20 Marvel Characters and their Wrestling equivalents

Over the years we have seen many WWE superstars move to acting and make a name in Hollywood. Stars like The Miz, The Rock, John Cena, and Kane have had some very successful outings when they’ve moved away from the ring.

The Marvel Universe is full of superheroes who are portrayed on screen by mortal men who do a great job at bringing everyone’s favorite comics to the big screen. We’ve even seen WWE’s own former superstar Batista land a role as Drax The Destroyer in the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise and become successful in doing so.

Currently, there are many men and women in the WWE who are more or less very like the superheroes portrayed in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Let’s take a look at 20 such superheroes, and 20 WWE superstars are fit to play their roles.

#20 Mantis – Bayley

Gifted? Check.

Lovable? Check.

Means no harm? Check.

Mantis is one of the nicest and most generous hearts in the Marvel Universe, just like WWE’s Bayley. Mantis only uses her powers against those who plan to harm the galaxy, and Bayley only uses her fists against heels in the company and those who try to harm her friends.

They’re both gifted in their own right, and this has made Bayley one of the top wrestlers in the business. She is extremely loved by the WWE Universe and has managed to develop a ‘huggable’ persona.

#19 Scarlet Witch – Lana

Accent? Check.

Will to learn? Check.

Looks? Check.

Scarlet Witch is one of the leading ladies in the Marvel Universe, known to have had a few relationships with other characters such as Doctor Doom and Angel. Lana too has had relationships on and off the screen with Dolph Ziggler and Rusev. Lana also has the looks to pull all eyes onto herself.

Lana does a passable Russian accent in the WWE too, while Elizabeth Olsen’s Serbian accent for Scarlet Witch is also not the best, making both the women sound almost identical. Lana has the will to learn and survive in her surroundings which is visible from her in-ring improvements, which is similar to that of Scarlet Witch’s among humans.

#18 Falcon - Kofi Kingston

High-flying? Check.

Skillful? Check.

Sidekick? Check.

Kofi Kingston is one of WWE’s high-flying masters. Just like the Falcon has wings, it seems as though Kofi can do a lot of high-flying even without the wings. His speed and balance in the ring are unparalleled, which has been showcased in many Royal Rumbles.

Just like Falcon, Kofi too is extremely skilful and has been a part of The New Day for a long time, playing better in teams than as an individual. Both men play an integral part in their respective teams.

#17 Dr. Strange - AJ Styles

Sophisticated? Check.

Intelligent? Check.

Patient? Check.

AJ Styles is at the top of the WWE at the moment and there’s no way he’s giving up that spot any time soon. He is sophisticated, just like the ex-neurosurgeon Dr. Strange, and takes his job extremely seriously, coming across as a thorough professional.

His patience and intelligence have led him to where he is today, and he is one the most skilful men in the art he has perfected just like Dr. Strange. Along with that, he even has the looks to play a passable Dr. Strange character on the big screen.

#16 Wolverine - Dean Ambrose

Skilled hand-to-hand combatant? Check.

Loner? Check.

Self-sacrificing? Check.

The Lunatic Fringe is as skilled at hand-to-hand combat as anyone else and picks up a fight with the most powerful men in the business without even thinking twice. Give him a pair of claws and he will rip his opponents open without even breaking a sweat.

Ambrose is also a loner just like Wolverine and often feels alone even when he is a part of The Shield. Other than that, he prefers to always work on his own. He has been self-sacrificing throughout his career and does whatever is required of him to score a victory.

Don’t forget both men’s love for white vests and leather jackets!

#15 Gamora - Sasha Banks

Strength and speed? Check.

Looks? Check.

Warrior? Check.

There is no way that anyone else comes to mind when you think of Gamora other than Sasha Banks. Banks is the most powerful and agile forces in the WWE women’s division, just like Gamora and loves hand-to-hand combat.

