What If…?season 3 just introduced three overpowered Marvel characters that cannot return forAvengers: Secret Wars.What If…?season 3’s endingtold an intriguing story tied to the character of Uatu, otherwise known as The Watcher. Aside fromWhat If…?’s massive multiverse cameos, the finale of the show saw Uatu teaming up with several characters from the show’s past to defeat the Eminence, the leader of the Watcher Order, who is seeking to punish Uatu for his repeated interferences throughout the MCU multiverse.

This made for one of thebest-ranked episodes ofWhat If…?season 3. Not only did it conclude Uatu’s story in the MCU - for now, at least - but it also included some great action, primarily due to the powers of the characters involved. The sheer power level of these characters was amazing to see inWhat If…?’s contained story, but there is no denying they should be banned from appearing inupcoming MCU movies, be it the story ofAvengers: Doomsdayor the multiversal conclusion ofAvengers: Secret Wars.

Split image of Jonathan Majors as Kang the Conqueror and Emilia Clarke as G’iah in Secret Invasion

The MCU Has A Big Issue With Introducing OP Characters

Overpowered Characters Are No Strange Thing In Marvel’s Recent History

Firstly, it is worth exploring the abundance of overpowered characters in the MCU of late. For the most part, the Infinity Saga had few characters that could be classed as truly overpowered. Thor, Doctor Strange, Scarlet Witch, Vision, and Captain Marvel were the few heroes who were described as the franchise’s powerhouses, yet the Infinity Saga wisely chose the likes of Iron Man and Captain America to be the pillars of the story. SinceAvengers: Endgame, though, several overpowered characters have been introduced.

10 Most Powerful MCU Characters Introduced Since Avengers: Endgame

The MCU is populated by a wealth of hugely powerful characters, many of which did not appear until after the events of Avengers: Endgame.

Even pre-existing MCU characters like Loki, Captain Marvel, and Scarlet Witch have been given considerable power upgrades since Phase 4 began; Loki is now the god of the multiverse and responsible for holding the entire Yggdrasil tree together, while Captain Marvel can ignite a dying sun and Scarlet Witch is prophesied to destroy the multiverse. Beyond that,characters like Kang the Conqueror, G’iah, and even Uatu himself have been introduced to the franchise and are considerably more powerful than most others in the MCU.

The Exiles from What If…? season 3 (2024)

How Powerful The Exiles Are In What If…? Season 3’s Ending

Joining this list are the members ofWhat If…?season 3’s Avengers replacements, the Exiles.What If…?season 3, episode 7 revealed that Captain Peggy Carter had started a new team that stops multiversal incursions, consisting of herself, the MCU’s original Mohawk hero Kahhori, the daughter of Howard the Duck and Darcy Lewis named Byrdie, and a variant of theX-Mencharacter Storm who wields Mjölnir. Evidently, this team is incredibly powerful, with Kahhori’s Infinity Stone-based powers, Byrdie’s cosmic strength, Storm’s omega-level powers, and Captain Carter’s heart and leadership.

The destruction of a giant tentacle monster on Xandar came before the Exiles received Watcher powers, proving how powerful they were before and how overpowered they are after.

Doctor Doom imposed over MCU heroes

However, the show took this one step further by making the Exiles even more powerful inWhat If…?season 3, episode 8. After teaming up with Uatu to defeat the Eminence and the other Watchers, the four heroes took the Watcher Order’s oath and gained immeasurable multiversal powers. The Exiles transcended time and space and essentially became Watchers themselves, gaining all of the powers Uatu and the other Watchers have that rank them as the supreme guardians of the multiverse.

What If…?’s God-Tier Heroes Can’t Return In Avengers 5 & 6

The Exiles Should Stay Away From Upcoming Avengers Movies

Although the story of the Exiles was compelling inWhat If…?season 3, many would agree that they cannot return forAvengers: DoomsdayandAvengers: Secret Wars. For one, those films are already expected to be stacked with characters from the mainline MCU as well as the many other multiversal variants rumored to be part of the story. Moreover, the Exiles would simply be too powerful, thus making the two-partstory ofAvengers: DoomsdayandAvengers: Secret Warsless compelling as a result.

Avengers: Secret Wars: Release Date, Plot Details & Everything We Know

The culmination of phases 4, 5, and 6 of the MCU will be in Avengers: Secret Wars. Here’s everything to know about the sixth Avengers movie.

As ofWhat If…?season 3’s ending, the Exiles are arguably the most powerful characters in the entire MCU multiverse. If they appeared inAvengers 5or6,they could resolve the story in little to no time by defeating Robert Downey Jr.’s Doctor Doom and saving the multiverse. For this reason alone, Marvel Studios would be wise to leaveWhat If…?’s incredibly overpowered heroes absent from the story of the upcomingAvengersmovies, allowing the other heroes of the MCU to go up against Doctor Doom in a way that would be more narratively satisfying.

What If season 3 poster

What If…?

Cast

What If… ? is an animated anthology series set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe which features fan-favorite characters, including Peggy Carter, T’Challa, Doctor Strange, Killmonger, Thor, and more. The new series, directed by Bryan Andrews with AC Bradley as head writer, features signature MCU action with a curious twist. The show sees Uatu the Watcher, an omnipotent being that observes the events of multiple universes from afar as they unfold, unable to interfere. However, things shift when an entity peers beyond the veil, jeopardizing the multiverse.