When the heroes of the Marvel Cinematic Universe finally assemble and become the Avengers, they’re nearly unstoppable. They make quick work of Loki and his Chitauri army in The Avengers before facing off against Ultron in Avengers: Age of Ultron. The robot proves pretty formidable, but once again, Earth’s Mightiest Heroes thwart his plan to send the planet back to the Stone Age. Even when some original members retire and a new group comes together, it doesn’t feel like they’ll miss a beat with heavy hitters like Scarlet Witch and Vision on the roster. However, the Avengers’ problems turn out to be more than just physical ones.
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In Captain America: Civil War, the team deals with a nasty plot from Helmut Zemo, a Sokovian who holds a pretty serious grudge about the destruction of his country. He amasses enough information to tear the Avengers apart from the inside and changes the outlook of the entire MCU going into Avengers: Infinity War. If any of these Marvel heroes were present for Civil War, though, they would’ve figured out Zemo’s plan much earlier.
1) Professor X
Zemo takes a while to reveal himself in Civil War, waiting until Bucky is in government custody to really kick his plan into high gear. But he wouldn’t have been able to get his hands on the Winter Soldier if Professor X were in the building, as the mutant’s telepathy could’ve given the Avengers the edge. There would still be some things to work out, but Zemo would never get the chance to show Tony Stark the video of his parents dying.
2) Doctor Strange
While Doctor Strange’s Time Stone can come in handy in any situation, it’s his brain that makes him a great candidate to beat Zemo. The hero likely wouldn’t take either side during the Civil War conflict and take a step back to really assess the situation. His brainstorming session would then lead him to Zemo, whom he could take down with ease using his mystical abilities.
3) Mister Fantastic
Like Doctor Strange, Reed Richards’ intellect always provides a boost. He may pick a side initially, but after figuring out the facts, he would implore Tony to do the right thing and back off. Mister Fantastic could then devise a plan to bring Zemo to justice without the risk of sending in Avengers who are ready to throw hands with each other.
4) Jean Grey
Jean Grey is a powerful telepath, with there even being an argument that she’s stronger than her mentor, Professor X. Whether that’s true or not, she could easily get into Zemo’s mind and learn everything about his scheme. She also wouldn’t need any backup to defeat him because her other mutant abilities make her quite the handful.
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5) Daredevil
Daredevil doesn’t have super-strength or telepathy, but he does have one thing going for him in a battle against Zemo: he can tell when people are lying. When Zemo showed up to interrogate Bucky in Civil War, Daredevil could’ve gotten ahead of him and ensured he didn’t read enough words from Hydra’s little red book to activate the Winter Soldier.
6) Quicksilver
Sadly, Pietro Maximoff dies during the conflict in Sokovia in Age of Ultron. Had he made it out, however, he would’ve ended the fight with Zemo quickly, as he could’ve scouted the base in Siberia ahead of time and grabbed the villain without so much as a punch being thrown. The Avengers still may have come across the video, but in a different setting, cooler heads would’ve prevailed.
7) Cable
Cable’s propensity to time travel makes him a great option to beat Zemo. He could head back to long before the villain makes his first move and tell the Avengers what’s going to happen, including the battle with Thanos that ends in tragedy because the team is splintered. With time to consider all their options, Earth’s Mightiest Heroes could arrest Zemo and work out their issues on their own time.
Captain America: Civil War is streaming now on Disney+.
Do you think the Marvel heroes on this list could beat Zemo in Captain America: Civil War? Which other characters do you think have a chance? Let us know in the comments below!
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