Avengers: Doomsday Highlights MCU's Power Level Issues
With the release of Avengers: Doomsday, the MCU faces a major challenge: showcasing Doctor Doom as the most powerful character yet. Since Avengers: Endgame, power levels in the Marvel Cinematic Universe have escalated so much that making any new villain truly threatening has become difficult.
Rising Power Levels in the MCU
Marvel has continuously increased the strength of heroes and villains to top previous films. This trend has led to incredibly high power levels, which now hinder the impact of new characters. The past decade of MCU movies has set a bar that makes it tough to portray a man in armor, like Doctor Doom, as a real danger.
Examples of Increased Power
- The MCU introduced immensely powerful entities such as the Council of Kangs, the Celestials, Mephisto, and Galactus.
- Heroes like Carol Danvers have become so strong that the storyline kept her off Earth during Avengers: Infinity War to balance the conflict.
- Hulk's character was adjusted to be smarter but less physically overwhelming to manage his unlimited strength.
Challenges for Avengers: Doomsday
Doctor Doom needs to stand out as an all-powerful threat, but the existing power creep complicates this. Although there are potential solutions to reset or reduce power levels, the release timing of Avengers: Doomsday leaves little room for adjustment.
"Doctor Doom has to appear all-powerful, but the MCU has made it hard to make a man in armor seem any kind of threat after the past decade of movies."
Possible Fixes and Concerns
Marvel could address the power creep issue by introducing limitations or focusing on different types of threats, but the momentum built in recent films makes this a complex problem to solve quickly.
Author's summary: The escalating power levels in the MCU risk undermining new villains like Doctor Doom, making it challenging to maintain tension and suspense in upcoming films.