Every Marvel Character Ever Imprisoned In The Raft In The MCU, In Order

The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) has many prisons and hidden facilities for holding characters, but the Raft is arguably the most well-known. First seen in Captain America: Civil War, the Raft is a prison built underwater specifically for superpowered individuals. Throughout the MCU films and Disney+ series, it’s remained a significant threat, holding both heroes and villains considered too dangerous for regular prisons.

The Raft is a high-security prison created by the US government and located far out in the ocean. It’s built to hold people with special abilities, completely cutting them off from the outside world. Interestingly, The Raft hasn’t just held criminals; some of the MCU’s most celebrated heroes have been imprisoned there for doing what they believed was right, even if it meant disobeying orders.

The Raft immediately became one of the most morally complex places in the franchise. It wasn’t like other prisons in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The Raft showed a darker side, representing how governments started containing people with superpowers not just for the greater good, but to serve their own interests and maintain control.

The story also shows a much deeper understanding of people with superpowers than we’ve seen before. The military, after struggling for years, is now fully equipped to contain even the most powerful superpowered individuals, including the Avengers.

Sam Wilson, AKA Falcon

During the events of Captain America: Civil War, Sam Wilson, also known as the Falcon, was among the first heroes sent to the Raft, a high-security prison. He chose to support Steve Rogers against the Sokovia Accords, placing him on Team Captain America, which opposed the government’s attempt to control the Avengers. What began as a difference of opinion quickly turned into a fight when Team Cap tried to prevent Helmut Zemo from carrying out a dangerous plan.

Wilson became an international fugitive when his actions broke the rules of the newly approved Accords. After a fierce fight at the airport in Germany, Sam was captured, along with other individuals opposing the Accords.

After that, Falcon was moved to the Raft, a prison where he was held with most of his teammates. He stayed locked up until Steve Rogers broke into the facility and freed him, along with the other members of Team Cap who had been captured.

Wanda Maximoff, AKA Scarlet Witch

After the events of Captain America: Civil War, Wanda Maximoff faced severe consequences and harsh treatment while being held at the Raft. Even before her imprisonment, Wanda was a divisive figure, as she was blamed for accidentally harming civilians in Lagos, which fueled support for the Sokovia Accords.

Wanda first stayed at the Avengers Compound with Vision watching over her, but she later decided to join Steve Rogers and his team to prevent Zemo’s scheme, which meant breaking the established Accords. Following the fight at the airport, Wanda was arrested and taken to the Raft, a high-security prison, along with Sam Wilson, Clint Barton, and Scott Lang. Due to the sheer power she possesses, her confinement seemed especially strict.

Wanda was held apart from her fellow agents, tightly restrained and under constant watch. This imprisonment hinted at the sad path her story would take in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, where she consistently faced hardship due to fear and loneliness, impacting both her life and connections with others.

Clint Barton, AKA Hawkeye

Clint Barton, also known as Hawkeye, briefly returned from retirement in Captain America: Civil War, but was soon imprisoned. He had retired after the events of Avengers: Age of Ultron to focus on his family. However, Steve Rogers asked him to come back and help protect Wanda Maximoff when the conflict over the Sokovia Accords escalated.

Even though it was dangerous, Barton joined Captain America’s team because he felt loyalty to his friends and thought they needed safeguarding more than being controlled by the government. During the fight at the airport against Iron Man’s group, Clint was ultimately beaten and taken into custody.

Along with the other members of Team Cap who were captured, Clint was sent to the Raft and treated like a criminal, even though he’d spent years as a hero. Fortunately, after Steve Rogers freed everyone, Clint was able to work out an agreement that let him return home to his family, though he was placed under house arrest.

Scott Lang, AKA Ant-Man

Scott Lang ended up in the Raft prison after getting caught up in the conflict between the Avengers in Captain America: Civil War. He wasn’t fully aware of the political issues surrounding the Sokovia Accords when Sam Wilson asked him to help Captain America’s side, unlike many of the other heroes involved.

Scott was thrilled to team up with Captain America and joined the mission mostly because he looked up to the Avengers, not because of any firm beliefs about what was right or wrong. During the airport fight, he proved to be a key player for Team Cap, and even became Giant-Man for the very first time in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Despite his help, the Accords still classified him as an international criminal. He was arrested after the fight and taken to the Raft, a high-security prison. Steve Rogers later broke him out, but Scott ultimately agreed to a deal that kept him confined to his home until the events of Ant-Man and the Wasp.

