THE UCMThe newest and most intense power upgrade has me relieved that a Marvel character is dead. 2024 was a fascinating year for the power levels of the MCU, as the franchise introduced a series of characters that change the way we can view this topic, with figures like Cassandra Nova and Death himself changing the landscape of the franchise. However, not every character needs to be a universe-destroying god-level being - and in fact, some characters function better in the MCU timeline when they aren't at this level of power.
Marvel's newest release reinforces this idea, as it shows a character at his most powerful and most menacing - in fact, perhaps a little too menacing. While a power boost is often the most fun look we get at Marvel's heroes and villains - as evidenced by moments like Captain America wielding Mjolnir at the end of Avengers: Endgameor Star-Lord using powers inherited from his father in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 - there's a reason why these moments tend to be temporary, and one of 2024's final MCU stories reinforces that idea.
What If Season 3 Makes Agatha Much More Powerful Than Ever
And if...? Season 3 Episode 2 covers an alternate universe in which Agatha Harkness is a Hollywood movie star - although her ability to absorb the energy and powers of others appears to be the same, as she quickly reveals to Eternals member Kingo, that she stole the powers of the other members of her team. This in itself initially seems to place Agatha in a more powerful position than WandaVison and Agatha all the time For the most part, it is present, but its power upgrades don't stop there.
When Arishem the Judge threatens to destroy Earth, Kingo and Agatha decide to work together to protect the planet, with Kingo allowing Agatha to use her powers as well. Agatha also turns to Tiamut - the sleeping Celestial buried on Earth - to ensure that she can actively confront Arishem. These enhanced abilities allow her to defeat the Judge and even utilize her own powers. leading to a brilliant, celestial-sized Agatha, who is clearly far more powerful than ever, considering how many immensely powerful beings she has drained of their own powers.
What If Agatha's Story Underlines Why It's a Good Thing She's a Ghost in the Main MCU Timeline
Upon gaining all of these abilities, Agatha immediately presents herself as the story's new antagonist.revealing that she intentionally established herself as the hero who would defend Earth for the chance to gain that level of power. As such, the alternate universe in which this takes place comes very close to being basically ruled by an all-powerful Agatha - with only Kingo's reminder to her that she is equally powerful in terms of influencing people through her film career, capable of stopping her from becoming Earth's new greatest threat.
The breadth that the story gains by showing us Agatha becoming the cosmic dictator of Earth helps a lot to remind us that Agatha is mainly motivated by the opportunity to gain more power, reinforcing how much of a threat she can be. It also serves as a reminder of how lucky Wanda's son Billy really was to have found Agatha again at a reduced power level, as her abilities offer her real opportunities to become extremely powerful - especially since main universe Agatha seems to have existed for a long time. a good chunk of extra time.
While Agatha's complicated nature makes for great viewing, And if...? made me even happier that she is apparently at a reduced power level, now she is a ghost, as this gives us a better chance to see her working alongside Billy Maximoff at least for now and thus to see more of its dynamics. This also means we run a lower risk of Agatha being an outright villain if she and Billy appear in a new release, which paradoxically reduces the chances of her needing to be defeated and destroyed, and of her fun story being cut short.
What if Season 3 made me even more excited to see where Agatha Harkness' MCU story goes?
One of the highlights Agatha all the time for me was that, although the show made a point of giving us a look at the more likable and well-intentioned parts of Agatha's life and personality, they didn't feel the need to give her a full redemption arc that left her a total benefactor until the end of the series. Agatha clearly still has a strong thirst for power and even dressed up with questionable morals at the end of the story, and this balances out with her more positive qualities to make her even more interesting as a character.
This also makes Agatha's future as Billy's ghost guide more interesting, as although she clearly cares a lot about the teenager, it also seems like she would be willing to betray him in several scenarios for the chance to gain his body. form of back - or any other form of power. And if...? Season 3 Episode 2 serves to reinforce this complicated characterization, which means that while I'm glad Agatha doesn't pose this level of threat in the UCM coming soon, I'm also even more excited to see where her unique story goes.
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- Release date
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February 14, 2025
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July 25, 2025
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- Release date
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July 24, 2026
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