The Rise of a New Powerhouse
The last MCU release of 2023 changed the power rankings of the MCU once again, giving one hero the biggest power upgrade possible. Just months after Marvel Studios threw out the powers rulebook to make Secret Invasion's G'iah the most powerful MCU hero, they've done it again for another character. Thanks to the most cartoonish power upgrade ever seen on the MCU timeline - and that includes Emilia Clarke's Skrull learning the powers of every Avenger and Thanos' Black Order - What If...? season 2 crowned a new most powerful MCU character.
Captain Carter and Kahhori With Multiverse Weapons
2023 has seen a major rearrangement of the most powerful superhero hierarchy in the MCU. God-tier heroes like Adam Warlock, Phyla, G'iah, and God Loki all made the power levels of the original Avengers - and even their most formidable villains - look paltry by comparison. Considering how vast their powers are, the fact that What If...? managed to surpass them all for season 2's cameo-heavy finale is even more outrageous.
Loki as the God of Time in Loki season 2's final shot
What If...? season 2 episode 9 fully embraced the anime-like escalation that had defined the Guardians of the Multiverse storyline at the end of the first season. Though the pay-off was less strongly set-up, the return of Benedict Cumberbatch's universe-killing Sorceror Supreme did provide an opportunity for greater spectacle.
Phyla as a new member of the Guardians of the Galaxy in Vol. 3
Captain Carter's Unprecedented Power Upgrade
Captain Carter Just Got The Most OP Upgrade Yet. What If...? season 2 episode 9 saw an unprecedented power upgrade for Captain Carter, propelling her to the top of the MCU power hierarchy. After discovering that Strange Supreme’s plan was to use super powered individuals to power a universe forge and revive his own lost universe, Captain Carter allies with Kahhori to take him down. Strange has amassed a collection of hugely powerful heroes and villains, intent on using their energy as fuel for the forge, including Kahhori herself. As he attempts to pay his plan off and teleports his prisoners into the forge, the doomed heroes and villains throw their weapons to Carter.
Adam Warlock in the Sovereign ship in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
By this point, Carter has already stolen the Infinity Armor from Killmonger, so wields the compared power of the universe-shaping Stones. She then adds Hela’s enchanted helmet, and a magical sword from Banner of War’s Hulk/Thor mash-up, which could be Excelsior. In other words, Carter becomes the most well-armored MCU character ever, with weaponry collected from so-called “universe killers” surpassing the collected might of gods. The Infinity Stones alone made her top tier, combined with her super soldier foundation: adding the power over the dead of Hela, and a gamma-infused sword gilds the lily.
Giah showcasing several simultaneous superpowers in Secret Invasion
The Asgardian variant of Hulk is from Donny Cates' Hulk vs Thor: Banner of War run from 2022.
Captain Carter With Infinity Stones
The Escalation Issue in the MCU
The MCU has an escalation issue that started with the first appearance of Thanos. Sequels in this shared universe have to come with escalated stakes, and the promise of new Avengers movies adds the difficult obligation of introducing a new villain who surpasses the last in every way. Captain Carter’s upgraded power status at the end of What If…? season 2 fits that bill, given how incredibly powerful Strange Supreme is. The medium also allows for the kind of one-off creativity of giving one character a ridiculous arsenal with no need for longevity. It’s purely about the cool factor.
On the other hand, the likes of G'iah, Phyla, Adam Warlock, and God Loki present issues for the future, because they’re simply too powerful. Each was introduced either for narrative reasons, or to deal with a major threat. They’re all the product of escalation, and will now become a symptom of the same thing: their presence requires even bigger threats to justify them, or they’ll end up being nerfed.
It’s something of a catch-22 for the MCU and the same issue the Jurassic Park universe faced: the audience needs the exhibits to keep getting bigger and more dangerous. Heroes adapt to that requirement, and suddenly every potential Avenger is a god, rather than Thor standing out in the original line-up as the only hero at that sort of level. At least in What If…? It doesn’t matter in any sort of long term way. Every episode of Marvel's What If...? season 2 is available to stream on Disney+ now.
