Marvel: Is Kang More Powerful Than Thanos? (2024)

This article contains spoilers for Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. For years, the Mad Titan known as Thanos was seen as the ultimate villain of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. His ominous appearance at the end of The Avengers inspired awe in fans everywhere, and when his central role in Infinity War lived up to the hype, it cemented him as one of the great villains of modern pop culture.

However, with the end of the Infinity Saga and the beginning of the Multiverse Saga, another villain has taken center stage as the MCU’s new big bad. That villain is, of course, Kang the Conqueror, who’s set to be the Avengers’ next opponent in the upcoming Avengers: The Kang Dynasty. And while Thanos is certainly a hard act to follow, Kang may be a far greater threat than the Mad Titan ever was.

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What Makes Kang So Powerful?

Kang the Conqueror may not initially seem like an obvious candidate for the most powerful villain in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Unlike other major antagonists like Ultron, Green Goblin, Hela, or Namor, Kang doesn’t actually have any superhuman powers. However, that doesn’t make him any less dangerous. As a time traveler from the 31st century, Kang has access to technology and weaponry far beyond anything that 21st century Earth is capable of producing. With the resources at his disposal, Kang possesses mastery over time and space, as well as the power to battle armies single-handedly.

Of course, as powerful as Kang’s future tech may be, it doesn’t make him invincible. In fact, he suffers a rather humiliating defeat by a legion of giant-sized ants during the climax of Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. But even without his high-tech weaponry, Kang isn’t the type to go down without a fight. He utterly demolishes Ant-Man in close quarters combat using only his bare hands, showing that even without any powers, Kang is still a physical powerhouse in his own right.

However, Kang’s combat capabilities are only a small part of what makes him such a terrifying threat. The true power of Kang is that he isn’t a solitary entity: there are countless Kangs throughout the multiverse, all competing for supremacy. The moment one Kang is defeated, another will surely arise to replace him — just ask Loki. And because all Kangs possess the power to travel between timelines, there’s seemingly no end to the threat they pose.

What Makes Thanos So Powerful?

True to his nickname as the Mad Titan, Thanos is a foe of truly titanic proportions. In the first scene of Avengers: Infinity War, he effortlessly defeats the Hulk in hand-to-hand combat in mere seconds, showcasing both immense strength and deadly skill. Far from a witless monster, Thanos possesses the strength of Thor, the fighting prowess of Captain America, and the cunning of Iron Man all rolled into one ultimate foe.

Even after he attains the near-limitless power of the Infinity Stones, Thanos isn’t content to rely on brute force to vanquish his enemies. During the battle in the ruins of Titan, Thanos exhibits remarkable ingenuity in battling his opponents, especially in his duel with Doctor Strange. However, Thanos’ greatest strength is arguably his willpower — he truly believes that his evil deeds are saving the universe, and that conviction makes him more than a match for Earth’s mightiest heroes.

Of course, like Kang, Thanos is hardly a solo act. He has a vast empire at his disposal, including countless legions of Chitauri, Sakaarans, and Outriders. His elite lieutenants, the Black Order, are powerful enough in their own right to challenge the Avengers. Together, Thanos and his forces were able to defeat Earth’s heroes — as well as the Guardians of the Galaxy — and assemble all the Infinity Stones, granting Thanos the power to wipe out half of all life in the universe. There’s no doubt that Thanos is the mightiest villain Earth has faced to date.

Is Kang More Powerful than Thanos?

But as terrifying in strength as Thanos is, he may yet be outclassed by a multiversal threat like Kang. On the one hand, Thanos is clearly the superior foe when it comes to sheer physical power. He was strong enough to easily best both Thor and the Hulk without even using the Infinity Stones, while Kang was soundly defeated by Ant-Man and the Wasp. Needless to say, there’s quite a gap in strength between these two villains.

But as previously mentioned, Kang isn’t just one single being. There are countless Kang variants all across the infinite multiverse — and if the mid-credits scene of Quantumania is any indication, the Avengers will be dealing with a deadly triumvirate of Kangs in The Kang Dynasty, as well as all the resources at their disposal. It’s clear that fans of the MCU have currently only seen a glimpse of what the Kangs have to offer in terms of world-conquering might. So while Thanos may be the more intimidating villain right now, the sheer multiversal scale of the threat posed by Kang makes him a likely candidate for the most powerful villain in the MCU.

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