I’m Convinced The MCU Has Made These 10 Marvel Heroes Look Way Weaker Than They Actually Are

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Although the MCU plays host to some incredibly powerful characters, it’s difficult to overlook how it has made some appear far weaker than they should be. Now that Avengers: Doomsday is around the corner, the Avengers and other MCU superheroes are going to have to muster some significant talent to stand a chance against Doctor Doom. Avengers: Secret Wars is expected to feature the iconic arch-villain at his most powerful, and I don’t expect the entire MCU roster will make it out unscathed.

Death seems more likely to come for some characters than others. The MCU has a long history of nerfing some of Marvel Comics’ most fearsome heroes and villains, making a habit of conveying the power levels of its villains by having them trounce ostensibly almighty superheroes. While some occupants of this list have fallen victim to such a trope, there are others that I feel look suspiciously weaker than Marvel Comics precedent would suggest.

10

Skaar Looks Much Smaller

Skaar Doesn’t Look As Intimidating As He Should

Skaar’s controversial MCU debut was as brief as it was puzzling. Appearing at the very end of She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, Hulk’s long-lost Sakaaran son was brought to Earth after making contact with his father. He doesn’t speak a single line, but fans have already been skeptical of this live-action adaptation of one of Marvel Comics’ most fearsome characters – and I think that’s for good reason.

In Marvel Comics, Skaar grows to be a young and imposing adult extremely quickly, while the MCU’s Skaar looks to be a teenager and a potential candidate for the Young Avengers. Comic book Skaar has achieved some immense feats of strength and boasts the mystical Old Power of his mother, which allows him to manipulate earth and stone. He also boasts a fearsome visage to match his ruinous persona – and I don’t see the same ferocity in the face of Smart Hulk’s son in the MCU, even if the true extent of his powers remains to be seen.

9

Love Is An Extension Of Eternity

Love Should Boast Some Incredible Powers

Like Skaar, Love is only briefly featured in scenes that bookend her debut movie, Thor: Love and Thunder. While the movie begins with her death and forms the core motivations of the arch-villain, Gorr the God Butcher, Gorr’s success in reaching Eternity culminates in her resurrection. Thor then adopts Love as Gorr embraces death, with the ending of Thor: Love and Thunder showing how the two now team up to protect the cosmos from alien threats.

Sure, this scene shows that Love is powerful enough to wield Stormbreaker, but I feel that this doesn’t quite do her origins justice. When Love is first resurrected, we see her manifest as a star-strewn silhouette in a reflection, which carries some significant implications. If love is a kind of projection of Eternity, then her powers should be nigh-omnipotent, and I don’t see why she would need to bother whaling on alien bad guys with an axe if this is the case.

8

Hulk Should Be Able To Destroy Planets

Hulk Is Famously Weaker Than He Should Be

Hulk is one of the most famously nerfed characters in the entire MCU. This is especially pronounced in recent years after Bruce Banner managed to merge his mind with the body of Hulk, creating “Smart Hulk,” an MCU variation of Professor Hulk from Marvel Comics. While Smart Hulk certainly appears less destructive than his rage-fueled alter ego, he backs this up by lacking feats of power to match what Savage Hulk has achieved so far in the MCU.

More often than not, Hulk has been bested by other characters in the MCU. The most notable of these include Thor and Thanos, as Hulk is consistently sidelined as a pale reflection of his comic book counterpart. Sure, Smart Hulk was able to withstand the force of the combined Infinity Stones to orchestrate the Blip, but I’ve yet to be wowed by Smart Hulk’s strength as he continues to operate in the MCU as a supporting character.

7

Quicksilver Was Killed By Gunfire

Quicksilver Was Subjected To One Of The Most Frustrating Deaths In The MCU

Speedsters are traditionally among the most powerful superheroes in any franchise. Fox’s X-Men movies mostly did Quicksilver justice, with one of his most iconic scenes showing him rescuing all the occupants of the X-Mansion in the middle of an explosion. This is more than can be said for the MCU’s Quicksilver, however, whose on-screen tenure was criminally short and woefully done dirty by the manner of his death.

Outpacing bullets is supposed to be Quicksilver’s MO, but Aaron Taylor-Johnson’s Pietro Maximoff was felled by a hail of gunfire nonetheless. While this was a moment of self-sacrifice to rescue Hawkeye and a child, it’s hard to overlook how he should have opted for an alternative, like picking up some debris to shield them all, or moving both Hawkeye and the child out of harm’s way. Instead of taking his place as one of the most fearsome Avengers, Quicksilver was made to look weak by virtue of his evanescence.

6

Drax Keeps Getting Beaten

Despite His Moniker, Drax Doesn’t Destroy Much

Drax the Destroyer hasn’t exactly earned his moniker in the MCU. He may be one of the Guardians’ best-loved members thanks to his comedic timing and overall arrogance, but the latter trait feels constantly misplaced. The MCU’s Drax the Destroyer talks a good game, but he rarely, if ever, comes out on top in a brawl. Some of Drax’s most underwhelming moments include:

Being quickly subdued by Ronan the Accuser, his sworn nemesis.

