Ironheart has officially launched on Disney+, and within just hours of its premiere, a single line of dialogue sparked a renewed debate among fans about one of the MCU‘s most contentious topics. During a scene that showcases her extraordinary intellect, Riri (Dominique Thorne) boldly asserts that she is “just as smart as Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.).” This declaration prompted fans to flock to Reddit and X, passionately discussing whether this 19-year-old MIT prodigy truly merits a place alongside the legendary Iron Man.
This isn’t the first occasion where a character from the new generation has found themselves compared to an iconic original Avenger. The MCU is filled with brilliant minds, including scientists capable of rewriting DNA, doctors who can conjure spells, and time-traveling villains who can manipulate entire dimensions. To definitively resolve this debate, we’re exploring the smartest characters currently in the MCU, and pinpointing where Ironheart fits into this illustrious lineup.
10
Reed Richards (Mr. Fantastic)
Portrayed by Pedro Pascal
Currently, Reed Richards (John Krasinski) has made a brief appearance in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, where Professor X (Patrick Stewart) introduced him as “the smartest man alive.” However, this same version of Reed mistakenly revealed Black Bolt’s (Anson Mount) powers to a distraught Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen), which ultimately led to Black Bolt’s tragic demise moments later. Despite this misstep, it’s important to consider that most of the Illuminati in that scene seemed to be acting without full cognitive function, making it challenging to pinpoint blame solely on him.
The upcoming <em>Fantastic Four</em> movie is anticipated to thoroughly establish Reed (Pedro Pascal) as the supreme intellect of the MCU. Within the comic lore, he stands as the foremost authority across virtually every scientific discipline, including mechanical, electrical, and aerospace engineering, quantum physics, organic and alien biology, chemistry, and dimensional theory! Early trailers and snippets from Fantastic Four hint that he may uncover the method for traversing from his own Earth into the mainline MCU universe. Should this prove true, he would become the first character in the timeline to accomplish multiversal travel purely through scientific means.
9
He Who Remains (Kang Variant)
Portrayed by Jonathan Majors
He Who Remains (Jonathan Majors) was unveiled at the conclusion of Loki Season 1 as the brilliant architect behind the TVA and the Sacred Timeline. Following his invention of multiversal travel, He Who Remains confronted his numerous variants, resulting in a catastrophic multiversal war from which he was the sole survivor. His unparalleled intellect allowed him to outsmart every other variant, ultimately gaining complete dominion over the timeline.
To avert another catastrophic war, he established the TVA, eliminating entire branches of reality while ensuring all events adhered to a singular timeline. Every significant event in the MCU leading up to Loki Season 1 occurred with his consent. This god-like comprehension of time and causality undeniably positions him as the most intelligent individual across the multiverse. Even his demise was a calculated move; he permitted it to ensure the collapse of the Sacred Timeline, thereby setting the stage for Loki to assume his role. Each action that He Who Remains took was a part of a preordained strategy he had already anticipated.
Loki
- Release Date
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2021 – 2022
- Network
-
Disney+
8
Vision
Portrayed by Paul Bettany
Vision (Paul Bettany) is the literal culmination of the combined intellects of some of the MCU’s most brilliant individuals: Tony Stark, Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo), Ultron (James Spader), and the Mind Stone. He operates as a sophisticated supercomputer, equipped with instantaneous access to all data sources on Earth and the ability to process this information in real-time. Such capabilities grant Vision a vast repository of knowledge that surpasses any other character in the MCU. In Avengers: Age of Ultron, he swiftly identified a critical flaw in Ultron’s core programming, leading to the villain’s eventual defeat.
In WandaVision, Wanda ensnares Vision within an illusory reality powered by her chaos magic. Despite being trapped in this fabricated world, he possesses the acuity to discern the inconsistencies within the illusion and to question the very essence of his existence. It’s crucial to highlight that while Wanda is recognized as an Omega-level mutant, Vision’s mental fortitude enabled him to resist her powers, allowing him to break free from her control multiple times before being reset.
7
Tony Stark (Iron Man)
Portrayed by Robert Downey Jr.
Tony Stark is the brilliant genius, billionaire, playboy, and philanthropist who was instrumental in launching the MCU. From his very first appearance, his intellect distinguished him from all others. In Iron Man, he constructed a miniaturized arc reactor and an advanced suit of armor while being held captive in a cave, utilizing only scrap materials. This engineering marvel was an achievement that even the most skilled minds at Stark Industries were unable to replicate. In Iron Man 2, he developed an entirely new element to substitute for the palladium that was poisoning his body. This level of atomic innovation is something that even seasoned physicists would struggle to achieve in a lifetime. Additionally, he created some of the most sophisticated AI systems in the MCU, including J.A.R.V.I.S. (Paul Bettany), F.R.I.D.A.Y. (Kerry Condon), and E.D.I.T.H. (Dawn Michelle King).
Moreover, Tony was always forward-thinking. He engineered the Hulkbuster suit as a contingency for when the Hulk might become uncontrollable. He kept the Iron Spider suit ready in case Peter Parker (Tom Holland) needed an emergency upgrade. By the time of Avengers: Infinity War, he had transitioned to a nanotech suit that could self-repair and morph at his command. In Avengers: Endgame, he effortlessly cracked the code for time travel overnight while running simulations before bedtime. Yet, perhaps the pinnacle of his achievements was the construction of a functional Infinity Gauntlet, a feat that only the Dwarves of Nidavellir had accomplished prior.
