Warning! This article contains spoilers for The Fantastic Four: First Steps.Seven years after Thanos eliminated half of all life in the MCU, The Fantastic Four: First Steps introduces a character who can match the Mad тιтan’s power. The Fantastic Four: First Steps finally adds the тιтular team’s comic book lore to the MCU, complete with the Fantastic Four’s most iconic villains. After four Fantastic Four movies, Franklin Richards also makes his live-action debut.
The MCU has come a long way since Tom Hiddleston’s Loki was the biggest threat to Earth. Magical threats, cosmic enтιтies, and multiversal threats have all put the world, the universe, and the MCU multiverse at risk since then. The heroes’ power has increased accordingly, with Avengers like Captain Marvel, Thor, and even Ant-Man neutralizing some of these threats.
Franklin Richards’ Powers Explained
Franklin Richards Possesses An Unparalleld ᴀssortment Of Abilities
In Marvel Comics, Franklin Richards is a mutant whose primary ability is reality manipulation, meaning he can reshape existence itself on a fundamental level. Unlike telekinesis or energy projection, Franklin’s power doesn’t only affect what already exists. Franklin can create and alter matter, energy, space, and even entire universes at will, and he can rewrite the laws of reality around him.
Franklin Richards has showcased specific abilities such as telepathy, teleportation, and precognitive visions.
In the MCU’s The Fantastic Four: First Steps, Franklin Richards is described as Galactus as a more powerful enтιтy than himself. As a wielder of the Power Cosmic, Franklin possesses more energy than ancient cosmic enтιтies and countless planets bigger than Earth. Most notably, the MCU’s Franklin Richards displays the ability of resurrection, which might be the most overpowered power in the multiverse.
The MCU established that real deaths are irreversible. The Snap can be reverted and characters can be replaced by multiversal variants, but there are no known scientific or magical methods to defy death. That is, until Franklin Richards brings Sue Storm back to life in The Fantastic Four: First Steps, which might set up resurrection as the MCU’s biggest weapon.
Thanos’ Powers Explained
Thanos Is A Cosmic-Level Threat With Immense Natural Power
In Marvel Comics, Thanos possesses a vast range of powers due to his Eternal-Deviant hybrid physiology, which grants him superhuman strength and endurance. Thanos also has a cosmic-level intellect, able to weaponize advanced technology. Beyond his physical abilities, The Mad тιтan is a master schemer, which often makes him a threat to the entire universe.
With the Infinity Gauntlet complete, Thanos can alter time, erase life, and temporarily reshape reality with a snap of his fingers
In the MCU, Thanos demonstrates exceptional hand-to-hand combat skills and wields a double-edged sword with expert proficiency. He also displays mastery over each Infinity Stone, both individually and in tandem with each other. Like his comic book counterpart, Josh Brolin’s Mad тιтan exhibits a strategic mind, as he anticipates the Avengers’ moves and manipulates key events even before Phase 1.
In Marvel Comics’ Thanos: Epiphany #5, Galactus easily defeats Thanos, who isn’t wearing the Infinity Gauntlet.
Although Thanos is naturally more powerful and combat-trained than individual heroes like Hulk and Thor, his full power only surfaces when he wields all six Infinity Stones. With the Infinity Gauntlet complete, Thanos can alter time, erase life, and temporarily reshape reality with a snap of his fingers. Without the Stones, Thanos is still among the strongest MCU villains, but not among the universe’s most powerful.
Franklin Richards Is More Powerful Than Thanos
Franklin Richards Is Significantly More Powerful Than Thanos In Both Marvel Comics And The MCU
While Thanos has been able to eliminate life across the universe, Franklin Richards is able to create whole universes effortlessly by himself. Franklin’s ability to control cosmic forces and alter fundamental laws of existence far exceeds anything Thanos has accomplished with the Infinity Stones. Thanos may be destructive, but Franklin represents the raw potential of omnipotent creation.
Franklin Richards has barely begun to explore the full extent of his power, but when he unleashes a fraction of it, he can tame Galactus himself.
Unlike Thanos, Marvel Comics’ Franklin Richards is an innocent and kind-hearted child who usually avoids using his full potential. Thanks to his family, Franklin prefers to live a normal child’s life and only intervenes when absolutely necessary. Franklin Richards has barely begun to explore the full extent of his power, but when he unleashes a fraction of it, he can tame Galactus himself.
The MCU’s baby Franklin Richards is already much more powerful than Thanos. The Fantastic Four: First Steps‘ post-credits scene hints that Franklin’s power will be a key figure in Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars. In Avengers: Doomsday, Franklin could be Doctor Doom’s biggest weapon, and in Avengers: Secret Wars, Franklin might ultimately become the multiverse’s salvation after Doom’s fall.
How Powerful Franklin Richards Is Compared To Other MCU Characters
Franklin Richards Is Technically More Powerful Than Every MCU Hero And Villain
Franklin Richards’ power surpᴀsses that of the MCU’s most powerful heroes, including Scarlet Witch, Captain Marvel, and Thor. While Wanda can alter reality on a local scale and Carol channels cosmic energy, Franklin can effortlessly rewrite the fabric of reality across entire universes. Thor wields godly strength and mystical might, but Franklin can bend those same laws of physics with mere thought.
Scarlet Witch needs to resort to the Darkhold to reunite with her children in a different universe, whereas Franklin Richards resurrects Sue Storm with a touch of his hand.
Compared to the MCU’s most dangerous villains, Franklin stands in a league of his own. Ego is a Celestial with planetary-scale manipulation, but Franklin could theoretically rebuild or erase the Living Planet. Kang the Conqueror has allegedly destroyed entire timelines, but Franklin’s power transcends time entirely. Even Sentry’s nearly-invincible Void could be overturned by a calm command from Franklin.
The Fantastic Four: First Steps‘ Franklin Richards may match the MCU’s cosmic enтιтies, including Arishem and Eternity. Like Franklin, Arishem can create life, and Eternity can grant wishes that ignore the laws of reality. Franklin’s powers may not be limited to the Sacred Timeline. Since Franklin’s reality-warping abilities are inherently multiversal, he could operate freely in places like the TVA and the Void.