Ineffectually slashing at the innards of an abeloth.

Being quickly subdued by the Cloak of Levitation and pinned down by Iron Man.

Ineffectively grabbing Thanos’ leg in the battle on Titan.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.3 helped redeem Drax slightly by first having him knock a reinforced door off its hinges so the Guardians could access the High Evolutionary’s ship. He is subsequently portrayed as being great with children, poignantly evoking his tragic backstory and the death of his family. Still, the MCU’s Drax certainly pales in comparison to his comic book counterpart, and I don’t think the MCU is going to make him appear more powerful anytime soon.

5

Mantis’ Powers Are Limited

Mantis Isn’t As Fearsome As Her Comic Book Counterpart

Like Drax, Mantis has received a downgrade in the MCU. Although she has been instrumental in wielding her powers of emotional manipulation at times, most notably while fighting Thanos on Titan, Mantis should be capable of much more. Still, it’s hard to see Mantis as a formidable warrior capable of matching the prowess of Gamora or Star-Lord.

This isn’t exactly the case in Marvel Comics. Mantis’ comic book powers include a mastery of hand-to-hand combat, which often surpasses her more supernatural powers of persuasion. She also boasts the ability to shoot blasts of flame and the power of astral projection. I’m sure these would have been useful in some of the Guardians’ more fraught battles in their career, but Mantis can instead feel a little underwhelming.

4

Echo’s Powers Are Difficult To Define

Echo’s Powers Are Different To The Comics

Maya Lopez debuted in Hawkeye as a formidable hand-to-hand combatant and honcho of the Tracksuit Mafia. Her arc was fleshed out in her self-titled limited series in 2024, where she was seen reconnecting with her ancestry while attempting to physically distance herself from Kingpin’s criminal empire. Eventually, this culminated in Echo gaining a superpower that ultimately subdued Kingpin himself.

It’s hard to pinpoint the precise nature of Echo’s powers, however. She ostensibly draws from the skills of her forebears, demonstrating the ability to heal with a kind of energy emanating from her hands. This is a far cry from her comic book powers, which are similar to Taskmaster’s ability to perfectly imitate the powers of others, including Bullseye’s perfect aim and Daredevil’s hand-to-hand prowess.

3

America Chavez Should Be Flying

Marvel Comics’ America Chavez Draws Superpowers From The Multiverse

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness debuted America Chavez as a multiversal traveler attempting to escape the now-villainous Scarlet Witch. The movie shows her slowly getting to grips with her power to create star-shaped portals to alternate universes, which she ultimately uses to dissuade Scarlet Witch from her violent course. Aside from that, it’s difficult to see what America Chavez could offer in the context of a fight, especially if she eventually joins up with the Young Avengers.

Although she is later seen to be training as a sorcerer under Wong, mystical powers come more naturally to America in Marvel Comics. Her connection to the multiverse allows her to channel interdimensional powers that include the typical smattering of flight, super-strength, and super-speed. Whether the MCU’s America Chavez will eventually learn these powers herself remains to be seen, but for now, she’s little more than a plot device.

2

Vision Was Stabbed Through The Chest

Vision Was Removed From The Fight Against Thanos

The MCU has admittedly depicted some incredible feats of strength from Vision. His ability to phase and fire powerful beams from the Mind Stone significantly enhances his overall combat prowess, yet there has been little space for him to flaunt his overall capabilities. In fact, Avengers: Infinity War saw Vision immediately removed from the picture after being jumped by the Black Order and stabbed through the chest.

This made Vision frustratingly inert in the subsequent Battle of Wakanda. It’s disappointing to reflect on what Vision might have been able to achieve at his full potential, but I do understand why the MCU had to essentially write him out of the movie. Instead, we may be in for more powerful spectacles from White Vision, who is due to star in a standalone Vision series in the not-so-distant future.

1

White Tiger Looks Less Mystical Than He Should

White Tiger’s Costume Is Distinctly Homemade

Daredevil: Born Again debuted Hector Ayala, AKA White Tiger, portrayed by the late Kamar de los Reyes. We don’t see much of the White Tiger in action, save for some security camera footage and Hector’s intervention in a corrupt police shake-down, but Matt Murdock later confirms that Hector possesses a “mystical” amulet that grants him superpowers. This mostly tracks with the White Tiger of Marvel Comics, who draws his powers from a trio of amulets.

I’m not necessarily averse to White Tiger’s sudden and inglorious death at the hands of the corrupt cop, Cole North. I am, however, struck by the distinctly cobbled-together costume that White Tiger operates in, which is composed of what seems to be a hoodie and a full-face, homemade mask. Given Matt was clear in stating that his amulets were mystical, I would have liked for the MCU to lean into this with a more comic-accurate transformation akin to Moon Knight’s in his self-titled series.

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