Summary
Marvel Studios has confirmed the existence of 12 Presidents of the United States in the history of theMarvel Cinematic Universe, each having a huge impact on the franchise. In the real world, Joe Biden is the 46th President of the United States, but the MCU’s timeline has been very different, as Marvel Studios' upcomingCaptain America: Brave New Worldwill introduce the47th President, Harrison Ford’s Thaddeus Ross. While there have been almost 50 presidents in the world of the MCU, only 12 have been confirmed on-screen.
For most of the MCU’s history, thetimeline of the President of the United Stateswas the same as in the real world, though several notable presidents' stories were different, as they were more involved with the world’s superheroes. This took a massive divergence in Phase 2, however, asBarack Obama was not reelected in the MCU, allowing Marvel Studios to take some creative liberties with the position of President of the United States. This will culminate in Harrison Ford appearing as a drastically different president inCaptain America: Brave New World.
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12Franklin D. Roosevelt (1933-1945)
Franklin D. Roosevelt Founded The Strategic Scientific Reserve
Just like in the real world,Franklin D. Roosevelt was elected as the 32nd President of the United States in 1932, and took up office in 1933. He helped to rescue America from the Great Depression with the New Deal, and campaigned to overturn prohibition, which came to pass in December 1933. After the Nazi Party invaded Poland in 1939,Roosevelt founded the Strategic Scientific Reserveas a means to find scientific solutions to the problems posed by the rise of Adolf Hitler.
This action would eventually lead to the birth of Captain America, the establishment of SHIELD, and the formation of the Avengers. This makes Franklin D. Roosevelt one of the most important and impactful presidents in the MCU’s history.He was considered ahead of his time, and earned the respect ofAgents of SHIELDheroes Phil Coulson and Alphonso Mackenzie, particularly through his fight against discrimination and his command of the SSR during World War II.
InLokion Disney+, Ravonna Renslayer’s variant on the Sacred Timeline works at Franklin D. Roosevelt High School.
11Harry S. Truman (1945-1953)
Harry S. Truman Took Over From FDR
Following Franklin D. Roosevelt’s death in 1945, Harry S. Truman took up office as the 33rd President of the United States, both in the real world and in the MCU.Truman led the country during the final years of World War II, which saw him order two atomic weapons to be dropped on the Japanese cities of Nagasaki and Hiroshima. This was the culmination of the Manhattan Project, which Howard Stark had been involved with, andPhastos had a hand in pushing forwardwith his technological advancements.
Harry S. Truman was an incredibly controversial president, and wasn’t as revered as Franklin D. Roosevelt. His controversial themes continued after the war, as detailed inMarvel Television seriesAgent Carter, as Truman sent Senator Walt Cooper to thank Jack Thompson for saving New York City from Johann Fennhoff, when it was actually Peggy Carter who saved the day.Truman decided not to run for office again in 1952 because of poor polling, allowing Dwight D. Eisenhower to assume the position of president, instead.
10Dwight D. Eisenhower (1953-1961)
Dwight D. Eisenhower Worked With Captain America During WWII
During World War II, Dwight D. “Ike” Eisenhower became a five-star General and worked alongsideSteve Rogers' Captain Americato fight HYDRA. This earned him huge respect, which may have contributed to his election as the 34th President of the United States.Eisenhower famously streamlined nuclear weapons in the United States, and threatened to use them during the Korean War and against China, though it never came to that. His military history meant this was a huge focus of his presidency, which didn’t sit right with everyone.
Not much is known about Ike’s presidency in the world of the MCU past his military service during World War II. It could be assumed that much of his subsequent timeline was the same as in the real world, keeping his presidency pretty faithful. Domestically,Eisenhower ended McCarthyism, signed the Civil Rights Act of 1957, and began the Space Race with the creation of NASA. This could all have taken place in the MCU, too.
9John F. Kennedy (1961-1963)
John F. Kennedy Was Assassinated By The Winter Soldier
John F. Kennedy took over from Eisenhower as the 35th President of the United States in 1961. JFK served at the height of the Cold War, and played a role in 2011’sX-Men: First Classin Fox’sX-Menfranchise, though this isn’t technically considered canon to the MCU.Captain America: Civil Warsaw Sharon Carter deliver a eulogy at her aunt’s funeral, confirming that Peggy Carter had met, and perhaps even worked alongside, JFK during her time with SHIELD. JFK is still one of the most popular presidents of all time, yet his time in office was cut short.
JFK was assassinated on July 17, 2025, by Lee Harvey Oswald in the real world, but by Bucky Barnes' Winter Soldier in the world of the MCU. TheWinter Soldier was sent by HYDRA to eliminate Kennedybecause of the organization’s connections to the Soviet Union, who opposed JFK during the Cold War. Following Kennedy’s presidency,Lyndon B. Johnson took office, but he hasn’t been seen or mentioned once in the MCU, so it’s possible there was a deviation.
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8Jimmy Carter (1977-1981)
Jimmy Carter Met With General Dreykov In The MCU
Neither Lyndon B. Johnson, Richard Nixon, nor Gerald Ford have been confirmed to exist in the MCU, as the next president mentioned after John F. Kennedy is Jimmy Carter. Carter became the 39th President of the United States in 1977, narrowly defeating the incumbent President Gerald Ford. In the real world, Carter pardoned Vietnam War draft evaders, established the Departments of Energy and Education, and founded the Carter Center to expand and promote human rights after his presidency, which earned him a Nobel Peace Prize.
Richard Nixon, played by Mark Camacho, had a prominent role in Fox’sX-Men: Days of Future Past, but this isn’t considered canon to the MCU’s main timeline.
