The Most Useful MCU Power Or Gadget For Everyday Life
The MCU is filled with many strange and wondrous things. Marvelous superpowers and overpowered gadgets go hand in hand throughout its interconnected stories, creating an endless supply of eye-popping fun. At the end of the day, though, we're talking about movies and television shows here, even if they're often designed to mirror our current reality. When the screen goes dark, we go back to our humdrum lives.
What if that weren't the case, though? What if the MCU and real life actually crossed over? Even better, what if we had access to the same powers and gadgets that give the Marvel Cinematic Universe its unique flair?
To answer this question, we decided to figure out which MCU powers and gadgets would be the most useful to the average Joe. To keep things at least somewhat manageable, we're restricting the selection to items and powers possessed by the Avengers and their allies. We're also going to pick specific, isolated powers and items — that means Carol Danvers' entire powerset doesn't count, but her ability to fly does.
Without further ado, here is the official Looper take on the most useful MCU powers and gadgets, from worst to first. Ready for some rampantly imaginative, over-the-top opinion-making? Let's do this.
Black Panther's sneakers
Up first, we've got Black Panther's sneakers. Unsurprisingly, this is just one of multiple Shuri-crafted inventions that make this list. The Wakandan mastermind surprises her brother with these stealthy shoes as part of a larger reveal of suit upgrades during "Black Panther." Memorably, she has him swap out his old-school sandals ("What are thoooose?") for a new pair of fabulously fancy footwear.
T'Challa's sound-absorbent shoes are utterly silent. They're also fully automated, materializing around the wearer's feet. While they don't necessarily alleviate any major issues in a typical person's day, they absolutely streamline the entire process of wearing shoes. These puppies make the list because they're even easier to put on than a pair of flip-flops, though they might be mistaken for a loose pair of insoles when they're not on someone's feet. The fact that they also provide a tantalizing X-factor for your next game of hide-and-seek only makes them that much more valuable.
Spider-Man's web-shooters
Spider-Man's web-shooters are some of the most iconic gadgets in all of superhero fandom. Now, just to be clear, we're talking about Tom Holland's homemade web-shooters, not the organic, superpowered webs Tobey Maguire's iteration of the character enjoys — although, to be fair, both would be awesome to have.
The MCU shooters, however, can be helpful in countless little ways. Sure, lacking Spidey's other powers, you aren't likely to swing from tower to tower very easily with them. But you could still use them to close doors, grab the remote, and flip on light switches across the room without ever getting up from the couch.
They wouldn't just be useful when you're feeling lazy, though. You could also put them to use to help hold broken items together, and even create a leash on the fly to walk the dog. Best of all, you could take any and all silly string-related activities to all-new levels of ridiculousness.
Vision's phasing
When you think of Vision phasing, you probably recall the hero picking apart Ultron Sentries, passing through walls at the Avengers Compound, or killing Corvus Glaive in a particularly brutal deleted scene from "Infinity War." Indeed, the synthezoid's ability to manipulate his density and slip through any object is a pretty nifty power to have on tap when you're trying to live the superhero life.
We also happen to think it'd be a great skill to help get you through everyday life, too. How nice would it be to walk through a door when your hands are full? That's a whole lot dropped grocery bags saved. Locked yourself out of the house? No worries: Walk right through the wall. Your friend wants to give you a way-too-long, far-too-tight bear hug? Denied. There are plenty of great powers and gadgets on this list. But the simple ability to phase through both objects and people seems like it would have particularly relevant applications on a regular basis.
Shuri's remote driving tech
Shuri is the smartest person in the MCU. As such, everything she touches turns to gold. No, let's be real here — it turns to vibranium. While most of her work quietly keeps Black Panther suited up and Wakanda running like a well-oiled machine, some of her inventions are just plain fun — not to mention nifty to have in certain real-life scenarios.
One of the best everyday items of the bunch is Shuri's remote driving tech, which she pulls out when her brother needs a helping hand half a world away. Jumping into the action, she pilots a car remotely through the bustling streets of Busan, all from the comfort and safety of her lab.
The ability to accurately operate a remote-controlled car in real life would be staggeringly useful. You could give a friend a lift, drive the kids home from school, or pick up a pizza, all without ever leaving your couch. Not only that, you could do so in sleek video game style — that isn't just useful, It's freaking fun. The fact that self-driving cars are just around the corner in real life (and probably already all over the place in the MCU) is the only reason this one doesn't land higher on our list.
