Throughout the recent MCU movies, there has been a clear presentation of how superheroes tend to “power-up”. Here’s more on it.
It seems that the superheroes of MCU do not have a clear idea of their strengths and abilities. And they only discover it with time. This seems to be very much similar to normal humans who also discover their inner talents with time. However, for the MCU superheroes, it took much less time. Let’s find out how it works.
Watch: Avengers: Endgame Deleted Scene – The Avengers Honor Tony Stark
The Realization of Power
To explore one’s powers was always a palpable trend in the recent movies of MCU. For instance, Thor only realized his true potential as the God of Thunder in Thor: Ragnarok. Hulk grows stronger the angrier he gets and also, for some reason, depending on the plot’s requirement. Spider-Man’s use of his spider-sense became key only in Spider-Man: Far From Home. And in a manner of speaking, we too realized Captain America’s true potential in Avengers: Endgame when he lifted Mjolnir (although he had realized it much earlier in Avengers: Age of Ultron). We can also mention Wanda Maximoff here whom we saw become her actual avatar Scarlet Witch in WandaVision.
Now, you may counter and say that Wanda was the result of an experiment and so was Steve Rogers. But, we need to keep in mind that Wanda was born with her powers which the Mind Stone only awakened. Also, Steve Rogers’ strength played no role in lifting the Mjolnir. It was his character that was worthy. And character is strength.
And who knows how powerful Doctor Strange and Captain Marvel are!
Heroes with Tools
On the other hand, we also have a separate group of superheroes who are only as powerful as their tools let them be. Perhaps the most popular of the lot is Tony Stark’s Iron-Man. His main power is his intellect. His technologies and suits are a product of it. However, Tony’s power is limited by these very things. The same is the case for James Rhodes Aka War Machine, Black Widow AKA Natasha Romanoff, and Clint Barton AKA Hawkeye. Both of them are well-trained in combat and have their tools for the same.
However, MCU is slowly sidelining the characters that use tools. Tony Stark is already dead. Black Window will be the last time we see Natasha Romanoff. Hawkeye will pass on his mantel to Kate Bishop in the upcoming Hawkeye series.
An Emotional Ending
An important thing to note about the second group of superheroes (tool-using) is that their climax resulted in a more emotional gain rather than a gain of power. They overcame hurdles in life and grew as a stronger human; they made personal sacrifices, giving up on things they loved, and more (Tony and Natasha sacrificed theri lived for the greater good).This is in stark contrast to Thor, Spider-Man, Hulk, Captain America (seems like it), and Captain Marvel who all had a power-up of some kind during their climaxes without having a clear idea about the root of their powers.
The New Captain America and his Powers
Our new Captain America, Sam Wilson, also relies on his “tools.” He doesn’t have Steve Rogers’ superhuman strength and agility. It is his wings that help him in combat. But herein comes the thing to think about. Steve Rogers was worthy not only because of his deeds but also because of his character. And thus it may mean that he would be worthy even without the super-soldier serum (without becoming Captain America). But is Sam Wilson worthy? If not, then to which group of superheroes does he belong? Also, he does not carry the super-soldier serum in him. All this does make us think a lot.
Nevertheless, what matters is that it was Steve Rogers who gave his shield to Sam. And whether he is worthy of the Mjolnir or not, he is certainly worthy of becoming Captain America.
The Future of Power in the MCU
All the above discussion only brings us to the conclusion that comparing the roots of power of the various superheroes is enthralling. However, the upcoming movies and shows will turn such comparisons futile. This is because not many superheroes are left who are limited by their tools. The only ones who remain include War Machine, Hawkeye, and Captain America himself (he is considered one of the weakest Avengers in Marvel comics).
On the other hand, we have not just superhumans but beings of the dimensions coming in, like the Eternals. Their divine powers will only make it tough for inner strength and self-confidence to pass as true measures of power. Although we do have the likes of Shang-Chi, who stand as pillars of inner-strength.
Well, all this is just the tip of the iceberg and we do not know how power will turn out in the future of MCU. But we do want to experience where the power of humanity gets at par with other superpowers. That’s what MCU has done this far and we expect the same in the future.