Willis Stryker, AKA Diamondback

After the events of the first season of Luke Cage, Willis Stryker was among the first prisoners sent to the Raft – a high-security facility. Known as Diamondback, Stryker is Luke Cage’s half-brother and a dangerous criminal who secretly controlled much of the gang violence in Harlem throughout the series.

Driven by a long-held grudge and painful experiences from his past, Stryker sought revenge on Luke Cage. He equipped himself with powerful weapons designed to injure people with superhuman abilities, making him a formidable and dangerous foe. Ultimately, after a devastating battle, Luke Cage defeated Stryker, and he was taken into government custody.

Diamondback ended up in the Raft prison thanks to Jessica Jones in season 3, probably because of his dangerous weapons and involvement with super-powered fights. This quietly made the Raft more important within the Marvel Cinematic Universe, showing it’s not just a place from the Avengers movies.

Trish Walker, AKA Hellcat

After becoming increasingly violent while trying to fight crime, Trish Walker was sent to the Raft prison at the end of season 3 of Jessica Jones. She started the series as Jessica Jones’ adopted sister and a close friend, and had always admired superheroes, even wishing she had powers herself.

After gaining superpowers through dangerous, unlawful experiments, she became Hellcat and started fighting crime in New York City. While Trish truly believed she was doing the right thing, her methods became increasingly erratic, ultimately leading her to kill several people she considered beyond saving.

Jessica finally understood that Trish was becoming a serious threat and reluctantly decided to intervene. Following Trish’s arrest, she was taken to the Raft, a high-security prison, under heavy guard. Her incarceration represented a particularly sad downfall within the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Baron Helmut Zemo

At the end of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Helmut Zemo was returned to the Raft, a high-security prison. He’d briefly escaped from a German prison to assist Sam Wilson and Bucky Barnes in stopping the Flag Smashers. Zemo was originally imprisoned for orchestrating the events that fractured the Avengers in Captain America: Civil War, and even without superpowers, he remains a major threat in the Marvel Cinematic Universe due to his skill at manipulation.

Bucky releases him hesitantly, recognizing Zemo’s deep understanding of Hydra, the creation of super soldiers, and the hidden criminal networks involved with the new Super Soldier Serum. While Zemo proves helpful at times, his actions are consistently harsh and ethically dubious.

Once the fighting stopped, the Dora Milaje successfully took Zemo back into custody, returning him to the Raft. This imprisonment confirmed that, despite sometimes helping the heroes, Zemo is far too risky and manipulative to ever be considered safe to release in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Thaddeus Ross, AKA Red Hulk

Thaddeus Ross has an interesting history with the Raft prison – he used to be in charge of it, and later ended up as a prisoner there. First appearing in The Incredible Hulk, Ross long believed the government should tightly control people with special abilities.

In Captain America: Civil War, General Ross supported the Sokovia Accords, establishing him as a key advocate for holding superheroes accountable. This belief is clearly reflected in the Raft, the high-tech prison he uses. But in Captain America: Brave New World, his story takes a surprising turn when he becomes the Red Hulk.

Ross, after losing control of his abilities and causing widespread damage, ironically becomes the very threat he used to try and control. His imprisonment in the Raft is a striking example of karma, as the man who built the superhero prison now finds himself a prisoner within it.

Samuel Sterns, AKA Leader

Samuel Sterns reappeared in the Marvel Cinematic Universe in Captain America: Brave New World after first appearing in The Incredible Hulk. He was originally introduced as a highly intelligent scientist trying to find a cure for Bruce Banner’s Hulk transformation, but during a key moment in the film, he was unintentionally exposed to Banner’s gamma-irradiated blood.

The radiation drastically increased his intelligence, ultimately leading to his evolution into the Leader, a notorious enemy of the Hulk. Once he fully accepted his newfound intellect and dangerous goals, Sterns became a significant threat, endangering many people with his plans.

Samuel Sterns was imprisoned in the Raft due to his incredibly high intelligence and dangerous gamma-powered abilities. This helped establish the Raft as the main holding place in the Marvel Cinematic Universe for super-powered individuals who were too risky to keep in regular prisons.

2026-05-17 19:53