She’s like a warrior in the ring, just like Gamora, and shows no mercy to her opponents. To top that off, Banks has the looks to kill and that has worked in her favor since the beginning of her career.

#14 Bucky Barnes - Roman Reigns

Speed and agility? Check.

Super strength? Check.

Headstrong? Check.

Roman Reigns is literally the real-life version of Bucky Barnes. He has unmatchable speed and strength without the need of any mutation. He fights by the side of his brothers whenever the need arises, without showing any disloyalty or remorse.

Reigns is as headstrong as Barnes and has dedicated most of his time in removing injustice from the WWE, and to capture its top championships. Reigns has fought alone and in teams to reach the heights he is on today.

#13 Spider-Man - Lio Rush

Superhuman speed and agility? Check.

Young and energetic? Check.

Fights against all odds? Check.

Lio Rush is WWE’s newest induction, and literally a Spider-man in human form. He is extremely fast and agile and can avoid any offence from opponents in a way that it seems like he has precognitive spider-sense.

To top that off, he is high-flying and risk-taking, just like his Marvel counterpart. He’s still young, energetic, and raring to go, and we have seen him pick up fights with heels bigger than his own size and successfully avoid attacks from them.

#12 Deadpool - Finn Balor

Angelic? Check.

Demonic? Check.

Too sweet? Check.

The Demon King is fearless and so is his Marvel equivalent Deadpool. Both the men put the prize in sight before themselves and sacrifice everything to get to it. Balor has the stamina and the speed to match even the most elite superstars.

Finn Balor is as humorous, lovable, and deadly as his Marvel counterpart. This is especially true when he’s in his Demon persona. Even though Deadpool has regenerative healing characteristics, we have seen Balor recover from career-threatening injuries too and return to the ring in full shape.

#11 Drax – Drew McIntyre

Size? Check.

Strength? Check.

A sense of power? Check.

Drax is already played by a former WWE superstar Batista, who does a pretty good job portraying the character. However, there are chances that he will be released from his duties since he showed support for the franchise’s director who is in hot water.

Drew McIntyre is another man who is more or less like Drax The Destroyer. He’s tall, well-built, and has the strength to withstand almost anything. To top that off, McIntyre too has a sense of power that nothing can defeat him, just like Drax, which has landed him in a few tight situations.

Drew McIntyre is already playing the role of the muscle in his team with Dolph Ziggler. There is no doubt he can be the muscle in the Guardians of the Galaxy too.

#10 Black Panther - Cedric Alexander

Speed and Agility? Check.

Strength? Check.

Eye on the greater good? Check.

Cedric Alexander is at the top of WWE’s cruiserweight division, and he is extremely good at what he does. Just like Black Panther from Marvel, he is extremely fast and agile while being a one-of-a-kind athlete in the business.

Cedric has been a face for a long time and focused on being the best man he can be while competing in the ring. His constant struggle to get better and better is in line with what Black Panther stands for.

#9 Black Widow - Becky Lynch

Looks? Check.

Athleticism? Check.

Tactician? Check.

Just like Natasha Romanoff, Becky Lynch too is one of a kind. The smoking bomb-shell is as effective in her fighting skills as anyone else and has the looks to kill. Black Widow is one of the main female characters in the Marvel franchise, and Becky is the leading woman in the WWE.

Becky is also extremely athletic and makes each and every move after careful calculations. Whether its to apply the dis-arm-her or to turn heel on her friends to get justice, Becky is like Black Widow in every way possible.

# 8 Hawkeye - Randy Orton

Skillful? Check.

Marksman? Check.

Underappreciated? Check.

WWE’s Hawkeye is none other than The Viper Randy Orton. Orton is still quite young, but a veteran in the game. He is extremely sharp and skilful with what he does, and the handful of moves he possesses are executed to near perfection by him just like Hawkeye.

He’s also a marksman of sorts, who singles out his victims before attacking and destroying them before moving on to the next target. He too, just like Hawkeye, is underappreciated by fans and is on a mission to get the respect that he deserves.

