The MCU’s Infinity Stones Replacement Will Make Thanos Look Weak

For many years, Thanos was the ultimate big bad in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Obviously, the massive movies Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame, which served as the culminating events for the years-long and (thus far) biggest era of the MCU, centered on how every single hero was going to unite to take him down, demonstrating just how powerful he was and what a massive threat he posed. Ultimately, he also claimed the lives of some of the greatest heroes in the entire franchise, either directly or inadvertently, including Gamora, Black Widow, and Tony Stark.

However, with Endgame finally seeing Thanos dead, the franchise had to move on, and while it’s arguably struggled to truly pick up the pieces and kick off a new, equally massive era, it has begun taking steps in the right direction. In fact, one recent movie has introduced a character that will mean major things for the MCU’s future—and he’s also going to make Thanos look ridiculously weak by comparison.

The MCU Has Already Changed How Viewers See The Infinity Stones

It didn’t take long for the MCU to start poking holes in the notions that Thanos and/or the Infinity Stones were all powerful. Devastatingly, in fact, Loki revealed that the TVA had a whole drawer full of Infinity Stones lying around, and that they used them as “paperweights,” driving home just how common and meaningless they seemed. This was, obviously, a drastic change from Infinity War and Endgame, which saw the heroes rushing first to keep the stones from Thanos and then to recover them so that they could beat Thanos at his own game.

This was a crushing revelation, and it understandably hurt viewers who had to grapple with the reality that the very things so many beloved characters had died for were insignificant on the larger scale. However, it was actually critical for the MCU to do that if the franchise was going to successfully move on. After all, if Thanos and the Infinity Stones were truly the peak of power in the franchise, then how could it really move forward? Luckily, the MCU also hasn’t just undercut the Infinity Stones. It has also introduced a new, so much more powerful character.

The Fantastic Four’s Newest Addition Will Make Thanos’ Attack Look Like Child’s Play

In 2025, The Fantastic Four: First Steps proved to be a thrilling new installment in the MCU that actually felt like both a breath of fresh air and a step in the right direction. In addition to introducing actors like Pedro Pascal and Joseph Quinn to the franchise, which proved to be incredibly popular, The Fantastic Four has just introduced one of the most powerful Marvel characters overall, both on screen and off: Franklin Richards. In fact, many argue that he is the single most powerful character.

And, while he may have been only a baby (and then a toddler right at the very end), Franklin’s powers have more than earned him that status and will no doubt prove to MCU audiences why he has it. Among other things, Franklin has incredibly powerful telepathic abilities and the ability to manipulate reality. Of course, MCU audiences have also already seen him bring his mother, Sue Storm, back to life in The Fantastic Four. Given how desperate Thanos would have been to get his hands on these abilities, it’s clear that Franklin outmatches him by miles.

In fact, whereas Thanos was only really a threat so long as he had his Infinity Gauntlet (even when he had just a few stones, he wasn’t nearly as dangerous), Franklin is effectively an Infinity Stone himself. He doesn’t need any gadget to make himself powerful; he just inherently is. In that sense, he will very quickly make Thanos look ridiculously weak by comparison, and he’s only a child. Yet, this opens up another can of worms for the MCU.

How Will The MCU Deal With A Power Level This High?

While it will be thrilling to see more of Franklin Richards on the screen, and it will frankly be satisfying to see someone outpace Thanos so breezily, this does put the MCU in danger of struggling to bring a power level this high to life on the screen in a way that doesn’t feel cheesy, fall flat, or create a messy narrative. After all, the MCU is far from a perfect franchise, and it has arguably struggled with much more straightforward stories, especially following Endgame.

Having to craft a narrative around a character as powerful as Franklin will no doubt prove incredibly challenging, and with the franchise already on some rocky footing, that’s precarious. Hopefully, the MCU is prepared for these hurdles and up to the task. The Fantastic Four certainly worked, even with him resurrecting Sue, although there was actually very little of Franklin on screen and even less shown in terms of his powers in particular. Whether the MCU can sustain this long term, and to a much greater extent, remains to be seen.

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