Marvel Has Introduced Too Many Wildly Powerful Characters In Recent Years And It Needs To Be Addressed Before MCU Phase 6 Ends

The MCU‘s rising power ceiling may not seem like an urgent issue now, but it may need to be addressed before the Multiverse Saga ends and the next saga begins. Marvel Studios is set to raise the high bar left by Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame with the Russo Bros.’ upcoming Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars. Not only do these two upcoming crossovers feature a much bigger cast, but they also include many more characters whose power far exceeds anything seen in previous MCU events.

Back when the MCU was setting its foundations, Thor and Hulk were the most powerful characters in the franchise, and the original Avengers still felt evenly matched, each capable of challenging the others under the right conditions. Only a few years later, Avengers: Endgame‘s packed final battle featured characters powerful enough to defeat most of the MCU singlehandedly. Now, the MCU’s power peaks are much higher than they’ve ever been, with newly introduced heroes and villains who could defeat figures like Thanos in the blink of an eye.

The Multiverse Saga Has Introduced Far Too Many Powerful Characters

Phases 5 & 6 Have Featured Some Of The MCU’s Most Powerful Heroes And Villains

After the Infinity Saga’s mᴀssive success, the Multiverse Saga pushed the MCU into more ambitious territory with the introduction of lesser-known and more complex characters, some of whom are rarely prominent in the comics due to their overwhelming power. For instance, Adam Warlock made his MCU debut in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, the Super Skrulls briefly appeared in the Secret Invasion finale, and Bob Reynolds’ Sentry alter ego made a brief appearance in Thunderbolts*‘ third act.

Other Multiverse Saga heavyweights include Agatha All Along‘s Death and The Fantastic Four: First Steps‘ Galactus and Silver Surfer. As exciting as it is to see these MCU powerhouses unleashed on screen, integrating them into the MCU realistically remains a challenge. Adam Warlock nearly kills Rocket Raccoon and the other Guardians in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3‘s first action sequence, yet he spends most of the film subdued under the High Evolutionary’s control.

In Secret Invasion, the Super Skrulls only fight each other, and G’iah quickly departs without a clear destination. Death refuses to intervene directly in Earthly matters in Agatha All Along, and both Sentry and the Void refuse to kill their enemies, who defeat them by means other than violence.

The MCU Can Only Introduce So Many Powerful Characters

The MCU’s Powerful Characters May Need To Sit Out Important Storylines

Brie Larson's Captain Marvel uses powers in The Marvels

It’s difficult to introduce powerful characters in their own stories, as they can be so untouchable that they need to be sidelined or depowered just to keep the stakes high. This issue is only amplified in a mᴀssive interconnected franchise like the MCU. Characters such as Adam Warlock, Sentry, G’iah, and Scarlet Witch are powerful enough to defeat villains like Doctor Doom without much outside help. To avoid cutting each story short, the MCU needs to find ways to keep those powerhouses out of the spotlight, not unlike Captain Marvel’s notable absence in Avengers: Endgame and all of the Infinity Saga.

Once Doctor Doom is dealt with, the MCU could be left with a lineup of nearly unstoppable heroes who could defeat any villain and overshadow everyone else

The growing number of overpowered heroes makes it increasingly difficult to justify their absence in a believable way. The Fantastic Four: First Steps‘ Franklin Richards, Silver Surfer, and Galactus may need to coexist with the MCU’s Avengers and other heroes. If they enter the MCU’s main timeline at full strength, they risk overshadowing the rest of Earth-616 entirely. Once Doctor Doom is dealt with, the MCU could be left with a lineup of nearly unstoppable heroes who could defeat any villain and overshadow everyone else. To fix this problem, Marvel Studios may need to implement a franchise-wide recalibration of power levels and keep the playing field fair.

A Power Reset May Be Crucial For The MCU’s Mutant Saga

The MCU’s Mutants Deserve A Level Playing Field In Phase 7

X-Men Comic Art of Magneto, Beast, Wolverine, Cyclops, Rogue and more facing off in comic art by David Marquez

The MCU’s ever-rising power ceiling poses a challenge for the upcoming Mutant Saga if it isn’t properly managed. After Phase 6, the X-Men’s introduction will need to be grounded in believable stakes. Otherwise, powerful mutants like Magneto, Storm, and Jean Grey could be overshadowed; or worse, the MCU’s mutants would find themselves forced to catch up too quickly. This kind of power inflation would undermine the X-Men’s debut, as they deserve the same kind of gradual development that made the Avengers so popular. Fortunately, Avengers: Secret Wars‘ multiversal plot might bring a soft-reboot that adjusts the MCU’s power dynamics and provides a smooth transition into the Mutant Saga.