The MCU has just introduced one of its most powerful characters yet in the form of Sentry, but I expect that even his incredible power levels will be upstaged in just two months. Sentry debuted in Thunderbolts*, which is about to enter its fourth week in theaters. His arrival wasn’t surprising given the number of clues set out in the Thunderbolts* trailers, but that didn’t detract from his first appearance on-screen, where he deployed a dizzying array of powers against which the тιтular team stood no chance.

The fact that the Sentry’s big-screen debut pitted him against a relatively weak team of superheroes comprising super-ᴀssᴀssins and super soldiers, it is hard to determine what the upper limits of the Sentry’s powers are. Comparing the MCU’s Sentry to his comic book counterpart, it’s plain to see that the MCU intends to adapt a relatively comic-accurate rendition of the character. This presents something of a concern when it comes to the power balance within the MCU, but it looks like the franchise is simply going to double down.

Marvel Has Already Teased Franklin Richards’ MCU Introduction

Sue Storm Is Pregnant In The Fantastic Four: First Steps

In Marvel Comics, Franklin Richards is the first child of Sue Storm and Reed Richards and older brother to the super-genius, Valeria Richards. Unlike his sister, Franklin Richards was a mutant with the power to warp reality on a universal scale, allowing him to create entire worlds. Franklin Richards has yet to feature in a live-action movie (outside of Easter eggs), including Fox’s two attempts at a Fantastic Four franchise, but it appears the MCU is about to change this.

The most recent trailer for The Fantastic Four: First Steps revealed that Sue Storm will be pregnant for at least a portion of the movie. Given that certain clues within this trailer suggest that there will be time-jumps (such as Sue appearing to be further along in her pregnancy in some sH๏τs), The Fantastic Four: First Steps may even feature the birth of Franklin Richards, as one sH๏τ of Sue and Reed in space would also suggest. While there is a small chance that this child isn’t Franklin, all signs suggest that the MCU is about to drastically change.

Franklin Richards Is An Even More Powerful Hero Than Sentry

Franklin Richards Can Alter Reality Itself On A Universal Scale

It is hard to overstate the sheer scale of Franklin Richards’ powers, and while the same could be said for a comic-accurate Sentry, I expect that The Fantastic Four: First Steps is about to introduce the MCU’s most powerful character ever. So far, the accolade of the MCU’s most powerful hero likely goes to the Scarlet Witch, whose ability to manipulate reality saw her make incredibly short work of Earth-838’s Illuminati. Nevertheless, Scarlet Witch died in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, leaving the door open for another reality-manipulator to take her place.

Except Franklin Richards is even more powerful. While a comic-accurate Sentry also boasts a measure of reality-warping capabilities, even causing the entire world to forget about him (albeit with the help of Reed Richards and Doctor Strange), the sheer scale of what Franklin Richards has been able to achieve in Marvel Comics is almost beyond comprehension. He has, after all, created entire universes – and this could be what makes him such an important addition to the MCU and the Multiverse Saga’s upcoming projects.

Franklin Richards & Sentry Could Both Be Key To The Upcoming Avengers Movies

Both Will Be Integral In The Fight With Doctor Doom

It is difficult to ignore the proximity of Sentry and Franklin Richards’ big-screen debuts to the climactic movies of the Multiverse Saga, Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars. In fact, the Thunderbolts* post-credits scene directly sets up Avengers: Doomsday with a sH๏τ of The Fantastic Four’s retro-futuristic spaceship that may, at that point, be carrying Franklin Richards himself. Lewis Pullman has additionally been confirmed as one of the Avengers: Doomsday cast members, confirming that Bob and likely Sentry will next appear in Avengers: Doomsday.

As a member of the New Avengers, it stands to reason that Bob will rally alongside his teammates as best he can, possibly calling on the Sentry alter-ego as a last resort, given the established risks of also beckoning the Void. Without further story details about Avengers: Doomsday, it’s unclear what role Franklin Richards could play, or whether he’d be old enough to contribute, but it’s feasible that he might have a role to play in creating Doom’s Battleworld from Marvel Comics in the absence of any Molecule Man MacGuffin.

Franklin is more likely to play a larger role in Avengers: Secret Wars. The 2015 “Secret Wars” run of comics centered on the Fantastic Four, and Franklin Richards plays a pivotal role in reshaping the new multiverse after the previous one was destroyed. Should Avengers: Secret Wars be accurately adapting this run, then it stands to reason that Franklin will have a similar part to play.

Whatever the case, with Doctor Doom being positioned as the MCU’s newest big bad, both Franklin Richards and Sentry will likely be significant aces up the sleeves of the heroes. I have less faith that Sentry will survive for much longer, as he is now vulnerable to being the victim through which Doctor Doom’s powers can be highlighted. Much like how Hulk was immediately defeated by Thanos in Avengers: Infinity War, I can see a similar scene playing out between Doom and Sentry to yield similar narrative results.

Franklin Richards & Sentry Take The MCU’s Powers To A Whole New Level – So What’s Next?

The MCU Can’t Introduce Many More Powerful Characters

Should Sentry survive the events of Avengers: Doomsday, then the MCU is in a unique position. The days of Thanos being the universe’s greatest threat are long gone, with the likes of even Scarlet Witch and Captain Marvel giving him cause for concern before Iron Man brought his tenure as the MCU’s arch-villain to its end. Since then, the Multiverse Saga has introduced a litany of unfathomably powerful superheroes while supercharging the powers of MCU veterans like Thor, Loki, and Doctor Strange.

This power creep is arguably about to reach its zenith with Sentry and Franklin Richards. Thunderbolts* illustrated how certain characters, like Sentry’s destructive alter-ego, the Void, can only be defeated through extremely unconventional means. Between this enтιтy’s apparent invulnerability and Franklin Richards’ nigh-omnipotence, it is difficult to see where the MCU could go from here to introduce a more powerful character, especially if Avengers: Secret Wars introduces God Emperor Doom.

I think the most satisfying answer to this state of affairs is the rumored soft reboot of the MCU taking effect and leveling the playing field, sadly without Sentry in it. Should the MCU revert back to an Infinity Saga level of power scaling in the MCU, the likes of such enтιтies as the Phoenix Force have a much better chance at feeling more threatening. Additionally, Franklin Richards could take the comic-accurate route of suppressing his own powers to avert being a near-god in the future MCU.

Upcoming MCU Movies

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  Thunderbolts*

  
  
  
  

  
  

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  The Fantastic Four: First Steps

  
  
  
  

  
  

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  Avengers: Doomsday

  
  
  
  

  
  

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  Spider-Man: Brand New Day

  
  
  
  

  
  

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  Avengers: Secret Wars

  
  
  
  

  
  

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