Since the release of Avengers: Endgame, fans have questioned whether the Marvel Cinematic Universe's Scarlet Witch could have actually killed Thanos. Had the Mad Titan not ordered his ship to bomb the entire battlefield, she just might have pulled it off as Wanda is arguably one of the most powerful heroes in the MCU.
Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige himself believes Scarlet Witch could have taken down Thanos: "Wanda Maximoff, who is probably near the upper echelons of power -- I contend she would have taken down Thanos if he hadn’t called the [army], it was done..." However, opinions on that matter will only take the argument so far. Let's take a closer look at Wanda's powers, both in the comics and in the MCU, to determine if she could truly defeat the Mad Titan.
In the comics, both Wanda and Thanos have vastly different power levels. This is especially true in comparison to their MCU counterparts. Wanda's reality-altering powers have often made her one of the strongest individuals in the Marvel Universe. Just look at events like Avengers: Disassembled, House of M and Avengers vs. X-Men. In these stories, Wanda single-handedly cripples the Avengers, wipes out a majority of the mutant population on Earth and is pivotal in defeating the Phoenix, respectively.
Then there are times, like in Jason Aaron's Doctor Strange (2015), where Wanda is brought down to the same level as every other spellcaster in the Marvel Universe. Nowadays, Scarlet Witch doesn't so much command reality-warping powers, but rather wields chaos magic that isn't nearly as devastating. While she should land on the higher end of the power scale, Wanda often finds herself nerfed for one reason or another. She fluctuates too much to ever get a dependable read on her true power level.
The opposite is true of Thanos in the comics. Even without the Infinity Gauntlet, comic book Thanos always displays an impressive set of abilities. He has telekinetic powers, laser eyes and can straight up shoot energy blasts from his fists. That's all on top of his imposing physical strength, incredible fighting skills and sadistically keen mind. Just look at Donny Cates' "Thanos Wins" story; it's proposed that Thanos will destroy all life and rule a desolate universe as King Thanos. While comic book Scarlet Witch could easily put up a fight against the Mad Titan, the odds are definitely in Thanos' favor.
Looking at the MCU versions of these characters, the playing field is very different. Since her introduction, MCU Scarlet Witch has only gotten stronger. And, frankly, MCU Thanos has no real powers without the Infinity Gauntlet.
For a while, Wanda's powers were as simple as she put it in Captain America: Civil War: "I can move things with my mind." In both that film and Avengers: Age of Ultron, that's just about all she did. She also played some wicked mind games with the heroes, but it seems Marvel Studios sadly hasn't had much use for that power since her introduction. She had some impressive feats in Civil War, but nothing that would make one consider her any more powerful than Thor; the most substantial use of her powers was burying Vision dozens of stories underground.
It wasn't until Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame that fans got an understanding of Wanda's true power. She simultaneously held off Thanos -- who was empowered by five of the Infinity Stones -- and destroyed the Mind Stone in Infinity War. Then, jump ahead to Endgame, where Wanda drops down in front of Thanos (a moment that earned a collective "Oh, sh--!" from audiences) and unleashes her full might on the Mad Titan.
To be fair, Wanda isn't the greatest hand-to-hand combatant. She did well in Infinity War fending off Proxima Midnight, but Thanos came close to cutting her in half during their bout in Endgame. Still, Scarlet Witch was able to break Thanos' sword (which, keep in mind, broke Cap's shield) and, ultimately, hold him against the ropes. The only way Thanos could survive the mystic vice grip Wanda had him in was to get help from his army.
But let's suppose Thanos had the gauntlet. What if he had that infinite power? It still stands to reason Scarlet Witch could beat him. She's shown she can overpower those who wield the stones before. And, really, she'd just have to keep Thanos' hand open, which doesn't sound difficult for her to do. Better yet, she could probably slide the gauntlet right off his hand if she had him suspended in the air. Simply put, MCU Scarlet Witch holds a substantial advantage over MCU Thanos, and it's more than safe to say she could actually beat him.
If you're eager to see Scarlet Witch nearly beat Thanos again, don't worry. Avengers: Endgame is available on digital July 30 and Blu-ray Aug. 13.
Add Comments