Captain America's wings
While driving remotely and phasing through walls would be fun ways to move around, there's no question that flying from point A to point B would really take the cake. Think about it: Any time anyone is asked what superpower they'd want, half the time, they say they'd like to fly. The ability to achieve flight in bodily form has been one of humanity's major obsessions since the first person saw the first bird take off into the sky.
Naturally, Sam Wilson's wings making the list is a no-brainer. However, we have to make a couple of clarifications. While Falcon's wings are pretty dang sweet and could have made the list on their own merits, we're opting to put his revamped, vibranium-laced Captain America wings in this slot because, well, they're just better. Not only do they let him fly, they're also virtually indestructible. While transportation isn't everything, the chance to do so from 10,000 feet up in the air is a tough one to skip out on. Not to mention the fact that you could save a lot of time zipping around at full speed without the need to sit at red lights.
B.A.R.F.
Ah, Binarily Augmented Retro-Framing. B.A.R.F. is one of Tony Stark's — and Quentin Beck's, let's give credit where credit is due — many tech wonders. As demonstrated in "Captain America: Civil War," the holographic illusion tech has great potential as a means of drawing out difficult memories, thus helping individuals address the pain of the past.
Of course, this isn't exactly something you'd want to do on a daily basis. But "Spider-Man: Far From Home" shows us that the tech can actually do a lot more than just help you dredge up suppressed moments from the past. Quentin Beck also uses B.A.R.F. to entertain, enrapture, and terrify a massive audience (both in the film and in real life) through fantastic illusions.
This memory-accessing, reality-bending tool doesn't just expand the holographic toolkit — it opens up doors to an infinite number of uses. For instance, you could use B.A.R.F. to jog your memory if you misplace something. You could use it to replay a lecture and boost your grades. It could provide pretty much anyone with an artificial photographic memory. And when you're bored? You could turn it on to entertain yourself and your friends. Heck, if you're feeling mischievous, you could even utilize B.A.R.F. to set up the absolute best, most spooktacular hayride next Halloween.
Pym Particles
Pym Particles are so mysteriously powerful, it's difficult to rank them — they seem capable of pretty much anything. To get a handle on them, let's restrict ourselves to what we've seen them do in the MCU. Primarily, they're used by Ant-Man and the Wasp to shrink and grow in dramatic fashion. On top of that, they're instrumental in whisking our beloved heroes into the past in "Avengers: Endgame."
This double whammy of size-shifting and time-hopping makes Pym's discovery a great tool to have around on a daily basis. For instance, keeping a fistful of shrink disks in the junk drawer could come in handy on a regular basis. If you have a party and you don't have enough room for parking, shrink each car as it arrives. If you're heading on a trip, pack as much as you want, then shrink it and pop it into your pocket. No need to check a bag, or even take up space in the overhead bin — you've got Pym Particles!
The size-manipulation aspect of Pym Particles is already pretty great. But then you add the ability to time travel, and these go from cool to cosmic. Get into an argument with a loved one? Rewind the tape and try again. Eat the last piece of cake? Not by a long shot. Taken as a whole, Pym Particles would be a pretty nifty tool to keep nearby.
Scarlet Witch's reality-altering abilities
B.A.R.F. and Pym Particles both make this list due to their reality-adjusting abilities. However, both options pale in comparison to Scarlet Witch's reality-shaping powers. Her psionic energy allows her to literally rework the fabric of existence around herself and others. This takes the idea of escapism to a whole new level, leaving fancy gadgets from other universes, like Star Trek's holodeck, firmly in the rearview mirror. Wanda's ability to shape reality can adapt to any situation and circumstance — it borders on godlike.
However, it gets knocked down a few pegs on our list because of that escapist nature. While it's nice to be able to escape into a fun sitcom reality for a bit, sooner or later, you need to put the powers down and move on with your life, as we see Wanda do after her time in Westview ends. That said, if Wanda is actually able to bring her reality-altered family into the real world in future Marvel installments — as may be teased in that final post-credits clip in "WandaVision" — this power could vault to one of the top spots on our list.
Mantis' empathic abilities
There's no doubt that Wanda Maximoff has greater powers than Mantis. However, if you're looking for an ability to help you get through each day, then Mantis' super-empathy nudges out the Scarlet Witch. From the moment she shows up on the scene, the lady with the antenna starts rattling off how people feel. Star-Lord likes Gamora. Drax is having a jolly old time. Ego is an old grump who needs his beauty sleep. Thanos is in mourning. Don't try to hide anything around Mantis — she'll rat you out with a doe-eyed smile on her face.