Little has been confirmed about Jimmy Carter’s presidency in the world of the MCU, so it’s very likely that much of his time in office was the same as it was in the real world. Jimmy Carter appears in the MCU during theopening titles of 2021’sBlack Widow,which revealed thatCarter had, during his time as President of the United States, met with General Dreykov. It’s unclear what Carter’s relationship with the MCU villain was exactly, but this underlined Dreykov’s influence. Carter also appeared in a photo inSecret Invasion.
7Bill Clinton (1993-2001)
Marvel Studios hasn’t provided any mention of Ronald Reagan or George H. W. Bush, meaning Bill Clinton is the next known President of the United States after Jimmy Carter. Clinton became the 42nd President of the United States in 1993, bringing in a so-called “Third Way” of politics, with Clinton becoming known as a New Democrat.Clinton presided over the longest period of peacetime and economic growth in American history, and this was presumably the same in the MCU, though the ’90s were a more tumultuous time in Marvel Studios' franchise.
During his time as President of the United States, Bill Clinton also had meetings with General Dreykov, similarly to Jimmy Carter. This reveal inBlack Widowcemented Dreykov’s huge power, as he presumably also influenced the presidencies of Reagan and Bush. Clinton also had a close relationship withSHIELD Director R. Kellerprior to Talos replacing him in the 1995-setCaptain Marvel.Daredevilrevealed that Ben Urich had written about the Clinton-Lewinsky scandal for the New York Bulletin, suggesting his infamous impeachment and acquittal also unfolded in the MCU.
6Barack Obama (2009-2013)
The Defenders Saga Confirmed Barack Obama Was President In The MCU
George W. Bush presumably succeeded Bill Clinton, with Barack Obama becoming the 44th President of the United States after him in 2009.Obama was the first African-American president in United States history, and this was evidently the same in the MCU, too, as many characters in the MCU hold Obama in high esteem. Most notably,Obama is mentioned regularly inLuke Cage, and even makes an appearance in a photo taken with Piranha Jones, which helps him earn some trust from Luke Cage in season 2.
A parody of Obama’s “Hope” poster appeared inIron Man 2, replacing Obama with Iron Man. However,Iron Man 2’s2013 sequel confirmed a massive deviation from the real world in the MCU, as,while Obama was reelected for a second term in the real world, he wasn’t in the MCU. Obama’s second term saw the signing of a major international climate agreement, the implementation of the Affordable Care Act, the negotiation of a nuclear agreement with Iran, and the promotion of LGBTQ+ relationships, so it’s unclear if these major milestones still happened in the MCU.
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5Matthew Ellis (2013-2017)
Matthew Ellis Was President During Iron Man 3
Replacing Barack Obama in what would have been his second term, Matthew Ellis became the 45th President of the United States in 2013, or shortly beforehand.It was very unlikely that a sitting real-world president would have agreed to appear in the MCU, so introducing the fictional Matthew Ellis allowed 2013’sIron Man 3to focus on political themesby actually including the President himself. Ellis was a target ofAldrich Killian and his Extremis-powered soldiers, as he had banned biotechnology research such as Extremis, due to him deeming it immoral.
President Ellis was almost assassinated by Aldrich Killian, but was saved by Tony Stark and Rhodey, and he was soon after targeted by HYDRA as part of their Project Insight plans, though was again saved by Steve Rogers' Captain America. William Sadler made several appearances as President Matthew Ellis inMarvel Television’sAgents of SHIELD, especially during the emergence of Inhumans, but this series isn’t considered canon to the MCU’s main continuity.Ellis was fundamental in establishing the Sokovia Accords, however, but this was shortly before his presidency ended.
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4Donald Trump (2017-?)
Donald Trump Became President After Matthew Ellis
In the MCU, Donald Trump succeeded Matthew Ellis as the 46th President of the United States, taking up office in 2017. Perhaps one of, if not the most controversial presidents of all time,Trump’s policies have been deemed populist, protectionist, isolationist, and nationalist, spurring numerous protests throughout his entire campaign and presidency. It could be assumed that this controversy and divisiveness is the same in the MCU, asTrump is negatively mentioned many times inLuke Cage.
Donald Trump was mentioned several times in Marvel Television’sAgents of SHIELD, as he took over the operations involving Jeffrey Mace masquerading as the Inhuman Patriot. However, a year after coming into office, Donald Trump’s presidency was thrown into turmoil duringAvengers: Infinity War, asThanos wiped out half the population of the universe.Marvel Studios hasn’t revealed whether Trump remained in office during the Blip, or even if he was dusted by the Mad Titan, so it’s unclear when Trump’s presidency ended.
3Ritson (2025-?)
Ritson Declared War During His Time As President
Donald Trump is the last real-world President of the United States who has been confirmed to exist in the MCU, as, instead of Joe Biden,Secret InvasionintroducedDermot Mulroney’s President Ritson. Ritson is the current president in the MCU, having taken office in early 2025, two years after Thanos' victims returned inAvengers: Endgame. It’s not known who preceded Ritson.Prior toSecret Invasion, Ritson expressed his desire to take offensive action against Wakanda, and established a trade deal with New Asgard.
At some point during his presidency, Ritson hired James “Rhodey” Rhodes as something of an aide, unbeknownst that Rhodey had actually been replaced by the shapeshifting Skrull Raava. Raava and Gravik’s Skrull rebellion manipulated Ritson into almost declaring war on Russia, kick-starting World War III. After Nick Fury revealed the truth, however,Ritson instead declared war on all extraterrestrial species living on Earth, which inspired hit squads to kill aliens and humans alike.
