Avengers: Doomsday Highlights MCU Power Level Issues
As Avengers: Doomsday approaches, it brings a new major villain, Doctor Doom. Yet, the MCU's escalating power levels in recent films have created challenges for making him stand out. Since Avengers: Endgame, power scaling in the MCU has shifted dramatically, making it difficult to present any new character as truly threatening.
Power Creep in the MCU
Marvel has continuously strengthened both heroes and villains to ensure each movie surpasses the last in stakes and spectacle. However, this escalation now backfires, as the immense power levels undermine the impact of new characters.
Examples of Power Shifts
- The MCU has introduced increasingly powerful entities such as the Council of Kangs, the Celestials, Mephisto, and Galactus.
- Among heroes, Carol Danvers is so strong the MCU kept her off Earth during Avengers: Infinity War to balance the story.
- Hulk’s strength was toned down by emphasizing his intelligence to limit his overpowering abilities.
Doctor Doom's Challenge Ahead
To succeed, Avengers: Doomsday must portray Doctor Doom as the most dominant force yet, a difficult feat after years of escalating power displays. The MCU faces an uphill battle in making a heavily armored man feel like a credible threat amid recently showcased cosmic-level adversaries.
"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 Solutions and Timing
Marvel could address the power creep by recalibrating character strengths and storytelling focus, but with Avengers: Doomsday imminent, there may be limited opportunity to fix these issues before the film’s release.
Author's Summary
The MCU's growing power levels risk undermining new characters’ impact, presenting a major challenge for Avengers: Doomsday and Doctor Doom’s role as the ultimate threat.