How Powerful Are The MCU's Guardians Of The Galaxy Compared To The Avengers - In 2014 And Now?
The Guardians of the Galaxy and The Avengers have come a long way in the MCU since 2014, with significant changes in their comparative powers. After debuting the MCU's main players in a sequence of solo movies, The Avengers made history by teaming them together and grossing Marvel Studios' first $1 billion. This isn't too surprising given the Avengers' prior popularity and the sheer spectacle their team-up promised. 12 years later, the team has trodden a rocky road, with severe losses being tempered by the addition of some even more powerful potential new members.
The Guardians of the Galaxy, meanwhile, had no such set-up and comprised a team of far less well-known heroes. Nevertheless, the Guardians were entertaining enough to rake in $771 million for the franchise in MCU Phase 2 in a movie that remains one of the MCU's best-rated. The Guardians would then bolster their numbers with each subsequent movie, and establish themselves as one of the MCU's most beloved teams despite their initial obscurity. Now, they are even among the most powerful characters in the MCU.
The Guardians of the Galaxy Teams' Powers Explained
The Guardians Have Undergone A Significant Transformation
The makeup of the Guardians of the Galaxy has changed with each successive movie. The first iteration comprises five of the original seven Guardians of the Galaxy members from Marvel Comics. The comic-accurate original lineup has yet to properly materialize on the big screen, and with their most recent outing in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 disbanding most of the originals, it seems unlikely that this will materialize any time soon.
2014 Guardians of the Galaxy Team's Powers Explained
The original Guardians of the Galaxy comprised Peter Quill/Star-Lord, Gamora, Rocket Raccoon, Groot, and Drax the Destoyer. These cosmic vagabonds were thrown together as prisoners on Xandar, pooling their individual abilities to stage a prison break before banding together for good, thanks in no small part to Thanos' and Ronan's nefarious designs for the Power Stone. The earliest iteration of the team boasted different abilities but modest superpowers that have since been deployed to square off against some of the MCU's most powerful entities, including the Celestial Living Planet, Ego.
Guardians Member | Powers and Abilities |
|---|---|
Peter Quill/Star-Lord |
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Gamora |
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Rocket |
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Groot |
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Drax the Destroyer |
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The Guardians' first iteration was bolstered significantly by Peter Quill's Celestial blood, though it was entirely unbeknownst to any of them at the time. Although Guardians of the Galaxy shows that Peter Quill could withstand the power of the Power Stone without being immediately eviscerated due to the burden being shared by his newfound teammates, it was later implied that Quill's Celestial heritage may have also bolstered his endurance. His Celestial powers were never fully unlocked before he relinquished them in favor of destroying Ego and protecting the galaxy, however.
Groot is arguably the most powerful of the Guardians in his debut movie. His ability to manipulate his body at will and swiftly regenerate is among the most practical of powers in the Guardians, outside of Rocket's ingenious resourcefulness. Drax is shown to be particularly strong and durable, though he is far from indomitable. Gamora, meanwhile, shares a similar physiology with an additional shrewdness and agility that typically escapes Drax.
Current Guardians of the Galaxy Team's Powers Explained
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 ended with a significantly altered slate of Guardians after Peter Quill retired from leadership and bequeathed Rocket with the responsibility. This new team now comprises Rocket Raccoon, Groot, Kraglin, Cosmo, Adam Warlock (and Blurp), and Phyla. Given this is one of the MCU's newest teams, they have yet to be seen in action - though the Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 post-credits scene gives a clue to the extent of their powers as they prepare to take down an army of rampaging aliens.
Original Members | |
|---|---|
Guardians Member | New Powers |
Rocket | Unclear |
Groot | Unclear |
New Members | |
Guardians Member | Powers and Abilities |
Kraglin |
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Cosmo |
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Adam Warlock |
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Phyla |
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Without having seen her in action it is difficult to say exactly what Phyla's powers would include, though they may mirror those of Phyla-Vell from Marvel Comics. Similarly, it is unknown whether Groot boasts any additional powers in his substantially bulkier form. Adam Warlock, meanwhile, is a powerful new addition to the team with an impressive array of superpowers that can stand up to some god-tier MCU heroes. With these three powerful characters, the Guardians are certainly at their most powerful.
The Avengers Teams' Powers Explained
The Avengers Lineup Has Changed The Most
The Avengers' first team-up was also in their self-titled movie of 2012. This iconic team was first bolstered in Avengers: Age of Ultron with the addition of three extra members. Unfortunately, Quicksilver's tenure was fittingly brief as he was killed off in the space of the same movie. Since Avengers: Endgame, the Avengers' makeup looks decidedly uncertain, though there are still some prime candidates that are likely to team up down the line in the MCU.
2012-2015 Avengers Team's Powers Explained
The Avengers first banded together thanks to SHIELD and the looming threat of Loki and the Chitauri invasion he heralded. Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, Hulk, Black Widow, and Hawkeye comprised the iconic first lineup. Avengers: Age of Ultron then saw a significant power boost for the team as they were joined by Wanda and Pietro Maximoff and Vision.
Avengers Member | Powers and Abilities |
|---|---|
Steve Rogers/Captain America |
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Tony Stark/Iron Man |
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Thor |
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Bruce Banner/Hulk | As Bruce Banner |
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As Hulk | |
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Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow |
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Clint Barton/Hawkeye |
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Vision |
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Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch |
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Pietro Maximoff/Quicksilver |
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In their early days, the Avengers' true ace in the hole was Hulk, with whom Tony Stark threatened Loki specifically before Hulk would later beat Loki to a pulp. Wanda and Vision would then prove invaluable in the fight against Ultron, though it should be noted that Wanda is significantly less powerful than when she embraced the Scarlet Witch mantle in the Multiverse Saga. The same could be said of most Avengers in their earliest iterations, as members including Thor and Iron Man would grow more powerful in subsequent movies.