The ability to feel the emotions of others so keenly helps Mantis navigate the intense personalities that crowd her world. Having that power in real life would give you a subtle, yet significant ability to read a room. This could help you know when to crack a joke, when to sober up, and when to just keep your mouth shut. This power could also come in handy if you're trying to help a friend drift off, put the baby to bed, or otherwise get some shut-eye: Mantis basically acts as Ego's living, breathing sleeping pill. Her ability to shift emotions could also prove useful once a good night's rest is had: If you need to get yourself, your significant other, or your kids out of bed with a positive attitude, well, easy-peasy.
Iron Man's smart home
Tony Stark's smart home is a wonder even greater than his Iron Man suit. The domicile is like a playground where he implements an endless parade of new tech for an infinite variety of reasons. Indeed the home factors prominently into much of the "Iron Man" franchise — that is, until it's tragically gunned down by the fake Mandarin's men.
In truth, the house is barely even used for everyday living. Instead, it seems to exist as an exorbitantly overblown excuse for Stark to vent his inner inventor at all times of the day and night. Of its plethora of features, two stand out as particularly worthy of mention. First is Stark's workshop, which is jam-packed with tech we probably won't see for decades to come (if ever). The second is J.A.R.V.I.S. This A.I. assistant puts Alexa, Siri, Cortana, and the rest of the smart assistant family to shame.
Sure, including the entire Stark mansion on here is a bit of a cheat. But even if you picked one thing, like J.A.R.V.I.S., the oversized workshop, or Dum-E and U, Stark's robotic assistants, you'd still have something mind-boggling as far as everyday comfort goes. Taken as whole, the entire residence could set an individual up for the most accommodatingly indulgent lifestyle on planet Earth.
Super Soldier Serum
Steve Rogers is the first hero we see get the Super Soldier Serum in the MCU. From there, we witness other characters like Bucky, Isaiah Bradley, and John Walker juice up as well. Once they've taken their dose of superhero nectar, each character becomes a physical specimen to behold. They have incredible strength, can run as fast as a car, and heal quickly. They also age nice and slowly, tapping into a scientific alternative to the fabled fountain of youth.
Having a similar serum coursing through one's veins could make everyday life very easy indeed. Physical activity would be a cinch — not to mention the fact that you wouldn't need to spend so much time exercising to stay fit in the first place. Tack an extraordinarily long lifespan onto that, and the Super Soldier Serum could make even the most mundane life a treat. The only note that dings this one is the fact that it can also enhance negative personality traits. That means if you've got some weak points in your character, you might end up regretting the decision to take the serum. Boy and Girl Scouts only, please.
Peter Parker's Spidey-sense
Spider-Man's web-shooters are an iconic gadget that anyone could find a good use for. However, if you really want to mine the character for everyday life-enhancers, his Spidey-sense comes out on top.
Peter Parker's sixth sense gets him out of all sorts of trouble. This could translate to mundane life in thousands, if not millions, of ways. You could walk through a cluttered room and easily avoid stepping on anything sharp. If someone bumps into you while you're holding a drink, you could simply dodge to the side, beverage intact. And avoiding trip-and-fall accidents is just the low-hanging fruit of the possibilities here: A well-developed Spidey-sense could open up major life possibilities. Anyone endowed with this ability could, with a little training, dominate sports competitions, become a legendary dancer, or excel as an elite soldier. Everything that requires movement, especially involving other people, could be enhanced by a Spidey-sense — which means a huge swath of life could be taken to the next level.
The Stark Infinity Gauntlet
When you step back and consider all of the MCU's gadgets and powers, there's really only one item that can crown the list: The Infinity Gauntlet. Now, just to make it clear we're playing fair here, we're talking about the Stark Infinity Gauntlet from "Avengers: Endgame." In other words, this is a bonafide hero gadget that is both made and used by the Avengers for altruistic purposes.
With that in mind, we're putting the Infinity Gauntlet 2.0 at the top of the list for what are likely very obvious reasons. In the comics, the Gauntlet is overpowered in a manner that is difficult to even comprehend. Even in the MCU, though, where cosmic comic book powers are often toned down, the power the Gauntlet wields is mighty indeed.
It doesn't matter if you want to restore half the life in the universe or summon a soda from the fridge without getting up from the couch — having an Infinity Gauntlet would make literally all aspects of life easier. It represents pretty much every power and tool on this list, all wrapped up in one shiny, fist-sized package. Thus, it could be useful in basically any situation a person might find themselves in. Not bad for a fancy glove!