Marvel Confirms Shuri Is Actually Not the Smartest Person in the MCU — So Who Is?
The Marvel Cinematic Universe isn’t just a world filled with superheroes, it’s also overflowing with geniuses. There’s a princess who created bulletproof armor that can absorb kinetic energy. A billionaire businessman who seems to know everything about artificial intelligence and nanotechnology. There is also a scientist who invented proportional human shrinking.
Fans have argued for years about who the smartest person in the MCU actually is. And now, Marvel has just given them the answer.
‘Avengers: Endgame’ director Joe Russo declared Shuri to be the smartest character in the MCU
When it comes to the smartest person in the MCU, many Marvel fans agree with Avengers: Endgame director Joe Russo. During a 2018 interview with Wired, Russo declared that Shuri (Letitia Wright) from Black Panther outranks all others.
“Shuri is the smartest person in the Marvel Universe. She is the sister of T’Challa, a princess of Wakanda, and she is the brains behind Wakanda’s incredibly advanced technology,” Russo said.
Shuri’s level of intelligence can’t be understated. Her mastery of technology is a major reason why Wakanda is such an advanced nation. Plus — as Screen Rant notes — she was the only one who figured out how to get the Mind Stone out of Vision’s head while still preserving his consciousness. Not even Bruce Banner could do that.
Fans who argue against Shuri taking the top spot on the “Smartest Person in the MCU” list point to the fact that she has the benefit of Vibranium. Many fans claim that if Shuri didn’t have access to it, she wouldn’t rival the other great minds in the MCU.
Could any Marvel character possibly be smarter than Tony Stark?
Many fans put Robert Downey Jr.’s Tony Stark at the top of the list of smartest MCU characters. Not only did he invent a whole new element thanks to clues from his genius dad Howard Stark, he also had some pretty strong inventions of his own.
Tony created artificial intelligence that almost destroyed the world, and then he created another artificial intelligence to destroy the first. Fans saw his work with the arc reactor begin in a cave in the Middle East when he first became Iron Man. By the end of the Infinity Saga, Tony had invented nanotechnology that allowed his Iron Man suit to form around him from tiny nanites stored in his arc reactor.
While his limitless wealth was no doubt an advantage, nearly every idea Tony came up with was impressive and had serious value.
Tony also collaborated with Bruce Banner – who was a genius in his own right – to create the Ultron program. Bruce finally figured out a way to reverse the effects of his gamma radiation enough to control his anger and maintain human consciousness as Hulk. But according to Marvel, there’s another scientist who’s even smarter.
Marvel confirms that Hank Pym is the smartest person in the MCU
According to The Illuminerdi, a new book has the answer to the long-running argument over who is the “smartest person in the MCU.” The new MCU tie-in book The Wakanda Files shares numerous revelations with fans. Not only can they find out how many calories Steve Rogers burns on a daily basis, they can also find out who Shuri believes is the smartest person in the MCU.
Shuri’s notes in The Wakanda Files reveal that she believes Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) is the smartest person in the MCU. Shuri points to Pym’s discoveries in the Quantum Realm as to why he gets the title.
“How did Pym get his hands on an EM-drive that works outside of a vacuum chamber?” Shuri writes. “We have been attempting to create a Mach-effect thrust without a reactionary force for months, maybe years. It defies the laws of physics. Unless the Quantum Realm acts as a vacuum chamber? That would prove Heisenberg’s principle of a quantum vacuum. So many questions. We must talk with Pym. Immediately.”
The next time fans see Hank Pym will most likely be in Ant-Man 3. Marvel has confirmed the sequel, but has not yet announced a release date.
