debut in 2014's "Captain America: The Winter Soldier." In addition to being smoking hot, the former USAF pararescueman, who eventually becomes the Falcon, is dedicated to giving back by counseling veterans suffering from PTSD through the VA.
No. 25: Hope van Dyne/Wasp
Evangeline Lilly starred as the super-smart and strong-willed Hope van Dyne — who's WAY more qualified to wear the shrinking suit than Scott Lang — in 2015's "Ant-Man" and its sequel, during which she takes the lead in terms of butt-kicking.
No. 24: Yondu Udonta
Who could've guessed when he debuted in 2014's "Guardians of the Galaxy" that Michael Rooker's exiled Ravager Yondu Udonta would become one of the most beloved father figures in the Marvel Cinematic Universe?
No. 23: Bucky Barnes/The Winter Solider
Sebastian Stan has starred as Bucky Barnes, who eventually becomes the Winter Soldier, since 2011's "Captain America: The First Avenger." The bond of brotherhood between Bucky and Cap, his childhood best friend, is one of the greatest love stories in the Marvel Cinematic Universe!
No. 22: Michelle "MJ" Jones
Zendaya stole every scene as Michelle "MJ" Jones in 2017's "Spider-Man: Homecoming." We could not be more thrilled with the way the Marvel Cinematic Universe updated Peter Parker's love interest from the popular Mary Jane Watson, an aspiring actress, to the super-sarcastic intellectual loner Michelle.
No. 21: Drax the Destroyer
Dave Bautista broke our hearts (his wife and daughter were murdered) and then made us cry with laughter as the completely literal alien warrior Drax the Destroyer, who made his debut in 2014's "Guardians of the Galaxy."
No. 20: Sif and Valkyrie
We were all about Jaimie Alexander's Sif — an Asgardian warrior and childhood friend of Thor's who made her debut in 2011's "Thor" — until she got upstaged by Tessa Thompson's Valkyrie — a washed-up drunkard and the last surviving member of the all-female Valkyrior warriors — in 2017's "Thor: Ragnarok." Whether your No.1 is Sif or Valkyrie, you have to admit: These ladies (Ragna)rock!
No. 19: M'Baku
Winston Duke killed it as M'Baku, the ferocious but ultimately super-funny leader of the Jabari Tribe, in 2018's "Black Panther."
No. 18: Dr. Strange
Benedict Cumberbatch debuted as Stephen Strange in 2016's "Doctor Strange." The world-class neurosurgeon becomes the Sorcerer Supreme, perhaps the most powerful (certainly the weirdest) member of the Avengers. And it's awesome!
No. 17: Iron Man/Tony Stark
The Marvel Cinematic Universe kicked off in 2008 with "Iron Man." Robert Downey Jr. has starred as the titular hero ever since. We may not always agree with Tony Stark — a billionaire industrialist, inventor and former weapons manufacturer — but we have him to thank for the "Avengers" franchise, and that means a lot in our book!
No. 16: Black Widow/Natasha Romanoff
Scarlett Johansson debuted as Natasha "Black Widow" Romanoff in 2010's "Iron Man 2." She's super-smart, super-tough and super-sexy. But she's not superhuman, which makes the fact that she can keep up with the boys all the more impressive!
No. 15: Nebula
Who's the greatest anti-heroine of the Marvel Cinematic Universe? Karen Gillan's Nebula, of course! The "Doctor Who" star first appeared as Gamora's adopted sister, whom the Scottish actress has described as a total sadist, in 2014's "Guardians of the Galaxy." She made a few small moves toward redeeming herself in the 2017 sequel and took it even further in "Avengers: Infinity War."
No. 14: Agent Phil Coulson
He's the heart of S.H.I.E.L.D., the glue that holds the Avengers together and our favorite Marvel father figure: Clark Gregg's Phil Coulson, who made his debut in 2008's "Iron Man." The character is so beloved, he got his own TV spinoff ("Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.") after getting killed off in "The Avengers."
No. 13: Agent Peggy Carter
Hayley Atwell made her debut as Peggy Carter in 2011's "Captain America: The First Avenger." The British SSR officer was such a hit with Marvel fans, she scored her own TV series: the fantastic but short-lived "Agent Carter."