Current Avengers Team's Powers Explained
The current iteration of the Avengers has yet to be officially formed after the team disbanded at the end of Avengers: Endgame. Nevertheless, this new Avengers team is likely to look markedly different following the deaths of Black Widow and Iron Man and the retirement Steve Rogers' Captain America. With the likely additions of powerful newer MCU characters like Captain Marvel and Doctor Strange, the newer iteration of the Avengers is likely to outgun the original.
Original Members | |
|---|---|
Avengers Member | New Powers |
Thor |
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Bruce Banner/Hulk |
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Clint Barton/Hawkeye | None |
New Members | |
Avengers Member | Powers and Abilities |
Sam Wilson/Captain America |
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Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel |
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Doctor Strange |
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Wong |
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Shang-Chi |
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Peter Parker/Spider-Man |
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James Rhodes/War Machine |
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Joaquin Torres/Falcon |
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It will most likely fall to Sam Wilson's Captain America to bring the new iteration of the Avengers together. Where this occurs remains to be seen, but with a litany of surviving members of Avengers: Endgame still in operation there's little doubt that they'll contribute to the defense against the next Avengers-level threat. Hulk's strength has arguably downgraded since his transformation into Smart Hulk, though removing the threat Hulk poses to his teammates from the field is an invaluable boon to the new team.
Bruce Banner has also worked out a way of suppressing his Hulk form entirely, further quashing the original "savage" Hulk persona of the original Avengers movies.
Furthermore, the collective power of additions like Captain Marvel, Doctor Strange, and Spider-Man is hard to understate. Shang-Chi offers a powered-up replacement to Natasha Romanoff's hand-to-hand mastery, while War Machine, Spider-Man, and Smart Hulk can share responsibility to fill the void left by Iron Man. Doctor Strange and Wong, while not as powerful as Scarlet Witch, offer an immense level of mystical firepower to boot. Still, whether they measure up to the new Guardians of the Galaxy is another matter.
The Avengers' Team Was More Powerful In 2014
The Avengers' Superpowers Surpass The Guardians Of The Galaxy
James Gunn has asserted that the Guardians of the Galaxy's superior alien tech would give them the upper hand over the Avengers, stating in an interview with Inside of You, "They’re (in) outer space. They have technology that … is, you know, pretty advanced. So it would be hard to beat them." Nevertheless, the Avengers proved how handily they can cope with alien tech in their battle with the Chitauri.
Star-Lord's helmet seems to use some form of nanotech when he equips it from a device behind his ear.
Power-for-power, the Avengers lineup in 2014 would have been sufficient to trounce the newly formed Guardians. The combined powers of Hulk and Thor cannot be overstated, while the Avengers also boast the upper hand with their numbers. Cybernetic enhancements and alien physiologies are also afforded to both teams while the field of hand-to-hand combat and tactical prowess is dominated by Iron Man, Captain America, Black Widow, and Hawkeye, compared to Star-Lord and Gamora.
The Guardians' Team Is More Powerful In The Current MCU
The New Guardians Of The Galaxy Boast Some God-Tier Heroes
The power levels of both the Guardians and Avengers have jumped substantially since their debuts. Still, the Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 mid-credits scene showed just how far the new Guardians have come already, with Kraglin even offering to destroy an entire army on his own. Should Phyla embody the cosmic powers of Phyla-Vell, her comic book counterpart, she would be powerful enough to rival Captain Marvel.
Ultimately, however, the Avengers are more disparate than ever, and without the necessary experience of working as a team (arguably their strongest power), it's easier to see the tight-knit Guardians picking them off.
Adam Warlock, meanwhile, is one of Marvel Comics' most powerful characters. Guardians of the GalaxyVol. 3 nerfed his powers significantly by having him emerge from his cocoon prematurely, but with enough time under his belt, he would be powerful enough to prove a serious threat to the Avengers on his own. Ultimately, however, the Avengers are more disparate than ever, and without the necessary experience of working as a team (arguably their strongest power), it's easier to see the tight-knit Guardians of the Galaxy picking them off.
The Avengers
9/10- Release Date
- May 4, 2012
- Runtime
- 143 minutes
- Director
- Joss Whedon
- Writers
- Joss Whedon, Zak Penn
- Producers
- Avi Arad, Chris Brigham, Jon Favreau, Kevin Feige, Louis D'Esposito, Victoria Alonso, Jeremy Latcham
Cast
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Steve Rogers / Captain America
Tony Stark / Iron Man
The sixth film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers is an action superhero film that sees the heroes assembled across the franchise face off with a deadly galactic threat. With the arrival of Thor's brother, Loki, heroes such as Captain America, The Hulk, Iron Man, and Black Widow are brought together to stop him from unleashing an alien race upon earth.
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Guardians of the Galaxy
8/10- Release Date
- August 1, 2014
- Runtime
- 121 minutes
- Director
- James Gunn
- Writers
- Nicole Perlman, James Gunn
- Producers
- Kevin Feige, Louis D'Esposito, Nik Korda, Stan Lee, Victoria Alonso, Jeremy Latcham
Cast
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Peter Quill
Gamora
Guardians of the Galaxy is part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, featuring Chris Pratt as Peter Quill. Abducted from Earth as a child, Quill navigates intergalactic adventures, becoming entwined in a conflict centered on a powerful orb coveted by Ronan the Accuser.
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Source: Inside of You
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