Combine two of our favorite hobbies like comic books and role play and we might find ourselves asking which Dungeons & Dragons classes our favorite MCU heroes would be. Some of these are fairly obvious, while others are up for debate. Many of the following characters started as one class and changed after the completion of their character arc. That’s often an essential element to role-playing, which is why there are so many Dungeons & Dragons adventures that make great stories. The following classes are taken from the 5th Edition, which is the most recent Dungeons & Dragons manual.
Iron Man - Paladin
Tony Stark definitely began Phase One as a Fighter with little regard for the rules, maybe even a mercenary with a Neutral Evil alignment. After a jarring experience gives him a new outlook on life, however, he builds a suit of armor and goes out to righteously protect innocent people from bad guys. By the time we’re on the verge of Infinity War, Tony Stark has gone from a carefree rebel to a rigid authoritarian who intends to follow the rule of law to the letter. Iron Man doesn’t use magic. He either uses projectile weapons or fights hand-to-hand in melee combat. He wears plate armor and is always on the front line during fights. The mini-arc reactor in his chest counts as a shield. Combine that with his present strict adherence to Lawful Good and we’ve got a Paladin.
Thor - Cleric
Thor could be a Sorcerer like Loki, as he has some of the same inherited magical abilities. What sets him apart from his brother is his clothing, weapon choice, and alignment. Thor wears a mix of plate, leather, and cloth and has an affinity for hammers. He’s actually the god of hammers. His long hair and beard, although stereotypical, complete the picture. He’s idealistic, even naive, and begins his arc as Chaotic Good. Recent changes to some of these essential features might signal a change, however. Hella destroyed Mjölnir in Thor: Ragnarok. In Avengers: Infinity War, the new weapon is an ax. Perhaps he’s no longer a Cleric. Thor also seems to be having a change in attitude. As the last survivor of Asgard, he’s having some trouble with anger, fear, and aggression. Yoda told us where that leads.
The Hulk - Barbarian
This one is fairly obvious, as The Hulk could hardly be anything else. Smash pretty much sums up the motives of both the “Big Guy” and his Dungeons & Dragons class. Other traits they share are numerous, as an exhausted Bruce Banner would be happy to explain. There’s the lack of substantial armor or any clothing for that matter. They like two-handed weapons, which includes their two hands along with anything else they can pick up, including airplane wings. Neither is very talkative, but they have a direct way or getting their point across. If D&D roll something high for Constitution but low in Intellect, they play a Barbarian. Also, berserker mode. Need we say more?
Captain America - Fighter
Here’s another interesting character arc that takes the opposite direction of his counterpart, Iron Man. Steve Rogers is an idealist initially but becomes a skeptic. It also makes the dynamic between the two characters all the more interesting since they were set up in opposition to each other from the beginning. Captain America started out as a Paladin, or maybe even a Bard if we take his history as a propaganda tool into account. Ironically, it’s his need to do what’s morally right that drives him away from the path of Lawful Good to Chaotic Good. He’s doing what he thinks is the right thing, even though the rules say something else. It’s symbolic that his essential Paladin gear—his shield—is left behind at the close of Captain America: Civil War. He’s a Fighter who plays by his own rules by the time Thanos shows up.
Black Widow - Rogue
Considering her fighting style, one could also argue she’s a Monk, but her professional life and choice of weapons mean Black Widow is a Rogue. She definitely had a change of alignment in her past, perhaps from Neutral Evil to Neutral Good after Clint’s intervention, but her class stayed the same. The creative tactics which make Natasha Romanoff so lethal as a spy also make her a nice example of a Rogue. She fights in close quarters using unconventional weapons and martial arts moves, using pressure points and timed devices to completely destroy much bigger, more powerful enemies. Precise strategy and praying on mental weaknesses are another elusive skill in which both Black Widow and Rogues excel.
Dr. Strange - Wizard
“So, Earth has Wizards now, huh?” The Cleric, Thor, was right; Dr. Strange is a Wizard. It is hinted that he has some innate abilities and learns suspiciously easily, which would actually make him a Sorcerer. In Thor: Ragnarok, Loki refers to him as a Sorcerer but uses the term as an insult. Even his title is misleading—Sorcerer Supreme. To make this even more confusing, the Ancient One who preceded him might have been more of a Warlock than a Sorcerer, but that plotline is unique to the movie version of his story. It’s his time in class and at practice poring through books which makes Stephen Strange a Wizard. He wasn’t born a doctor, either, but his steady hands and aptitude for fast study made him one. The difference between a Sorcerer and a Wizard is a library, as it turns out.
Black Panther and Spider-Man - Druids
Druids do more than summon animal minions—they actually take on their forms. There are two prominent superheroes in the MCU that have this power, and, although they live in vastly different environments, each has another type of wilderness to contend with. There are some interesting differences between the two characters, but creative roleplayers can see that they still fit into the Druid class. T’Challa comes from a long and distinguished line of people who had the same supernatural abilities. He knew about the tradition of the Black Panther and was trained to take on the mantle when the time came. Spider-Man, on the other hand, is an orphan who fights his battles in a concrete jungle. The city also has its animals, but these are confined to insects, rodents and other smaller critters with a talent for agility and survival. Peter Parker takes on the traits of one of the most mobile, invisible, and dangerous animals in the world when it’s his turn to roll the dice.
Loki - Sorcerer
There are a few things our “puny god” has in common with Wizards, such as his adherence to a single school of magic, but there are a few important differences which set him apart. Loki learned many of his tricks from Freya, but only because of his innate ability to control magic due to his Frost Giant heritage. Wizards start with aptitude but have to study in order to learn their craft. Loki seems to have been born with most of his abilities and needed instruction to control them, hence the Sorcerer class. His alignment usually wavers between Neutral and Chaotic Evil, typical for a class that has a reputation for unpredictable and opportunistic characters. He doesn’t throw fireballs, but maybe this is a different module and he’s Frost Spec instead.
Bard - Luis from Ant-Man
“You put a dime in ’em, you gotta let the whole song play out.” Okay, he’s not exactly a superhero, but what would heroes be without their trusty sidekicks? Bards tend to be support characters that can do a little bit of everything, and that actually covers Luis pretty well. He runs damage control for Scott’s legit alter ego and leads the small gang of petty crooks with hearts of gold that also help out. He makes waffles, tells great stories, makes sure the dishwasher is properly loaded, and loves the Hot Wheels rally case as much as the audience does. He also has a mean right hook when it comes to melee damage and a lead foot when it comes to the car chase. Most players never think that their party needs a Bard until they realize that they do!
Ant-Man - Ranger
Like Druids, Rangers have animal companions. The difference is that they use them as minions, but they don’t take on their shape. Scott Lang might shrink to the size of an ant, but he doesn’t become one himself. Rangers are also the classes that take those first steps of discovery into new and scary places. The frontier Ant-Man explores is the Quantum Realm. Another interesting Ranger trait of Ant-Man is how deceptively powerful he is. Scott Lang may not have the most serious personality, but he does crazy damage and has amazing powers. His role in Captain America: Civil War was pivotal. Even the mighty Iron Man suit wasn’t impervious to his mischief, and he also defeated Falcon in the first Ant-Man movie. Rumor has it that his part in Avengers: Endgame will be a crucial one.
