The characters in the MCU. Indeed, when it comes to the MCU, flying characters are quite common.
Marvel has released around 30 movies, and throughout this catalog, no two flying characters are created equal. While there are similarities between certain flyers, the MCU's flying characters mostly use different means to travel through the air or space. This includes the use of high-tech flight suits, ancient artifacts, Infinity Stones, Chaos Magic, and other sources of power in the MCU. In any case, the ability to fly has allowed these characters to change the tide of battle, which can be observed during the respective climaxes of WandaVision.
Many of the MCU's high-fliers are villains while some are of the original Avengers team. Although these characters are very different in of powers and motivation, they all share the advantage if being able to soar through the air at will. Here's a closer look at every flying hero and villain in the MCU, including the source of their powers and how fast they can actually fly.
Iron Man (Tony Stark)
As the hero who kicked off the whole MCU, it makes sense that Tony Stark is able to fly. However, Stark is unable to fly on his own. It's his Iron Man suit that allows him to propel himself through the air thanks to repulsors in the suit's hands and feet and boosters on his back. Once in the air, he has considerable maneuverability and can reach supersonic speeds.
War Machine (James Rhodes)
Like Stark, James Rhodes doesn't have any innate flying powers. He's also only able to fly thanks to his suit. Rhodes's suit is based on Stark's armor, and Iron Man and War Machine have similar capabilities, so Rhodes flies through the same system of boosters and repulsors. War Machine is able to keep up with Iron Man, which means they can reach around the same top speeds.
Thor
Even though he is a Norse god and one of the most powerful Avengers in the MCU, Thor can't fly unaided either. Instead, he uses his trusty hammer, Mjolnir. As he explains to Korg in Thor: Ragnarok, he doesn't ride on the hammer (nor does the hammer ride on his back). Instead, he spins Mjolnir around very quickly then allows it to pull him off the ground.
Falcon (Sam Wilson)
When Sam Wilson was in the United States Air National Guard, he undertook stealth missions with the help of the EXO-7 Falcon, a jetpack harness with retractable wings. He receives an upgraded version when he officially s the Avengers. Now that Captain America 4.
Star-Lord (Peter Quill)
Like Iron Man, War Machine, and Falcon, Star-Lord uses technology to keep him aloft. Instead of using a full suit or a flying harness, he has a pair of thruster boots that work similarly to Iron Man's repulsors. These boots are especially useful to Star-Lord in deep space, as they allow him to maneuver quickly and easily in zero gravity, though he's seen using them to fly in the Endgame final battle too.
Ultron
While Ultron is an artificial intelligence, he takes physical host bodies throughout Tony Stark's Iron Legion. These host forms are what enable him to fly. The Iron Legion suits operate similarly to Iron Man's suit, with repulsors allowing for liftoff.
Scarlet Witch (Wanda Maximoff)
Because of her exposure to the Mind Stone, Wanda Maximoff is able to manipulate energy and objects. She propels herself off the ground using energy blasts. Since she has a variety of other powers, viewers don't see her flying as much. However, she flies at the beginning of the airport fight scene in Captain America: Civil War and flies throughout the battle of Wakanda in Avengers: Infinity War.
Vision
Vision was partly created from the Mind Stone, so, like Scarlet Witch, he is able to fly, though he doesn't appear to use any means of propulsion. Instead, Vision moves smoothly through the air and can even stop mid-air. In the MCU, Vision has some of the greatest control over his flying ability. Although Vision's powers have weakened after his introduction in Avengers: Age of Ultron, his flight capability stays the same throughout the films.
Doctor Strange (Stephen Strange)
Doctor Strange has many powers himself, but he, like many characters in the MCU, is only able to fly with the help of a powered object. In Strange's case, that object is the Cloak of Levitation. The Cloak of Levitation is one of the relics kept on display in the New York Sanctum by the Masters of the Mystic Arts. It chose Strange as its master and gives him the ability to levitate and even fly. The Cloak has a personality of its own and often prefers to do things its own way during battles. As Doctor Strange's powers increase, it will be interesting to see how his relationship to the Cloak and flight progresses.
Vulture (Adrian Toomes)
The villain of Spider-Man: Homecoming' s entire persona and set of powers come from his flying suit. This suit looks similar to Falcon's, but there is one very large difference: Adrian Toomes used Chitauri technology salvaged from the Battle of New York to build it. Vulture can reach high speeds and fly with ease, which is testament to his skills and the suit's maneuverability.