Iron Man
- Release Date
-
May 2, 2008
- Runtime
-
126 minutes
6
Shuri
Portrayed by Letitia Wright
Shuri (Letitia Wright) showcased her superior intellect when she outperformed Bruce Banner in a critical brain surgery procedure, which was essential for extracting the Mind Stone from Vision, even though Banner was involved in Vision’s creation. Earlier in Black Panther, she successfully healed Everett Ross’ spinal injury using advanced vibranium technology, designed stealthy sound-absorbent sneakers for covert movement, and constructed an entire magnetic levitation transit system that operates beneath Wakanda. In Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, she further displayed her genius by recreating the Heart-Shaped Herb from the ground up.
Additionally, Shuri engineered Wakanda’s remote piloting system, which enables real-time control of vehicles and aircraft from vast distances without any signal degradation—a synchronization level unmatched by any other technology in the MCU. Her enhancements to the Kimoyo Beads transformed them into multifunctional medical, communication, and control devices that operate independently of external servers. Furthermore, during Riri Williams’ lab scene, she swiftly navigated complex quantum-level encryption and adeptly adapted to unfamiliar technologies on the spot. Even Wakanda’s defense grid, engineered to absorb and redirect kinetic energy, is a product of her ingenuity.
5
Hank Pym
Portrayed by Michael Douglas
Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) is the mastermind behind the groundbreaking invention of the Pym Particle, a revolutionary discovery that enables matter to shrink or expand by manipulating the space between atoms. He constructed a fully functional suit utilizing this technology, allowing an individual to shrink to the size of an insect or grow to giant proportions while maintaining their full mass and strength. This remarkable feat alone earns him a rightful place in the hall of genius within the MCU. He conducted secretive studies on the Quantum Realm, developing pioneering theories on quantum physics that were far ahead of his contemporaries. Additionally, he engineered a device that facilitates communication with ants through electromagnetic pulses.
While many have built upon his innovations, Pym has chosen to remain isolated, intentionally withholding his discoveries after witnessing the ease with which science can be weaponized. This decision may have hindered global progress, but it also safeguarded the integrity of his work, even though others eventually caught up. Stark’s time travel method, Scott Lang’s (Paul Rudd) survival in the Quantum Realm, and Janet’s rescue were all possible due to the foundational work Pym had established. Though he may not be the most visible genius in the MCU, every significant advancement in quantum science can ultimately be traced back to him.
4
Riri Williams (Ironheart)
Portrayed by Dominique Thorne
Riri Williams, known as Ironheart, exhibited her extraordinary engineering skills from a remarkably young age, crafting her first machine when she was just three years old. By the age of 15, she was already enrolled at MIT, demonstrating her exceptional talent and intellect. In Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, she astounded everyone by designing a fully operational vibranium detector as part of a metallurgy class project, utilizing spare components and tech gathered from a junkyard. This advanced device was so impressive that even the U.S. government was unable to replicate it, and her professor noted that the chances of it accurately detecting vibranium were less than one in a billion—yet it worked flawlessly.
Riri also managed to leave Shuri impressed with the remarkable 2065-byte encryption on her laptop. When she found herself locked out, the encryption was so sophisticated that it required an entire quantum computer to breach. However, her most significant achievement is undoubtedly the Iron Man-inspired suit she constructed from scratch. This suit featured flight stabilization, targeting systems, and an AI framework—all without the extensive labs or multimillion-dollar budget that Tony Stark had at his disposal. While her suit may not yet match the refinement of Tony’s technology, she has demonstrated an ability to recreate one of the most advanced technologies in the MCU completely on her own. Given time and resources, she possesses the potential to either equal or even exceed Stark’s accomplishments.
Ironheart
- Release Date
-
2025 – 2025
- Network
-
Disney+
3
Rocket Raccoon
Portrayed by Bradley Cooper
Rocket (Bradley Cooper) may appear to be a mere talking raccoon with an attitude, but he is undeniably one of the most brilliant minds in the MCU. During Guardians of the Galaxy, he nonchalantly mentions that he has escaped from 22 different prisons. Furthermore, he engineered the Hadron Enforcer, a handheld weapon powerful enough to obliterate moons. His ability to reverse engineer alien technology is akin to playing with LEGO.
However, his most remarkable display of intelligence occurred in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. As a child, Rocket identified a significant flaw in the High Evolutionary’s (Chukwudi Iwuji) so-called perfect genetic experiment. Not only did he spot the error, but he also corrected it on the spot, without any tools, training, or assistance. The High Evolutionary’s elite scientists could not comprehend the problem, but Rocket did. In that moment, he outsmarted his own creators.
2
Bruce Banner (Hulk)
Portrayed by Mark Ruffalo
Bruce Banner is universally recognized as the foremost expert in gamma radiation, and he is credited with the creation of the world’s first gamma bomb. Holding an impressive seven PhDs, which is nothing short of remarkable, he has showcased his unparalleled intellect throughout the MCU. In Avengers: Endgame, he was the pioneer who successfully made time travel a reality, albeit with a few… complications. Additionally, he accomplished the unprecedented feat of merging Bruce Banner’s intellect with the raw power of the Hulk, resulting in the creation of the Smart Hulk. While his intellect often seems overshadowed by Stark’s, Bruce is undeniably one of the leading minds in the Marvel universe.
What distinguishes Banner isn’t solely his wealth of knowledge but also his ability to apply it under personal risk. He exhibits a commendable sense of selflessness in his endeavors. Furthermore, he stands as one of the few scientists within the MCU who has contributed to both biological and technological advancements, ranging from cellular regeneration research to assisting in the calibration of time travel mechanics alongside Stark. Not to mention, he is living proof of the scientific principles he advocates.
Avengers: Endgame
- Release Date
-
April 26, 2019
- Runtime
-
181 Minutes
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Robert Downey Jr.
Tony Stark / Iron Man
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