#7 Loki - The Miz

Mischievous? Check.

Cunning? Check.

Never surrenders? Check.

Loki is the God of Mischief in the Marvel Universe, while The Miz is the God of Mischief in the WWE Universe. The superstar is one of the most lovable heels in the business, just like Loki. He’s extremely cunning and wears down his opponents with his words before taking them on physically.

Being an expert liar and actor, just like Loki, The Miz has gone extremely far in his career and that makes him an unstoppable force. Even though he’s not a large man with brutal strength, his will to never surrender has kept him going all these years.

#6 Thor - Triple H

Power and Strength? Check.

Authority? Check.

Hammer? Check.

Triple H is still one of WWE’s strongest and most ripped superstars. With his long blonde locks, he can easily be compared to Thor from the Marvel Universe. While Thor is the son of Odin, Triple H is the son-in-law of WWE’s most powerful character.

Triple H knows what is best for business, and wants to protect it just like Thor wants to protect his home Asgard. To top that up, Triple H relies on his trusty sledgehammer during any fight, just like Thor relies on Mjolnir.

#5 Nick Fury - Kurt Angle

Understands the business? Check.

Veteran? Check.

Focused? Check.

Kurt Angle is the current GM of Monday Night Raw and leading the brand since he understands the business as well as anyone else out there. He’s dedicated most of his time to set things right on the brand and marshal his troops.

The former Olympic Gold Medalist and WWE Champion is a veteran of the same business he’s been running just like Nick Fury. He is focused on his job and wants to bring out the best possible results. Even when The Shield fell a member short, Angle joined the team to ensure that the show ran smoothly without any hiccups.

#4 Tony Stark/Iron Man - Seth Rollins

Intelligence? Check.

Perseverance? Check.

Bravery? Check.

Tony Stark enjoys being the center of the Marvel Universe, and Seth Rollins enjoys being the center of the WWE Universe. This is what caused him to betray his brothers in The Shield in the first place so that he could become an individual star.

However, he is very smart and intelligent in the way he goes about his business. He also displays perseverance just like Stark and strives to complete the goal he’s set out for before moving on. Just like Stark, he too has learned that smartness is more important than brute strength.

His bravery has been displayed time and time again, where he has put his body on the line in order to achieve greatness.

#3 Hulk - Braun Strowman

Strength? Check.

Stamina? Check.

Alter ego? Check.

Braun Strowman is arguably the most powerful man in the business today. He is the human equivalent of Hulk. He has taken on the strongest men and laid them to waste and has the stamina very few men his size possesses.

The Hulk is the alter ego of Bruce Banner, and similarly, we’ve seen that Braun Strowman has an alter ego too. You guessed right, his alter ego was revealed when he walked out as Brains Strowman to unveil his tag team partner for WrestleMania 34. However, we aren’t too sure how much brains are behind Brains Strowman and if he can match the intellect of Bruce Banner.

#2 Captain America - John Cena

Hustle? Check.

Loyalty? Check.

Respect? Check.

The real-life Captain America is no other than the face of the WWE for over a decade, John Cena. Cena has shown immense amounts of loyalty and respect both inside and outside the ring, which is similar to the practices of Captain America.

He is one of the biggest patriots in the business and has shown much love for the military while also actively being a part of charitable work and philanthropy. Both men are extremely agile, extremely well-built, extremely powerful, and extremely attractive.

#1 Thanos - Brock Lesnar

Strength? Check.

Vision? Check.

Ruthlessness? Check.

Thanos is one of the only beings in the Marvel Universe who has managed to keep The Hulk down. The same is the case with Brock Lesnar, who is the only one who’s kept The Monster Among Men Braun Strowman down.

Lesnar too has a clear vision, which is to be the most dominating force in the business and run it without letting the business run him. He is ruthless and shows no mercy no matter how much anyone begs him for it. The same stands true for Marvel’s Thanos.

Edited by Ben Roberts