10 MCU Superheroes Whose Abilities Can’t Be Controlled By Power-Dampening Collars, Ranked By Threat Level

Power-dampening collars have been used numerous times to weaken the abilities of some of the strongest characters in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but some heroes wouldn’t be affected by these restraints. Inspired by the Inhibitor Collars from Marvel Comics that were introduced as a means to neutralize mutant abilities during the Days of Future Past event, the MCU’s power-dampening collars have been used for the same reasons, but not just for mutants. Several heroes have had their powers quelled by these devices over the years, but there are others who never will.

These inhibitor collars have been seen many times in the MCU’s history, most notably to eliminate the abilities of characters such as Wanda Maximoff’s Scarlet Witch, Loki, Bruce Banner’s Hulk and even countless mutants in the Ice Box in 20th Century Fox’s Deadpool 2. Despite their prominence, the power-dampening collars have never been fully explained, though it seems that these devices only neutralize innate powers in their wearer. This means that there are many MCU heroes whose powers wouldn’t be affected by power-dampening collars.

You are watching: 10 MCU Superheroes Whose Abilities Can’t Be Controlled By Power-Dampening Collars, Ranked By Threat Level

10

Yelena Belova’s Black Widow

Yelena Belova Debuted In The MCU In Black Widow (2021)

Close

After putting herself on the map in Black Widow and Hawkeye, Florence Pugh’s Yelena Belova is set to become even more central to the MCU in 2025’s upcoming Thunderbolts*. Yelena trained in the Red Room with her surrogate sister, Natasha Romanoff, and so also became a formidable Black Widow assassin, obtaining skills that she’ll put to the test as a new street-level hero in the fight against Lewis Pullman’s Sentry. Yelena is incredibly skilled as an expert hand-to-hand combatant, but she has no innate superpowers, just like Romanoff.

Her lack of any natural ability means that Yelena Belova’s powers would not be affected whatsoever by power-dampening collars. With Mayor Wilson Fisk waging war on vigilantes in New York City – the setting for Thunderbolts* – and Valentina Allegra de Fontaine perhaps using these collars to control any superhuman assets the CIA might have, this could prove important. Yelena is literally uncontrollable, which will make her a significant threat to Valentina, Kingpin and more as the MCU continues to grow.

9

Rhodey’s War Machine

James “Rhodey” Rhodes Debuted In The MCU In Iron Man (2008)

Close

Following in the footsteps of Robert Downey Jr.’s Tony Stark, Rhodey became War Machine in 2010’s Iron Man 2 after stealing an armored Iron Man suit and having it kitted out by Justin Hammer and the United States military. War Machine has big guns, making him a huge asset to any Avengers team, and a huge threat to anyone trying to control his powers. Just like Yelena Belova, Rhodey has no innate gifts, with his suit of armor offering him his entire power-set aside from his tactical mind and weapons knowledge, so power-dampening collars wouldn’t work on him.

Related

Why Don Cheadle Replaced Terrence Howard As War Machine In The MCU

Terrence Howard, James Rhodes in Iron Man, was replaced by Don Cheadle in Iron Man 2 – before he could don the War Machine armor. Here’s why.

Posts

Rhodey’s next steps in the MCU are currently uncertain, but it’s possible he could try to be controlled by some government agency, perhaps even Valentina’s CIA or the upcoming OXE. Rhodey was revealed to have been replaced by the Skrull Raava in 2023’s Secret Invasion, though it hasn’t yet been confirmed when this switch happened. Marvel Studios’ Armor Wars movie could have explained this, but the production of this project has fallen silent in recent years, so it’s unclear when or if Don Cheadle will be returning to the MCU as War Machine.

8

Sam Wilson’s Captain America

Sam Wilson Debuted In The MCU In Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)

Close

While War Machine’s heavy-duty suit of armor makes him slightly more powerful than the immensely-skilled Yelena Belova, Anthony Mackie’s Sam Wilson trumps them both by making use of a vibranium superhero suit as Captain America. Sam Wilson officially became Captain America at the end of 2021’s The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, and his story as the Star-Spangled-Man was developed in 2025’s Captain America: Brave New World. He was gifted his vibranium Captain America suit in the former, and received a new one in the latter, making up for his lack of super-soldier serum.

