There are already a fair amount of geniuses in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and most of the big brains all have connections to each other through the various interlocking story threads that run throughout the franchise. Tony Stark and Bruce Banner may have been famously dubbed the Science Bros. by fans, but the dynamic duo are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to superior intellects.
Particle physicist Jane Foster and astrophysicist Erik Selvig have been key parts of the Thor franchise, Tony Stark’s father Howard is a recurring presence in the series, Guardians of the Galaxy‘s Rocket is generally seen as the brains of the operation, Black Panther‘s Shuri is regarded as one of the world’s most brilliant minds and the teenage Peter Parker is no slouch, either. However, none of them can be named as the single smartest person in the MCU.
In The Wakanda Files, an upcoming book that’s written from Shuri’s perspective and will be regarded as official canon, the Wakandan heiress notes that she is in awe of Hank Pym, the groundbreaking scientist played by Michael Douglas in the Ant-Man movies, and believes him to be the smartest person in the entire MCU. His pioneering research in the Quantum Realm may have forced him into self-imposed exile from his own company, but he’s clearly won plenty of admirers.
Of course, Hank Pym is widely expected to return in Ant-Man 3, with Douglas’ legendary status in the industry making him one of the very few MCU stars able to renegotiate their contract on an individual basis instead of signing up for multiple movies all at once. Shooting is expected to begin early next year, and Peyton Reed will no doubt be looking to reinforce Hank’s legendary intellect at the expense of Scott Lang.
