The Funniest MCU Characters Ranked

Many different elements shape the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Superior storytelling, compelling characters, bruising battles, colorful clothing, chiseled chests — the list goes on and on. One fundamental component that absolutely must factor into the mix, though, is the constant stream of high-end humor that flows like an infectious laugh from one end of the MCU to the other. From moments of subtle wit to something as ridiculous as a drunk Tony Stark blasting a watermelon mid-flight, a good laugh is a staple of every Marvel movie.

Of course, none of the wisecracking would exist without the numerous characters that facilitate it. The question is, who's the funniest one of the bunch? Taking into account every personality across the Marvel Universe (including both lead and supporting roles), we've come up with a VIP list of the funniest MCU characters ever created. Here they are — starting with those who keep us pleasantly smiling and working our way up to the ones who have us busting a gut on a regular basis.

One of the best things about the Iron Man series is the introduction of director Jon Favreau's character, Happy Hogan. From the moment he stepped onto the screen as Tony Stark's bodyguard, Happy's always been good for a laugh, and Favreau's comedic chemistry with the rest of the Iron Man movies' cast has been spot on.

The presence of Happy and the semi-inept skill set that he brings to the table — especially in a world brimming with superheroes — makes him a priceless addition to the MCU. Who could forget his one-on-one duel with a single guard as Natasha Romanoff takes out the entire Hammer Industries security team? Or his perpetually aggravated attitude as he corrals an overly ambitious Peter Parker? His involvement in the Spider-Man storyline seems to also now involve a budding romance with Aunt May, which could imply that the "Forehead of Security" is going to continue to be a comedic bright spot and continual source of smiles as Phase 4 of the MCU officially takes flight.

Sneaking just ahead of Peter Parker on the list is his sidekick and bestie Ned Leeds. While Parker may have plenty of humor, Ned is the epitome of comic relief, which is impressive since he's backing up a character who hardly needed help making people laugh in the first place. Once again, from facial expressions to overreactions and a constant stream of one-liners crafted to keep the audience grinning, Ned turns everything he touches to laughs.

Case in point: the moment when he discovers that Parker is Spider-Man and sends his half-completed Lego Death Star smashing to the floor. His jaw-dropping reaction to the revelation is priceless and only snowballs from there as he accompanies his pal throughout the rest of the film, asking him questions and clearly getting a bit of a superhero contact high. Ned's antics don't stop in Homecoming, either. In Avengers: Infinity War, he once again gets the crowd laughing as he inadvertently distracts everyone in the bus by raising the alarm over the arrival of Ebony Maw's ship over New York City. As long as Ned's around, the good times are sure to keep rolling.

The addition of Black Panther's sister to the MCU was just as welcome in the comedic department as it was in the scientific one — which was significant. Seriously, how many people get to tell the Bruce Banner "I'm sure you did your best" with such a playfully condescending tone? The Wakandan princess made waves early and often. She isn't afraid to mock tradition — especially when it involves the annoying requirement to wear a corset — and is always ready with a smart, stinging, sarcastic jab. "Don't scare me like that, colonizer" became an instantly iconic line for good reason.

And that's not even touching on the incessant heckling of her superhero brother. Whether she's teasing him about his reaction to seeing Nakia or flipping him the bird as she makes her exit, the tough-yet-endearing back-and-forth between these two has been a constant source of mirth. Shuri's wit and humor have been cleverly sharp and constantly on point, from inventing the one true sneaker to recording her brother being thrown across the room... for research purposes, of course.

One of the newer members of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Goose played a quiet yet crucial role in Captain Marvel. While the Flerken has certainly put her two cents in on multiple grave occasions, though, she's also served as one of the quietest sources of comic relief in the entire history of the MCU. It was a hoot when her tentacles first came out and she thrashed those Kree soldiers in Mar-Vell's Laboratory. From there, the unassuming alien kept audiences laughing as she followed up the performance by not lifting a paw when confronted by a fresh batch of Kree soldiers (and a disguised Talos) a few minutes later.

Another great comic element about Goose's character is the humor she draws out of others around her. Nick Fury's lovable interest in his furry new sidekick entertains throughout the Captain Marvel story, while Talos' quite opposite reaction to seeing the Flerken is priceless. Despite her lack of lines or extensive screen time, Goose has managed to rack up a performance among the funniest in the MCU to date.