Sam Wilson’s Live-Action MCU Project	Year	Role
Captain America: The Winter Soldier	2014	Falcon
Avengers: Age of Ultron	2015	Falcon
Ant-Man	2015	Falcon
Captain America: Civil War	2016	Falcon
Avengers: Infinity War	2018	Falcon
Avengers: Endgame	2019	Falcon
The Falcon and the Winter Soldier	2021	Falcon & Captain America
Captain America: Brave New World	2025	Captain America
Avengers: Doomsday	2026	Captain America

The fact that Sam Wilson hasn’t taken any super-soldier serum and only uses an enhanced suit to carry out his activities as Captain America means power-dampening collars wouldn’t work on him. There are no innate abilities to neutralize, so it’s perhaps a good thing that he hasn’t given in and taken a serum. Wilson’s vibranium suit gives him enhanced strength, durability, flight and kinetic absorption abilities, and these powers could prove helpful in the fight against any manner of villains trying to control the Earth’s heroes, so it’s a good thing Wilson’s powers won’t be removed.

7

Clint Barton’s Hawkeye

Clint Barton Debuted In The MCU In Thor (2011)

Close

Hawkeye is a different case altogether, as he doesn’t use an enhanced suit of armor, but he still doesn’t actually have any superhuman abilities. The origins of Clint Barton’s remarkable marksmanship powers in the MCU haven’t been revealed, but these skills are thought to be learned, rather than in his biology. This means that power-dampening collars would have no impact on his marksmanship skills, which is likely why he wasn’t placed in one when he was imprisoned after the Avengers’ battle at the Leipzig/Halle Airport in 2016’s Captain America: Civil War.

Clint Barton’s Hawkeye was a founding member of the Avengers team back in 2012 alongside Tony Stark’s Iron Man, Steve Rogers’ Captain America, Thor, Natasha Romanoff’s Black Widow and Bruce Banner’s Hulk.

Jeremy Renner’s Clint Barton taught his marksmanship skills to Hailee Steinfeld’s Kate Bishop in Phase 4’s Hawkeye series, so it seems power-dampening collars also wouldn’t make any difference to Bishop’s sharp-shooting. Currently, neither Barton nor Bishop have been confirmed to be returning to the MCU, though as New York-based heroes, it would make sense for Wilson Fisk’s new plans for the city to impact them. The fact that their powers can’t be neutralized means the two Hawkeyes could pose a significant threat to Fisk and his new “Safer Streets” scheme.

6

See more : 8 Harry Potter Characters Who Shouldn’t Have Made It To The End Of Deathly Hallows

Scott Lang’s Ant-Man

Scott Lang Debuted In The MCU In Ant-Man (2015)

Close

While Scott Lang also uses a suit to carry out his superhero activities, and doesn’t have expert marksmanship skills like Hawkeye, his harnessing of Pym Particles and ability to change his size makes him considerably more powerful. Funnily, Ant-Man is actually one of the most powerful heroes in the MCU, though he has seldom embraced this position. Scott Lang, and, by extension, Hope van Dyne, Cassie Lang, Hank Pym and Janet van Dyne, have no innate powers, so power-dampening collars would have no effect on them, allowing them to still use their formidable suits.

Related

Ant-Man’s 10 Most Impressive Displays Of Power In The MCU, Ranked

Ant-Man is one of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s most quietly powerful heroes, with a versatile array of impressive showings of strength and skill.

Posts

This makes Scott Lang’s Ant-Man similar to Rhodey’s War Machine and Sam Wilson’s Captain America, though the capabilities of his superhero suit are far greater. Ant-Man can change the distance between atoms to shrink or grow his size, and has access to the Quantum Realm and all it has to offer, which makes him incredibly powerful. Just like Clint Barton and Sam Wilson, Scott Lang doesn’t wear a power-dampening collar in Captain America: Civil War, proving that the device would be meaningless on him, since he has no natural ability.

