Think Thanos Was Scary?
These Marvel villains are even more powerful—and way more terrifying. Meet the new threats to the MCU multiverse.
When Thanos snapped his fingers and wiped out half the universe, it felt like there was no way for a villain to do something more alarming than that. In the broad expanse of the Marvel Universe (and multiverse), however, another powerful being can make Thanos look like a practice takedown: not just cosmic threats, but cold-hearted manipulators. This is just one area of the Marvel multiverse dangling with villains that we could worry about more than the Mad Titan himself.
Whether you are a life-long fan, or, are just starting the MCU with the launch of Disney+, step below for a look at 10 villains in Marvel who could complete with Thanos, and why we should our pants if they ever make it on to the big screen.
1. Kang the Conqueror – Ruler of Time Itself
Why they’re more hazardous than Thanos:
With the Infinity Stones, Thanos was able to control space with space and time; Kang IS time. Kang is a scientist from the 31st century who conquered time, bent timelines, erased timelines, and conquered multiverses at will.
Power Moves:
Has numerous variants such as Immortus, Rama-Tut, and Iron Lad
Leads massive time armies through time
Teased to be next big bad after Endgame
2. Galactus – The Devourer of Worlds
Why He’s More Dangerous than Thanos:
Thanos may have snapped half of life away, but Galactus EATS entire planets just to keep himself alive. He’s not a villain with a nefarious plan, but rather a cosmic force of nature, which is terrifying.
Power Moves:
Holds power Cosmic
Makes god-like Heralds (like the Silver Surfer)
Is unstoppable once he sees a planet
3. The Beyonder – God of the Multiverse
Why He’s More Dangerous than Thanos:
Imagine someone so powerful that even Thanos with the full Infinity Gauntlet is dust floating in the wind. That’s the Beyonder.
Power Moves:
Destroys galaxies for “fun”
Created Battleworld in Secret Wars to have heroes and villains duke it out
Almost omnipotent in his original form
4. Doctor Doom – The Ultimate Intellect and Sorcerer
Why He’s More Dangerous than Thanos:
Victor Von Doom is Tony Stark’s genius, Doctor Strange’s sorcery, and Magneto’s ruthlessness all rolled into one. Whereas Thanos acted out of twisted love, Doom acts out of sheer superiority.
Power Moves:
Ruled Battleworld as god in the 2015 Secret Wars arc
Created alternate Earths
Master of science and dark magic
5. Mephisto – Marvel’s Devil
Why he’s more dangerous than Thanos:
While Thanos brings death, Mephisto brings eternal suffering. As the cartoonish counterpart to the Devil, he captures souls, grants twisted wishes, and rewrites reality as he pleases.
Power Moves:
Capturing souls the likes of Doctor Doom’s mother and Ghost Rider.
Creating multiversal chaos in the comics with One More Day.
Can’t be killed, just banished for a short while.
MCU Status: Heavily rumored in WandaVision and Agatha All Along – updates to follow.
6. The One Above All (TOAA) – Marvel’s God-Being
Why he’s more dangerous than Thanos:
If Thanos is the villain, TOAA is the author of the book – not traditionally seen as a villain but by the merit of all of its power has had changes on almost everything and in alternate comic stories its discussed darker motives do appear.
Power Moves:
Punishes or controls every timeline, multiverse and every dimension.
Can erase characters from existence.
More powerful than the Living Tribunal two times over, Eternity is just its dimension.
7. Dormammu – The Ruler of the Dark Dimension
The Dark Dimension is a threat to more than just a definition of Earth it is a threat to reality itself. His desire for domination exceeds Thanos’s quaint “balance.”
Power Moves:
Exists outside of normal time.
Possesses endless magical powers.
Can corrupt even the most powerful sorcerers like Kaecilius.
