Superman is the beating heart of the DC Universe, and a hero powerful enough to protect not just Earth, but the entire cosmos. The Man of Tomorrow is an icon, an absolute powerhouse, and not someone easily beaten in a fight.
Since Jon Favreau brought Iron Man to the silver screen in 2008's film of the same name, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has rapidly grown, moving away from its grounded roots to become a world full of incredibly strong heroes and villains; sometimes, they're powered by magic, other times by Infinity Stones, but they all have something in common.
They could kick Superman's butt!
The way comic books (and the films based on them) are written means anyone can beat anyone if that's what the writer and artist wants, but this piece takes a look at what would likely unfold if Superman were to come to blows with these protagonists and antagonists from the MCU...
10. The Vision
In Avengers: Age of Ultron, The Vision became the first hero other than Thor to lift Mjolnir.
The fact that he's worthy is a big deal the Russo Brothers didn't capitalize on in the three Marvel Studios movies they directed featuring the android, and it felt like they de-powered him to an extent. Pit The Vision who defeated Ultron and wielded the God of Thunder's hammer against Superman, however, and the Man of Steel may very well come out on the losing end.
The Vision could shake off Superman's blows by becoming intangible, before becoming dense enough to put a real hurting on the DC Universe's most iconic hero.
It would be a close contest, but one that could go in The Vision's favour.
9. Ultron
A weakened Ultron may have been defeated by The Vision, but had he not run afoul of the Scarlet Witch, then the Vibranium-enhanced android would have been truly unstoppable.
With Superman unable to use his heat vision to destroy that Wakandan substance (had Marvel Studios owned the rights to the X-Men in 2015, he likely would have been made from Adamantium), he'd have a hard time beating Ultron, especially if the villain had an entire army by his side.
Together, they could easily overpower Superman, leaving the Man of Tomorrow with odds even he's not capable of overcoming.
Concept art has shown an Ultron who used his drones to transform himself into a giant swarm, and while we're confident Superman would destroy many of them, Ultron-Prime would surely be the one left standing by the time all is said and done in this battle.
8. Hulk
The Hulk has proven himself the Strongest Avenger, but Marvel Studios has yet to lean heavily into the idea that the angrier the Jade Giant gets, the stronger he becomes.
Had the Green Goliath not been defeated by Tony Stark when he donned his Hulkbuster armor, it's hard to escape the feeling he might have ranked higher (particularly now he has Bruce Banner's intelligence). In some ways, though, those smarts are likely to work against The Hulk as he's no longer an out of control powerhouse fuelled solely by his rage.
All that aside, and it's inevitable that The Hulk would push Superman to his limits. This would be a long, bloody battle possibly lasting for days, but with the Green Goliath's healing ability, he would have the edge.
Superman just couldn't compete.
7. Iron Man
We know what you're thinking, alright. Superman would just tear Iron Man's armour straight off Tony Stark's body and vaporise him with his heat vision. Game over in a matter of seconds.
However, Tony isn't a stupid guy.
In the comic books, he's created suits which have allowed him to go toe to toe with everyone from The Hulk to Thor, and he's occasionally come out on the winning end of those fights. In the case of Superman, a Kryptonite laced set of armor would be all it takes to weaken the Man of Tomorrow to the point he's easily beaten.
Iron Man would surely be pushed to his limits, but if he can stop The Hulk in his tracks, Supes doesn't stand a chance.
6. Ego
Ego had a predictable weak spot in James Gunn's Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, but a) how would Superman know about that, and b) what if that wasn't an issue for this mighty Celestial being?
Using that thought process, the DC Comics icon would be as outmatched in this fight as he was when he attempted to take down Dr. Manhattan in Doomsday Clock. Ego is too big a foe for even Superman when all is said and done, and so it wouldn't take long for him to show the boy scout who his daddy is.
Well, not literally, but you never know!
Regardless, this would be an epic, space set clash which would ultimately see Superman fall short.
5. Thor
Superman vs. Thor is a dream match for comic book fans, and one it would be jaw-dropping to see play out with the MCU's version of the God of Thunder taking the fight to the Man of Steel.
Over the years, we've seen Thor take some real beatings, but he always gets back up again, and as a literal Thunder God, his thousands of years of experience should help him find Kal-El's weak points, exploit them, and show the DC superhero that being a God is vastly more impressive than being an alien.
Whether he has Mjolnir or Stormbreaker in hand is unlikely to matter, though the latter is likely to cause a lot of damage to Superman if we're assuming it can cut through his skin.
Another close content, but one which would see Thor declared the victor, for sure.
4. Doctor Strange
Doctor Strange is the Sorcerer Supreme, and if Superman has once weakness, it's magic!
The Man of Steel has found himself overpowered by many a "magician" over the decades, but perhaps never one as resourceful and unrelenting as this former surgeon. He may no longer have access to the Time Stone, but that doesn't mean Strange couldn't still take Superman through a mind-bending battle that leaves him overwhelmed and weakened.
With that, the reluctant Avenger could move in for the kill, stopping Superman in his tracks.
Heck, it could be as simple as banishing him to a dimension with a red sun or playing mind games which remind Kal-El of everything he lost the day Krypton was destroyed!
3. Captain Marvel
For a while, it seemed Captain Marvel could very well be the MCU's most powerful superhero.
However, she appears to have some weaknesses, and didn't take Thanos down anywhere near as easily as most expected. That's why Carol Danvers isn't #1 here, but don't let her ranking fool you...she's more than a match for Superman and could ultimately beat him if they were to come to blows.
That's not us saying it would be an easy fight, of course.
In fact, Superman would likely be her greatest challenge yet. By the time all is said and done, though, this battle (which would probably tale place on Earth and in space) would end with Captain Marvel standing atop the fallen Man of Steel as the most mighty hero of the two.
2. Thanos
Even without the Infinity Gauntlet, Thanos is one of the strongest warriors in the entire MCU. He makes short work of men and Gods alike, and as an Eternal, he's among a select group of beings capable of unleashing the power of each of those Infinity Stones.
With them in the Mad Titan's possession, Superman simply would not stand a chance.
The Man of Steel would no doubt be a bigger threat to Thanos than anyone who has come before him, but the villain could quite easily just snap him out of existence if he felt like it!
Even without the Stones, Superman would be pushed to his limits, with them, there would only be one winner and that's Thanos. He would just need to hope the DC hero doesn't wrestle the Infinity Gauntlet away from him because that could see this flight play out in a much different way.
1. Scarlet Witch
Confirmed as the MCU's most powerful superhero, the Scarlet Witch would make short work of Superman. Had Thanos's forces not interrupted her in Avengers: Endgame, she would have defeated the Mad Titan, and the Man of Steel would be similarly overpowered by the Avenger.
Between her power levels and Superman's vulnerability to magic, he simply would not stand a chance.
Marvel Studios has only just started exploring the Scarlet Witch's powers, but WandaVision made her even more formidable, and she'll be tearing her way through the Multiverse itself in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness next month!
The Man of Steel is formidable, but not formidable enough to be anything other than Wanda's punching bag...