It’s been seen, it’s been mentioned, and it’s been debated throughout the MCU at this point in a manner that there is a certain shift in power when it comes to the various characters that are being introduced and those that have been around for a while. In a big way, this shift is interesting since it would be great to understand the motivation behind it, especially seeing as how certain characters were given a bit more to work with than others, but many people are willing to defend these changes for one reason or another. The most obvious shift would be in the power levels of each character since this has been a point of contention since things really started heating up in the movies, as Captain America’s feat of holding a helicopter in place and Hulk’s inability to be even a little bit effective against Thanos in a fight raised a lot of questions. Captain Marvel coming out as a serious powerhouse, and other characters showing abilities and strengths that fans can’t remember them having in the comics has definitely contributed to the shake-up that’s been occurring over the years.
Stating that none of these changes are good or necessary is a bit juvenile since the changes aren’t up to the fans, and whether they want to accept it and keep watching or not is up to them. But it is worth wondering why certain characters have become so overpowered while others have become limited when in the comics their limits were rarely, if ever, anywhere near what they are now. The Hulk is one such character since it would appear that the moment that Banner and the Hulk merged that his power decreased in a big way thanks to the fact that Banner’s intellect forced more reason and temperance upon the Hulk than ever before. This is a big negative unfortunately since Banner’s lack of desire to become violent hinders the Hulk’s strength since the angrier he becomes, the more powerful he tends to be. This could be why so many people are now wondering if She-Hulk, when her show releases, will be stronger than her cousin.
The dynamic between Thor and Lady Thor is going to be another point that will no doubt be viewed as a worthwhile debate by fans, since it does feel, in some way, that the heroes coming in are being lifted up and over the legends that have paved the way for them. In some ways, it does feel normal and quite natural since the young will almost always supplant the old, at least in some way. But the big hope is that this will be done in a way that will respect the legends that have come before without feeling the need to point out any iniquities in a manner that lessens the idea of the contributions of those that have helped to make the MCU what it is. In other words, acting as though the heroes that are on their way up now are greater than those who came before could ever be would be a serious mistake, since it might cause a schism between the fans.
But, being fair, those that are coming to the MCU now do need to be given their due, so long as they’re shown to earn it, and aren’t simply given power without any sacrifice or hardship. Like it or not, being different in a mundane way is not a hardship in this world at this point, especially when it comes to being a hero in the MCU. The main issue of giving power to just anyone without showing how they came about it or how they had to struggle to earn it or become worthy of it would be a disservice to many heroes that have been developed over the years, and not just in the MCU. There is a lot of value to show how heroes earn their powers through struggle and strife since it allows the fans to relate to them in one way or another, as it shows them that the heroes don’t have perfect lives and aren’t simply given everything. Thus far, the MCU hasn’t slipped too much in this regard since even those that have been granted immense power have also been shown as having to go through various hardships that come with the territory.
The power shift in the MCU is hard to miss since like it or not, the heroes that started the whole thing are phasing out slowly but surely, and a lot of new faces are on their way in. Things are always bound to change, as this is something that can’t be prevented, but it’s still a hope that the landscape of the MCU will remain somewhat familiar even as one hero after another continues to change things up.
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