8. Null – The God of the Symbiotes
Why he’s a bigger threat than Thanos:
Null created all the symbiotes, such as Venom and Carnage. He wants to blanket the universe in Darkness. Think of Thanos having a death metal phase and turning up his evilness—that’s Null.
Power moves:
Wields the All-Black Necrosword (wielded by Gorr in Thor: Love and Thunder)
Aborted Celestials
Made living depraved weapons from Darkness
MCU Status: Stuck in Sony’s Spider-Verse and potential MCU connections.
9. Onslaught – The Singular Fusion of Dark Roots of Magneto and Professor X
Why he’s a bigger threat than Thanos:
Onslaught is birthed from when Charles Xavier’s dark thoughts combine with Magneto’s rage. So now you have unlimited psychic powers, and magnetic powers. Plus an identity crisis with cosmic implications.
Power Moves:
Killed the Avengers and Fantastic Four in comics
Almost destroyed the Earth
Resistant (not totally immune) to physical attacks
10. The Maker (Evil Reed Richards)
Why he’s a bigger threat than Thanos:
The Maker is Reed Richards—but he a total lack of morals and willingness to do anything to achieve his desires. Imagine the smartest man on the planet turned supervillain.
Power moves:
Travels between universes when suited for him
Can create mass clones or advanced technological creations
Manipulates time, space, and biology
Why Marvel Keeps Outdoing Itself With Villains
Thanos set a pretty high bar. But Marvel Comics has a long history of creating villains who challenge not only the heroes, but also our very perception of power. Some are gods. Some are time travelers. Some are dark reflections of our favorite heroes. That’s what makes them compelling – and terrifying.
As the Multiverse Saga unfolds, the next few years may present audiences with threats that surpass even what we have seen thus far. And if you believed Thanos would be the ultimate final boss? Maybe he will only be a level one:
Villains that could easily return stronger than ever
Here are a couple of wildcards who may not be stronger than Thanos, but could certainly wreak multiversal havoc for the next phases of the MCU:
Ultron (What If…? version): Destroyed multiverses
Hela: Goddess of Death, not entirely dead
Gorr (with All-Black): He could come back either via a multiverse or a symbiote arc
Killmonger Variant: An alternate universe Black Panther?
Who Scares You More Than Thanos?
Marvel fans on TikTok, Reddit, and fan message boards have already started ranking Kang and Doctor Doom even higher than Thanos in terms of pure menace and potential catastrophes. Many fans even argue that Mephisto’s mind games would have ultimately broken Thanos before he had the chance to throw a punch.
Polls illustrate:
67% of MCU fans think Kang is more dangerous than Thanos.
52% of MCU fans think Doctor Doom would have taken care of the Avengers much faster.
Nearly 80% want Galactus as the Phase 7 Villain.
Final Thoughts: The Real Danger is Still to Come
Thanos may have closed the Infinity Saga, but he is not the end. The “real” dangers? The ones that are not going to get punched, and often you can’t even reason with, and sometimes you can’t even see coming.
With Marvel’s properties of Secret Wars, Fantastic Four, and X-Men in play, we are experiencing villains that can literally alter the universe, erase existence, and trap heroes in infinite loops of time. So, forget about Thanos, Marvel’s endgame has just begun!
FAQs
Who is stronger than Thanos in Marvel?
Characters like Galactus, Kang the Conqueror, The Beyonder and Doctor Doom are typically takes to be stronger in various timelines and arcs.
Are there plans for Thanos to return in any future Marvel films?
Infinity War and Endgame is the conclusion of Thanos’s story, but there is a possibility of a different version of him from the multiverse to return or possibly some flashbacks in limited roles.
Who is the next big villain in the MCU?
Kang the Conqueror is already unfolding, but that does not discount Doctor Doom or Galactus as top candidates in the next phases.
Is The Beyonder stronger than Thanos with the Infinity Gauntlet?
Yes. The Beyonder is immensely greater in power than the Infinity gauntlet from his original Secret Wars appearances.