We’re less than a month away from Avengers: Infinity War dropping. In case you haven’t figured it out by now, I am a giant Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) junkie. In fact, approximately 80% of the movies I see each year are MCU movies. That’s a nice way of saying I see…maybe one movie…each year….that isn’t Marvel. Cool. Anyway, it seems like I’m being a total nerd by jumping the gun and thinking about what happens after Thanos ravages the Earth in Infinity War.
But, with the MCU, if you’re not thinking at least an entire phase ahead, you’re going to get left in the dust, buddy. That’s a nice way of saying you won’t be able to hold a conversation with fanboys like me. I need to be better about speaking plainly.
Anyway, thinking about the 10 years worth of MCU movies that have led us here, watching the trailers that have been realized, and understanding the magnitude of the threat Thanos poses to the Avengers has all made me realize what an emotional drain this is going to be.
People gonna die, folks. Those Marvel contracts are going to start running out. Chris Evans has recently stated that he wants to get into directing. This thing is a cash cow. There’s no denying that. But, it’s unrealistic to think that Robert Downey, Jr., Chris Hemsworth, and Scarlett Johannson are all going to stick around forever. So, how long before we see a completely new slate of Avengers? Seems inevitable, no?
And, this Infinity War series seems awfully ambitious. I mean, it’s taken 10 years just to set up these two movies. We’ve never seen a villain like Thanos. We’ve never seen such a giant ensemble of Avengers in one place. It’s going to be huge.
So, where can the MCU possibly go from here? Who could possibly ever be as bad as Thanos? We may have already met a couple of their options.
Hela
Just want to mention Hela here because I still think there’s a chance she plays a role in the upcoming Infinity War. We never officially saw her demise in Thor: Ragnarok, and she showed just how truly powerful she is by destroying Mjolnir and practically laying waste to Asgard.
Plus, one of the biggest catalysts for the Infinity Gauntlet storyline in the comics is Thanos’ love for the literal, tangible, physical embodiment of Death. Basically, Thanos is in love with Death and wants to capture and destroy the universe to win her affection. Seems a little wild to introduce in the movies at this point, but think about it – we still have virtually no idea what movie Thanos’ motives actually are. We just now he’s big and bad and shit’s about to get real.
While it’s improbable they would introduce a character literally named Death into the MCU, it’s possible that Hela could serve the role in the films. She is the “Goddess of Death,” after all. Connect the dots.
Hela is definitely powerful enough to take the Avengers on head-on.
Surtur
What the hell is Surtur going to do now? Just completely destroy Asgard and then just sit there, like, “shit – now what?” He fulfilled the prophecy of Ragnarok, and now he has all the time in the world.
You may or may not have been able to gather from the fact that Surtur is a giant fire demon, but that dude is a real bad mamma jamma.
First of all, he is gargantuan. You saw it for yourselves as Surtur towered over Asgard. He can also shoot fire at things. That’s pretty terrifying. Plus, it’s been said that Surtur’s skill and proficiency in combat is on par with Odin’s, who happens to be, in my book, the most powerful hero in the Marvel universe.
So, what would happen if Surtur decided to come to Earth? Now, how you’d reasonably get him there – that could make for a challenge. But, if it happened, there’s no denying it’d be a huge event.
Dormammu
Doctor Strange was the MCU’s most ambitious project. Quite frankly, a lot of the Strange mythology is just downright weird. I didn’t think they had much of a chance, but alas – everything they’ve touched recently has turned to gold. In Doctor Strange, we got a brief glimpse of big bad Dormammu.
However, the MCU swayed drastically from the comics in terms of Dormammu’s appearance. But, that said, he’s still an ancient being who runs his own dimension. In the comics, he looked like a dude…not a giant floating face. But, his abilities are terrifying all the same.
Dormammu can basically project energy, manipulate matter, teleport, bring back the dead, possess people, and a whole slew of evil things. Apparently, in the movies, he’s a giant, too. Oh yeah – and, he has his own army of superhuman, zombie type creatures known as the Mindless Ones. I don’t even know if they’re technically creatures….like, they
Anyway, Dormammu is immortal, a real jerk, and Doctor Strange right pissed him off. Given his character’s affinity for conquering and just generally being a dick, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him bring his shit to Earth.
The problem with these Marvel movies – if you dig into the comics, you realize that the bulk of the stories are the same. Most villains are conquering foes bent on destruction. They invade Earth in the quest for universal power – blah, blah, blah.
Solving the villain question may not be the MCU’s greatest threat. It may just come down to simple storytelling – how do they keep all of these characters fresh and not end up repeating the same story over and over?
So, who did I miss, Marvel fans? Or, do you think they should introduce a new villain altogether? Hit dem comments.
Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network. He is a strong supporter of Team GSD and #BeBetter. “Big Natural” covers the Tennessee Titans, Alabama Crimson Tide football, the WWE, and a whole wealth of nonsense. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley
Buy our shirt. Like us on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter @SoBrosNetwork. Listen on SoundCloud. Watch on YouTube. Shop our store on Redbubble.