5

Matt Murdock’s Daredevil

Matt Murdock Debuted In The MCU In Daredevil Season 1 (2015)

Close

An argument could be made for Matt Murdock having superpowers in the MCU, with his senses perhaps being enhanced to superhuman levels because of the chemicals splashed in his eyes as a child. However, this has never been confirmed, so as far as we know, Charlie Cox’s Daredevil just has heightened senses because of his blindness. Power-dampening collars wouldn’t be able to hamper his natural senses, which means Matt Murdock could still use his enhanced hearing, smell, taste and touch even if wearing an inhibitor.

This could prove especially important in Daredevil: Born Again season 2, as Matt Murdock is at the center of Mayor Wilson Fisk’s war on vigilantes in New York City. Fisk and Murdock are archenemies, so it would make sense for the former to try to capture and control the latter, but this wouldn’t work. Daredevil’s normal human senses wouldn’t be able to be neutralized, making him a constant significant threat to Wilson Fisk and anyone else who tries to control him. This could be explored head-on in Born Again season 2 or beyond.

4

Shang-Chi

Shang-Chi Debuted In The MCU In Shang-Chi & The Legend Of The Ten Rings (2021)

Close

Simu Liu’s Shang-Chi, aside from being an expert of martial arts, acquired the mystical ten rings from his father in 2021’s Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. These relics make him incredibly powerful, but have no biological connection to Shang-Chi, which means that power-dampening collars would have no impact on him at all. He would easily be able to free himself by using the ten rings, or perhaps even just by using his martial arts skills, which he showed off in the MCU’s Phase 4 and will again when he returns in 2026’s Avengers: Doomsday.

Simu Liu is one of 27 actors confirmed to have been cast in Avengers: Doomsday so far.

Marvel Studios confirmed that Simu Liu would be returning to the MCU as Shang-Chi in Avengers: Doomsday back in March. This could answer the mystery of the ten rings’ beacon, while also possibly bridging the gap between Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings and the as-yet-unconfirmed Shang-Chi 2. Shang-Chi’s prominence in the mystical corner of the MCU means it’s likely he’ll never be cornered with the possibility of wearing an inhibitor collar, but, even if he was, it wouldn’t negate his ability to use the ten rings anyway.

3

Vision

Vision Debuted In The MCU In Avengers: Age Of Ultron (2015)

Close

As far as we know, the MCU’s power-dampening collars only work on organic beings, whether they be human, enhanced or mutant. This means that the collars probably wouldn’t work on beings of a synthetic nature, including Paul Bettany’s Vision. Vision’s synthezoid body was created from vibranium in Avengers: Age of Ultron, originally as a vessel for Ultron’s consciousness, but then as a vessel for JARVIS. Vision is remarkably powerful, and while it remains to be seen what new powers he might discover as White Vision, it seems an inhibitor collar still wouldn’t work on him.

Related

Vision’s Complete 9-Year MCU History, Explained

Vision has had a complex and heartbreaking journey through the MCU. From trusted ally to loving partner, the Synthezoid Avenger’s story isn’t done.

Posts

Vision has recently been through some massive changes in the MCU. He was killed by Thanos in Avengers: Infinity War, but resurrected by SWORD as White Vision, with his memories corrupted, in WandaVision. The Phase 4 series also saw the Scarlet Witch create a construct of Vision inside the Hex around Westview, New Jersey, while White Vision is returning to the MCU in his upcoming solo series. Power-dampening collars likely wouldn’t have had an impact on any iteration of Vision, as he could simply phase through it, with his vibranium body giving him freedom from this control.

2

Stephen Strange’s Doctor Strange

Stephen Strange Debuted In The MCU In Doctor Strange (2016)

Close

Power-dampening collars seem to neutralize innate abilities in the MCU, and don’t have any effect on powers granted through knowledge. This is what gives Clint Barton, Kate Bishop, Yelena Belova and Shang-Chi freedom from these devices, and the same could be said for Doctor Strange, though he is considerably more powerful than any of these other heroes. Benedict Cumberbatch’s Stephen Strange learned his magical abilities over a period of several months in 2016’s Doctor Strange, so they could be immune from inhibitor collars.

2022’s Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness ended with Strange and Charlize Theron’s Clea entering the Dark Dimension to stop an incursion, so it’s unclear when they’ll return to the MCU.

