With Avengers: Doomsday introducing a new major villain, the MCU’s ongoing power escalation presents significant challenges. Doctor Doom must be established as the most powerful figure in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but recent films have shifted power levels so drastically that making him stand out is difficult.
Since Avengers: Endgame, Marvel has continuously increased the strength of heroes and villains to top each previous installment. This escalation has reached an extreme where new characters struggle to appear threatening, undermining the impact of introductions like Doctor Doom.
On the heroes’ side, powerful characters like Carol Danvers have been portrayed so strongly that she was kept off Earth during Avengers: Infinity War to balance the story. The Hulk’s strength was intentionally reduced by increasing his intelligence, limiting his physical power.
Doctor Doom must appear all-powerful, but after a decade of MCU films, it’s hard to make a man in armor seem threatening.
Marvel could address the power creep with various methods, but with Avengers: Doomsday approaching soon, it might be too late to reset expectations. The challenge lies in making Doctor Doom seem formidable without contradicting the MCU’s established power scale.
Author’s summary: The MCU’s escalating power levels risk dulling new villains’ impact, making it difficult for Avengers: Doomsday to present Doctor Doom as a credible, top-tier threat.