The 100 best Marvel characters ranked: 80-61

Lots of movie superheroes only get one great scene to show off their powers, if that; Evan Peters’ Quicksilver gets two absolute bangers, in , and then its follow-up, . The Apocalypse scene, especially, is a masterclass of a character showcase, with Peters exuding effortless chill as he races through a mid-explosion X-Mansion, saving the entire school without breaking a sweat. (All that and we got his “return” in the MCU’s five years later, a hilariously dickish misdirect from the streaming series.) [William Hughes]

It was evident that Ming-Na Wen’s turn as Melinda May, a.k.a. The Cavalry, was going to leave a mark as soon as she uttered her first word on ABC’s : “No.” A badass fighter, an independent observer, and even then, a crucial team player, Agent May is a force to reckon with. No one really wants to get on her bad side. Over the course of seven seasons, her sublime character evolution focuses on how she supports Coulson and Co. while coming to terms with her own dreary past. Despite the ups and downs, Wen brings pulsating energy to Agent May, finding ways to balance her dry dialogue delivery with genuine sentimentality. Hopefully, she’s still out there somewhere teaching at S.H.I.E.L.D.’s Coulson Academy, just waiting for the right way to integrate back into the field. [Saloni Gajjar]

In comic book movies, the recasting of Magneto and Professor X was probably the most significant since Val Kilmer took over for Batman. These actors are canon, integral to the acceptance of superhero fiction in the mainstream. Sir Ian McKellan and Sir Patrick Stewart lent credibility to these movies, and their efforts were not undermined by their replacements, particularly Michael Fassbender’s Magneto. In , Fassbender leans into his training by hunting down and killing Nazis. Is there a better plot for a movie? McKellan may have nailed the world-wearniess of Erik Lensherr, but Fassbender’s fascist terminator actually made him scary, taking out bootlickers with nothing more than a little pocket change. [Matt Schimkowitz]

Admittedly, we’ve only just met the MCU’s version of Kamala Khan, effervescently brought to life by newcomer Iman Vellani in Disney+’s recent . Yet it only takes about five seconds into the show to fall in love with her. The 16-year-old Pakistani American discovers her inherent powers (thanks to wearing an ancestor’s bangle) while at an AvengerCon no less. She’s a walking-talking superhero fangirl whose coming-of-age now includes battling villains and, soon enough, fighting alongside her idol, Captain Marvel (Brie Larson). Kamala’s success is honestly a win for nerds all over. Series creator Bisha K. Ali, Vellani, and the rest of the team ensure that neither Kamala nor her culture become caricatures in any way. Her introduction is just the start of Marvel’s next phase, and even though her full transformation will probably occur during next year’s , Kamala Khan has left an unforgettable first impression. [Saloni Gajjar]

It sure feels like the MCU’s version of Drax the Destroyer could be easily written off purely as comic relief despite his tragic past. However, in both the movies as well as and , Dave Bautista infuses Drax with humor (the taking metaphors literally bit will never, ever get old). But he also brings a certain warmth to him, whether it’s through eventual friendships with his team, especially Mantis, or helping them in all their cosmic adventures. Drax is more than just muscle and tattoos thanks to James Gunn’s vision of the character. [Saloni Gajjar]

It’s a shame Natalie Portman’s Jane sat out , but she more than made up ground in the franchise’s subsequent installment—and as the title character, no less. Taika Waititi’s new film gives the character an opportunity to participate in all of the typical day-saving and hero-posturing, but with exactly the right kind of science-nerd awkwardness that made this STEM woman a wonderful counterpart to Thor’s hunky confidence. juxtaposes Jane’s transformation into Mighty Thor with a decidedly mortal source of vulnerability, detailed in Jason Aaron’s comics run that inspired the film, which lets the riveting-as-always Portman flex more than just her physical muscles. (But yes, her biceps make her more than worthy of inclusion on this list.) [Jack Smart]

God, but what a gift Sam Raimi found in J.K. Simmons. It’s so impossible to imagine anyone else embodying Spider-Man’s cigar-chomping, screwball energy’d, endlessly bloviating boss/nemesis J. Jonah Jameson, in fact, that Marvel Studios didn’t even bother to try—instead just bringing Simmons back for an updated take on the character for . And why not? Hilarious when he’s happy, riotously funny when he’s mad; who could possibly beat J.K. as JJJ? [William Hughes]

rejuvenated the X-Men franchise, and it wouldn’t have been possible without McAvoy at the center as the brilliant, idealistic young Charles Xavier. What he lacks in Patrick Stewart’s patriarchal wisdom he makes up for in charisma and enthusiasm. This version of Professor X makes a lot of mistakes, but it’s easy to see why his team gives him their trust and loyalty. Over the course of the films, McAvoy does a great job of tempering Xavier’s initial optimism with the difficult decisions he has to make to protect his fellow mutants. Not to mention his friends-to-enemies-to-reluctant-allies chemistry with Magneto (Michael Fassbender) is the stuff of fandom legend. [Mary Kate Carr]

There’s an element of hangdog failure that runs through any great version of Peter Parker, and nobody does hangdog failure better than Jake Johnson. But even if Johnson’s Peter B. Parker (from 2018’s deliriously good ) has taken some hits—busted marriage, broken back, bankrupt Spider-Man-themed restaurant—he’s still, well, Spider-Man. And his mentorship of student Miles Morales, and his subsequent rise to heroism, proves it: Even when a Spider-Person is down, you can never count them out. [William Hughes]

The appeal of Rebecca Romijn’s Mystique was, well, mystique, which is not Jennifer Lawrence’s strength as an actor. Where her predecessor was cool, Lawrence brings her characteristic fire to the younger version. It works because of her backbone of steel, with shoulders means tested to carry a franchise. She can hold her own when caught between two very different and formidable idealogues. She’s at turns a team player, a rogue agent, and a leader in her own right. Whereas in the original trilogy, Mystique was more of a supporting character, Lawrence’s version is a star, and acknowledged within her altered timeline as an advocate for mutantkind. [Mary Kate Carr]

The most “human” Avenger is at his best when connected to those human elements—whether chilling at his idyllic farmhouse with wife Laura (Linda Cardellini), or trading quips with unwanted protege Kate Bishop. The MCU Hawkeye is, admittedly, way too given to brooding, in ways that do star Jeremy Renner no favors. But when he’s allowed that lighter, funnier touch, he’s a cornerstone of the more human side of these vast and cosmic conflicts. [William Hughes]