Thor: Ragnarok was a laugh riot from one end to the other. One of the funniest parts of the entire film, though, came when the Grandmaster had Thor thrown into the "freaky circle" where he met a "pile of rocks" called Korg and his crew. Once again coming to life via the comical magic of a director-turned-actor, the Kronan warrior — portrayed by Taika Waititi himself — is brimming with both intentional and not-so-intentional humor. The former comes through things like his bad rock-paper-scissors joke and perpetually lighthearted attitude towards adversity, while the latter comes through pretty much every single other thing the hapless gladiator does and says throughout the entire movie.

From his absent-mindedness in calling for the dead Doug to chastising his fellow gladiators for their failure to clean up the hair and blood on their weapons, Korg is sheer comedic perfection. The pièce de résistance comes when he informs Thor that he's serving time because he tried to start a revolution and "didn't print enough pamphlets." At least his mom and her boyfriend showed up, though, right? He survived the fight on Asgard, so here's hoping we get to see a good deal more of the gravelly stand-up sensation down the road.

Pairing up a couple of unconventional characters is a classic comic relief staple. Inigo Montoya had Fezzik. Bud Abbott had Lou Costello. Legolas had Gimli. While the MCU has several A-list comedic match-ups of its own, the team that takes the cake has to be Groot and Rocket. This dynamic duo has stolen the side-show from the day they bumped into Quill and Gamora on Xandar.

Rocket's harsh overtones have always been adorably softened by his interactions with his arboreal friend, who ultimately came to see the Sweet Rabbit as his father. The pair shined during the prison escape sequence in the first Guardians installment, as Groot unwittingly set off the alarm, and they consequentially blasted the entire joint to smithereens. 

The two Guardians have also served as a catalyst for numerous jokes and puns over the years as Groot, then baby Groot, then teenage Groot brought various tones of humor to the group's overall dynamic. From duking it out over teenage Groot's refusal to put down his handheld game during Infinity War to helping Yondu escape from his own prison, the pair have been defined by humor as much as heart.

Hulk's childish diction, petulant attitude, and willingness to smash everything in sight has made him hilariously entertaining to watch over the years. If you add Bruce Banner's hesitant, fearful mannerisms into the mix he'd probably move up the list even further, but we'll let the Green Machine stand on his own for this one. While The Incredible Hulk was a fairly sober affair, ever since the scene in Avengers where he mercilessly smashed the Puny God, the Big Guy has been hilariously entertaining. For instance, how many other Avengers have spent multiple years as a champion gladiator at this point? And that Roman plume on his helmet? Priceless.

One of the best Hulk sequences, though, has to be his impressively long conversation with Thor in their chambers after they duke it out on Sakaar. While his vocabulary has impressively expanded at this point, his manners aren't any better off. From the "baby arms" line to laughing at Thor for running into the forcefield, the whole scene is an amusing treat from a character that is typically more brawn than brains.

The king of comebacks and witty one-liners, Tony Stark's comedic prowess has been established from the very beginning of it all. The guy literally kicks off the entire MCU by trolling a soldier about using a "gang sign" in a picture. From there, the quick wit became so typical it was expected even in the direst of circumstances. While Stark's character isn't as inherently comical as others on the list, his ability to get a crowd to laugh at someone else is formidable. From insulting Thor with a "Shakespeare in the Park" crack to warning Hawkeye that he "better clench up, Legolas," his countless clever responses never fail to get a laugh.

In addition to the personal insults, nothing that Stark says can be taken at face value. He's literally incapable of responding to others without lacing each and every sentence with some level of humor. Case in point, his duel with Thanos on Titan. With the fate of the universe at stake and the deck stacked against him, Stark's first line upon reentering the fight is "You throw another moon at me, and I'm going to lose it." It may not be slapstick, but when it comes to wordplay, the man never fails to deliver.

Two words: why is Gamora? The task of fitting even a sampling of Drax's funny moments into a couple of paragraphs is impossible. It's also exactly why the Destroyer sits proudly at the top of our list of the MCU's funniest characters. The Walking Thesaurus is literal and occasionally even weirdly Shakespearean when he talks, which creates constant opportunities for humor. Take the prison break sequence in Guardians of the Galaxy, for example, where he affirms, "Nothing goes over my head. My reflexes are too fast. I would catch it."

And then there's the scene on Ego's planet in Guardians 2, in which he misunderstands Mantis' purpose for waking him up, leading him to fake vomit as he imagines being with her "physically." Perhaps the moment that sums up the muscle-bound Guardian's humor best, though, is the scene in Infinity War where he watches Star-Lord and Gamora while silently snacking on zarg-nuts from the shadows. His utter confidence in his abilities demonstrates the brashness that makes Drax a priceless comic delight whether he's in prison, fighting Avengers, or wandering through space in search of adventure with his fellow Guardians.