Marvel Studios, by rebranding Thunderbolts* (2025) as The New Avengers, has signalled a shift by finally deciding to pass on the Avengers mantle while also keeping some of the former heroes and reimagining others as supervillains (case in point: Doctor Doom). At the same time, old Avengers vs New Avengers debate has already commenced, leaving fans to compare the MCU heroes of the past, present and future.
We know that nothing will ever be as iconic as the OG team. However, the New Avengers do seem promising, judging by their dynamics and display of strength in Thunderbolts*. And even though they aren’t necessarily “heroes”, but rather a group of morally grey anti-heroes, they have the heart to carry the MCU forward. Additionally, much like their predecessors, the New Avengers share a love-hate relationship that makes for some great comedy.
So, while the new and the old Avengers share some similarities in terms of their interpersonal dynamics, they are vastly different when it comes to their moral compass, characterisation and, most importantly, superpowers.
The old Avengers were a mixed bag of superheroes in the traditional sense, with each one having a distinct superpower that set them apart. For instance, Iron Man (played by Robert Downey Jr) had his suit and technological knowledge; Thor (played by Chris Hemsworth) wields his hammer and the power of thunder; Hulk (played by Mark Ruffalo) possesses immense strength along with Bruce Banner’s scientifical knowledge; and Captain America (played by Chris Evans) was known for his shield and leadership. Each one had something the others didn’t, whether in their dispositions or signature weapons.
Meanwhile, the New Avengers include only two members with actual superpowers – Ghost (played by Hannah John-Kamen) and Sentry (played by Lewis Pullman). The rest of the team is just an amalgamation of serum-injected super-soldiers and trained spies.
If the old Avengers have actual superpowers capable of handling alien invasions, then the New Avengers have street-level skills that would help them combat humans, but not a Thanos-level threat — unless they use Sentry’s full power, which we will touch upon later.
So, with such diverse characteristics in each team, which is better? Are the New Avengers stronger than the old ones? What about individual face-offs? Find out in our old Avengers vs New Avengers comparison.
MCU’s original Avengers vs New Avengers: Comparing the two teams based on strength, superpowers and experience
Before we begin comparing the old Avengers vs the New Avengers, it is important to note that the New Avengers comprises the Thunderbolts only and not the new Captain America, Sam Wilson’s (played by Anthony Mackie) team that was hinted at in the post-credit scene of Thunderbolts*.
Additionally, the old Avengers only include the founding six members from the 2012 movie The Avengers, and not the other Avengers that joined later, such as Dr Strange (played by Benedict Cumberbatch) or Spider-Man (played by Tom Holland).
So, with that out of the way, here is a detailed comparison of each of the old Avengers vs the New Avengers.
1. Natasha Romanoff vs Yelena Belova
Why compare them: Both trained in the Red Room
Pitting these two against each other would be like comparing a student to their teacher. While Natasha, aka Black Widow (played by Scarlett Johansson), and Yelena (played by Florence Pugh) share similar skills and characteristics — for instance, both are adept spies and assassins — Natasha is clearly more experienced in terms of skill and precision.
Disposition-wise, too, Natasha is calmer, more stable and controlled. Meanwhile, Yelena tends to be boisterous and reckless. So here, Natasha wins.
Old Avengers: 1
New Avengers: 0
2. Captain America vs U.S. Agent
Why compare them: Both are referred to as “Captain America”
The U.S. Agent, aka John Walker, was chosen by the American government as Captain America’s official successor. Even though the two are very similar in terms of their superpowers – both being serum-injected super-soldiers, Steve Rogers is clearly the winner here, and not just on moral grounds, since John killed someone using the Captain America shield.
Even if they are at the same strength level, Steve is far more experienced and level-headed. He’s not just a war veteran but also has experience fighting extraterrestrial threats. In terms of teamwork, too, Steve gets the upper hand, since he led the old Avengers through multiple battles. Meanwhile, John is a bit of a rogue who has trouble following orders. They are completely on opposite ends of the spectrum. So here, Captain America wins.
Old Avengers: 2
New Avengers: 0
3. Iron Man vs Winter Soldier
Why compare them: It is like Iron Man vs Captain America
These two fought once in Captain America: Civil War (2016), and that time, Bucky (played by Sebastian Stan) won. However, the circumstances of that win must be taken into account: 1. Tony, aka Iron Man, was fighting both Bucky and Steve; 2. They were combating in a closed space, so Iron Man couldn’t fly; and 3. Tony was probably holding himself back to avoid inflicting any fatal damage on Steve.
Now, if Iron Man and Winter Soldier were to go head-to-head with one of Tony’s latest suits, the outcome might differ. If he had space to fly, Tony would go airborne, while Bucky, even though he is a super soldier as strong as Steve, would be stuck on the ground with limited resources at his disposal. However, in case something happens to Tony’s suit, and they end up in physical combat, then Bucky would win.
So, given that the two would win under different circumstances, this is a tie.
Old Avengers: 3
New Avengers: 1
4. Hawkeye vs Red Guardian
Why compare them: They are the weakest links
Hawkeye, like Natasha, is a spy and assassin. He relies heavily on his trusty bow and arrows in combat, but once they run out, he doesn’t have much to offer beyond a few hits.
Meanwhile, the Red Guardian, aka Alexei (played by David Harbour), is a super-soldier, but age has caught up to him. He’s not as strong as he used to be, and if he were facing another older Avenger like Hulk, Thor, or Captain America, he would surely lose. However, against Hawkeye, he still has the upper hand in terms of strength because of the super-soldier serum. So, in this case, Red Guardian wins.
Old Avengers: 3
New Avengers: 2
5. Hulk vs Ghost
Why compare them: They became superheroes because of experiments gone wrong
Hulk is one of the most powerful old Avengers, and Ghost is one of the two New Avengers who qualify as “traditional” superheroes with superpowers. However, Ghost’s superpower is phasing through objects, which she hasn’t mastered yet. In fact, she has been quite unstable with her abilities in the past, just like Hulk.
On the other hand, Hulk has immense physical strength, so much so that he has also tackled Loki and Thor directly in The Avengers (2012). And they are actual gods! Even though he shifts back to Dr Bruce Banner after taking significant hits, he is still unmatched in strength.
So, with this, the score in this old Avengers vs New Avengers comparison becomes:
Old Avengers: 4
New Avengers: 2
6. Thor vs Sentry
Why compare them: They are the mightiest members
Thor is literally a God who can control thunder and lightning at the flick of a finger. Meanwhile, Sentry, as the comics say, has the power of a million exploding suns. Now, even though we haven’t seen the full extent of his power in the MCU, we did get a glimpse of how much havoc he can wreak once unleashed.
His darker side, known as the Void, is unstable and obliterates anything that crosses his path. So, although Sentry has given up using his powers, as we saw in the post-credit scene of Thunderbolts* (2025), he is the New Avengers’ only hope against a Thanos-like threat.
Comparing his powers to Thor’s, it would seem that if left unrestrained, Sentry would defeat Thor. Even if it were by a small margin, he would win, nonetheless.
Which brings us to the final score in this old Avengers vs New Avengers comparison:
Old Avengers: 4
New Avengers: 3
Aaaaaaand, the old Avengers win, albeit by a small margin!
Who do you think would win the old Avengers vs New Avengers comparison?
(Hero image credit: The Avengers (2012); Thunderbolts* (2025) via IMDb; Featured image credit: Thunderbolts*/ Photo by Chuck Zlotnick/Photo by Chuck Zlotnick – © 2025 MARVEL. All Rights Reserved. via IMDb)