While Doctor Strange’s abilities could easily come off as being superpowers, they’re all actually just knowledge-based. Anyone can learn to be a Master of the Mystic Arts, though it was perhaps Strange’s eidetic memory that enabled him to become one so powerful. Not even an inhibitor can sidestep these gifts, and since Doctor Strange is one of the most powerful characters in the MCU, the fact that nobody can control him makes him even more formidable, and dangerous, for that matter. Cumberbatch is billed to return in Doctor Strange 3 and perhaps Doomsday and Secret Wars​​​​​​​.

1

The Eternals

The Eternals Debuted In The MCU In Eternals (2021)

Close

Similarly to Vision, the Eternals of the MCU are not organic beings, so they will not be affected by power-dampening collars at all. While they are biological beings in Marvel Comics, an early, superpowered offshoot of humanity, the Eternals of the MCU are synthetic beings created by the Celestial Arishem to fight evolving Deviants and protect the growing populations of various worlds harboring Celestial seeds. The existence of the Eternals isn’t common knowledge in the MCU, so it’s unclear who would try and inhibit them, but they’d be unsuccessful anyway.

MCU Eternal	Actor
Sersi	Gemma Chan
Ikaris	Richard Madden
Ajak	Salma Hayek
Druig	Barry Keoghan
Makkari	Lauren Ridloff
Thena	Angelina Jolie
Phastos	Brian Tyree Henry
Gilgamesh	Don Lee
Kingo	See more : Is David Hale Sons of Anarchy Leaving the Series? Why Did David Hale Quit Sons Of Anarchy? Kumail Nanjiani
Sprite	Lia McHugh
Eros’ Starfox	Harry Styles

Marvel Studios perhaps tried to introduce too many Eternals all in one go back in 2021, which spurred criticism that Eternals’ characters didn’t get enough development and the narrative was rushed. This contributed to a poor reception for the Phase 4 movie, which in turn may have caused Marvel to cancel any plans there might have been for a possible Eternals 2 in the MCU. It would be great to see the Eternals interact with other heroes in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, especially since their incomprehensible power levels make them immune to power-dampening collars and other methods of control.

Marvel Cinematic Universe

Created by

Kevin Feige

First Film

Iron Man

Upcoming Films

Deadpool & Wolverine, Captain America: Brave New World, Thunderbolts*, Blade (2025), The Fantastic Four: First Steps, Avengers: Doomsday (2026), Avengers: Secret Wars

First TV Show

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

Upcoming TV Shows

Agatha: Coven of Chaos, Ironheart, Daredevil: Born Again, Wakanda, Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, Marvel Zombies, Wonder Man, Vision Quest

Cast

Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Samuel L. Jackson, Jeremy Renner, Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Edward Norton, Paul Rudd, Tom Holland, Tom Hiddleston, Anthony Mackie, Cobie Smulders, Brie Larson, Chadwick Boseman, Sebastian Stan, Chris Pratt, Dave Bautista, Zoe Saldana, Bradley Cooper, Vin Diesel, Pom Klementieff, Josh Brolin, Karen Gillan, Clark Gregg, Paul Bettany, Don Cheadle, Benedict Cumberbatch, Evangeline Lilly, Simu Liu, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Angelina Jolie, Kit Harington, Salma Hayek, Richard Madden, Barry Keoghan, Gemma Chan, Ma Dong-seok, Brian Tyree Henry, Kumail Nanjiani, Lauren Ridloff, Lia McHugh, Jonathan Majors

Expand

See at Amazon

See at Target

See at Walmart

Upcoming MCU Movies

• 

  Thunderbolts*

  Release Date

  May 2, 2025

  Powered by

  

  Expand
  Collapse

• 

  The Fantastic Four: First Steps

  Release Date

  July 25, 2025

  Powered by

  

  Expand
  Collapse

• 

  Avengers: Doomsday

  Release Date

  May 1, 2026

  Powered by

  

  Expand
  Collapse

• 

  Spider-Man: Brand New Day

  Release Date

  July 31, 2026

  Powered by

  

  Expand
  Collapse

• 

  Avengers: Secret Wars

  Release Date

  May 7, 2027

  Powered by

  

  Expand
  Collapse

Source: https://truongnguyenbinhkhiem.edu.vn
Category: Entertainment