I’m So Glad The MCU Avoided A Huge Villain Cliche With Its Most Powerful New Character

5 minutes read

Table of Contents from Article

The MCU has just introduced one of its most powerful characters, and I’m glad it didn’t lean into a classic villain cliché. Most of the most powerful characters in the MCU are villains, with the likes of Thanos, Hela, and even a villainous Scarlet Witch topping the charts. This helps up the stakes when they face off against Earth’s mightiest heroes, making for some spectacular tooth-and-nail MCU fights before the good guys ultimately showcase the extent of their own powers and their ability to pull together and overcome the odds.

Then there are the MCU’s cosmic beings, who sit in a league of their own with power levels tantamount to omnipotence. Thor: Love & Thunder, for instance, debuted Eternity, a being capable of granting wishes such as the resurrection of Love. Loki has arguably joined their ranks as the being responsible for holding the entire multiverse together. Other cosmic beings have been referenced in the MCU, like Entropy and the Living Tribunal – but Agatha All Along recently proved how consequential it was by debuting two of the newest and most powerful characters – and I’m glad they both survived.

The MCU’s Death Avoided Having Death Defeated In Agatha All Along

I’m Glad Death Survived Her Encounter With Agatha And Billy

Agatha All Along introduced Rio Vidal, who was later revealed as the personification of Death within the MCU. It also revealed that Billy Maximoff was resurrected into the body of the teenager Billy Kaplan and had seemingly inherited the powers of his mother, Wanda Maximoff. This would make him one of the most powerful characters in the MCU capable of going toe-to-toe with some particularly formidable enemies. Thankfully, however, these powers were not sufficient to defeat Death herself – which is a good thing for multiple reasons.

Who Is Wiccan? Scarlet Witch’s Son Explained

Scarlet Witch’s son officially debuted in the MCU three years ago, but Wiccan is suddenly a very important part of Agatha All Along.

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania was the first movie in the Multiverse Saga to debut then-big bad, Kang the Conqueror – only to kill him off in that movie. This was a questionable decision that undermined Kang’s power levels after he was defeated by one of the weakest Avengers. The same did not occur with the MCU’s Death, helping ensure that she remains a formidable figure while keeping the method for killing her a mystery – though I’d wager killing the personification of an abstract is near-impossible.

Rumors began circulating that the MCU would pivot away from Kang several months after Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, which would turn out to be true.

Instead, Death was “defeated” in a more unconventional manner: by meeting her demands. The showdown at the end of Agatha All Along arose as Death felt cheated out of a death, demanding that either Billy or Agatha submit their souls to her. Agatha even points out that fighting Death is futile before ultimately accepting death and placating her lover. She would then return as a ghost accompanying Billy Maximoff on his quest to find his brother, Tommy.

Death Is Already One Of The MCU’s Most Terrifying Villains

Death Is Also Now One Of The Most Powerful In The MCU

I feel like this is relatively self-evident, but Death is scary. Agatha All Along did an exceptional job conveying this physically, as Rio’s perfectly nonthreatening face would be half-replaced by a skull – likely her true form. The eerie manner in which she appears to Lilia on two occasions also contributes to this aura. Still, it’s not simply her appearance that makes Death a particularly terrifying entity within the MCU.

It’s unclear whether these were the extent of her powers, as Death’s comic book counterpart is a near-omnipotent being, and toying with her foes seems more in line with Rio Vidal’s characterization.

Throughout their final tussle, Rio Vidal would cackle at Agatha and Billy’s attempts to best her, shrugging off their powerful magic while displaying the lethal extent of her own. It’s unclear whether these were the extent of her powers, as Death’s comic book counterpart is a near-omnipotent being, and toying with her foes seems more in line with Rio Vidal’s characterization. What I find more unsettling, however, is the fact that this godlike entity is quite happy to get her hands dirty and intervene when wishing to harvest her “Bodies.”

Death’s MCU Debut Means I’m Already Excited To See Her In Future Releases

It’s A Good Thing Death’s Threat Levels Weren’t Diminished

Death in Lilia Calderu's vision in Agatha All Along

The fact that Death was not defeated in her MCU debut opens the possibility of her return. Her services will no doubt be required in future MCU installments as villains like Doctor Doom threaten to provide her with many more deaths in the MCU. This is an exciting prospect – not just because Aubrey Plaza’s portrayal of Death itself warrants a reprisal, but because she is quite literally one of the most powerful beings in existence in the MCU – and bringing her back in any capacity would shift the stakes significantly.

Death was shown to be a huge force of nature in Agatha All Along. Her inclusion in any cataclysmic battle would lend itself to its epic scale, whether it’s rallying against a greater, multiverse-threatening figure alongside heroes or as one of the assailants. The gravitas of her involvement would have been significantly diminished if she had been defeated in Agatha All Along. I’m thankful, therefore, that Death’s possible return to the MCU will be particularly exciting.

Your changes have been saved

Marvel Cinematic Universe

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is a multimedia superhero franchise that began in 2008 with Paramount’s Iron Man starring Robert Downey Jr. The franchise quickly grew in popularity, with Disney eventually buying out Marvel Entertainment in 2009. The MCU consists of dozens of movies and TV shows, most notably Avengers: Endgame, WandaVision, and Loki.
Your changes have been saved

Agatha Harkness, after the events of “WandaVision,” seeks to regain her magical powers. Joining forces with unexpected allies, including the son of an old adversary, she battles new mystical threats while uncovering hidden secrets in the magical realm.