No. 12: Ant-Man/Scott Lang
Paul Rudd injected some much-needed humor into the Marvel Cinematic Universe as ex-con Scott Lang, the titular hero in 2015's "Ant-Man" who'll do anything for his little girl. (He brings even more LOLs to the MCU in 2018's "Ant-Man and the Wasp.")
No. 11: Hulk/Bruce Banner
The Hulk has changed hands so many times over the years, we haven't quite developed as much loyalty to him as to some of his peers. Eric Bana portrayed the naïve scientist Bruce Banner in 2003's "Hulk." Edward Norton gave us a dark, tortured version of the character in 2008's "The Incredible Hulk." And Mark Ruffalo (pictured) took over the role in 2012's "The Avengers," giving us the best iteration yet: a Hulk who's equal parts sweet, silly and savage.
No. 10: Spider-Man/Peter Parker
The youthful and energetic Tom Holland breathed new life into the role of Peter Parker, who made his debut in 2016's "Captain America: Civil War" before scoring his own film, 2017's "Spider-Man: Homecoming." After suffering through two super-dark Sony-produced Spider-Man movies with Andrew Garfield in the lead role, it was a welcome change!
No. 9: Gamora
Apologies to Black Widow and Scarlet Witch, but when it comes to the women who kick butt in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, few are more capable than Zoe Saldana's Gamora, who first appeared in 2014's "Guardians of the Galaxy."
No. 8: Peter Quill/Star-Lord
Chris Pratt made his debut as Peter Quill, who's nicknamed himself Star-Lord, in 2014's "Guardians of the Galaxy." The actor has described the character as a combination of Han Solo and Marty McFly, who are basically two of the best characters ever. So, yeah, it's safe to say we love Star-Lord. Unfortunately, he's got some stiff competition when it comes to guys named Chris who star in Marvel movies…
No. 7: Loki
Has there ever been an antihero more delicious than Tom Hiddleston's Loki? The God of Mischief and Lies, who made his debut in 2011's "Thor," has stabbed his adopted brother in the back more times than we can count, and yet we somehow can't help rooting for him. That's what we call charisma!
No. 6: Thor
The luscious locks! The bulging biceps! The unintentional hilarity! What's not to love about Chris Hemsworth's Thor? The warrior and heir to the throne of Asgard made his debut in 2011's "Thor."
No. 5: King T'Challa/The Black Panther
Chadwick Boseman broke barriers and made history as the Black Panther, King T'Challa, the ruler of the most advanced nation on the planet. He appeared in 2016's "Captain America: Civil War" before scoring his own spinoff, 2018's "Black Panther," which is now one of the most successful movies in cinema history. What more can we say? It's good to be king!
No. 4: Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel
FINALLY! Brie Larson delivered the first Marvel movie centered around a woman with 2019's "Captain Marvel," in which she stars as the ridiculously powerful titular Kree "noble warrior hero" and former Air Force pilot also known as Carol Danvers. It was the major Marvel girl-power moment we've been waiting for since the MCU first launched in 2008, making us question the REAL "Captain" of the Avengers. Which brings us to…
No. 3: Captain America/Steve Rogers
Chris Evans' Steve Rogers, who made his debut in 2011's "Captain America: The First Avenger," is our favorite member of the Avengers — and not just because of his gorgeous, all-American appearance. Unlike his peers, Captain America, a former wimp and scrawny Boy Scout, actively chose to sacrifice his personal life to serve the greater good. (No lab accidents here!)
No. 2: Rocket and Groot
Rocket, a genetically modified raccoon (the voice of Bradley Cooper), and Groot, a humanoid alien tree (the voice of Vin Diesel), are the cutest platonic couple in the Marvel Cinematic Universe! The adorable but deadly duo made their debut in 2014's "Guardians of the Galaxy." Don't you just want to hug them?
No. 1: The women of "Black Panther"
How could we possibly choose a favorite from the foursome of remarkable women at the center of 2018's "Black Panther"? Danai Gurira knocked it out of the park as Okoye, the fierce leader of the Dora Milaje, an all-female unit of warriors and King T'Challa's personal bodyguards. Lupita Nyong'o killed it as Nakia, who would rather work undercover to free enslaved Nigerian women than sit on a throne. Angela Bassett was regal and wise as T'Challa's mother, Ramonda. And Letitia Wright stole every scene as Shuri, T'Challa's kid sister — who also happens to be the lead inventor and head of technology of the most advanced nation in the world and therefore the smartest person on Earth. Yeah, bow down.
