Kang the Conqueror was supposed to be the big villain of the next phase of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, although a new foe from Agatha All Along has inverted his story in a terrifyingly effective introduction. Villains in the Marvel Universe have been integral in telling effective stories, and some of the best have been used across multiple projects. Thanos is arguably the best villain that they have yet featured, showing how buildup over time can be effective. Marvel's newest big villain seems to be following this path especially well.
After some difficulties in recent projects, the villains of Marvel's Phase 6 are set to be their best yet. Robert Downey Jr.'s Doctor Doom will play a major role in the upcoming Avengers films, while Galactus will show something terrifying and new in Fantastic Four: First Steps. However, there is another villain that has recently been introduced, and their impact on the universe makes both of these foes look small. This character will surely feature in future projects in meaningful ways.
The MCU's Introduction Of Death Flipped What Made Kang's Debut Controversial For The Marvel Villain
Kang Was Shown To Be Weak Where Death Was Shown To Be Strong
Kang's debut in the Marvel Cinematic Universe received a mixed response, and it seems that the MCU is correcting that by perfectly inverting it with Rio Vidal's reveal as Death in Agatha All Along. Kang was shown to be an intelligent force with a compelling performance in Loki, although he was quickly dispatched by Sophie. Following this, the villain next appeared in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, where he was handily defeated by Ant-Man. This failed to set him up as a realistic threat.
The fact that Kang could be beaten so easily did not speak well to the future of the character in the universe, and it makes sense that the studio has since pivoted. Marvel has had villain replacement issues in the past, but this appears to be the right move. Simply, it is necessary to set up their threats to be legitimate, and this is difficult to do after showing them defeated repeatedly. It seems that the studio has learned from this with their introduction of Death.
How Death's MCU Introduction Timing Made The Character Look Powerful
Rio Vidal's Agatha All Along Role Felt Outsized And Mighty
Agatha set up Billy Maximoff to be an incredible force, especially alongside Agatha, one of the most powerful witches in the world. However, neither of them could do much against the power of Death. Rio Vidal had been following Agatha for some time, and it became inevitable that one of the two of them had to give themselves up to her. Death clearly has love for Agatha, but she also has rules that she must uphold. This leads to the eventual submission of Agatha, leading her to death, where she persists as a ghost.
Following the major MCU death of Agatha, the character of Death seems much more powerful than any other villain who has yet appeared in the universe. Following this, the character's weakness is actually in her character and her latent humanity. It is important that audiences find something fearful in the character of Death, but are also able to recognize that character's beliefs and convictions. This inversion of the Kang introduction was effective and speaks well to the future of Death in the MCU.
It is difficult to imagine where Death will next appear in the MCU. Thanos has been rumored to return to the franchise, and Thanos has courted Death in the comics, which could be an appropriate place for her. However, what is important is that Death has been set up as a truly powerful force that does still have weaknesses. The path ahead for the Marvel Cinematic Universe after Agatha All Along is better for the inclusion of complex characters like these, and it will exciting to see where audiences get to see Death appear again in the future.
