10 Superhero Movie Characters Who Were Completely Nerfed In Sequels

There are several superhero movie characters in the MCU, the DCU, and other franchises that have had their power levels lowered for sequels. As the genre has grown in the modern era of cinema, the movies of the DCEU and the MCU in particular serve as examples of large, connected cinematic universes featuring a cast of characters possessing various abilities. Balancing so many powerful characters can often prove challenging, and different movies sometimes need to gently take them in a different direction.

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On occasion, this has seen characters’ power levels lowered between movies. The MCU’s movie timeline has featured several characters who were nerfed – whether in-universe or quietly within a sequel’s script – and DC’s movies have also done the same. Though the reasons for doing so are usually in service of the narrative, it can sometimes prove especially jarring to see. With that in mind, here are 10 superhero movie characters who were completely nerfed in sequels.

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Ronan The Accuser’s Second MCU Appearance Saw Him Made Weaker

Captain Marvel (2019)

Having made his franchise debut in 2014’s Guardians of the Galaxy, Ronan the Accuser was introduced as a powerful Kree warlord capable of wielding the Power Stone. He was then killed by its power after the Guardians turned it on him, but that wasn’t his last appearance in the movies of the MCU. Ronan returned in Captain Marvel five years later, as the movie was set before the events of Guardians of the Galaxy.

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Captain Marvel being set earlier in the timeline means that it’s not technically a sequel, but Ronan still got weaker from one appearance to the next. In Guardians of the Galaxy, he’s able to use the Power Stone, a feat that only the strongest can achieve, but Captain Marvel paints him in a weaker light. In the 2019 movie, Ronan is shown as an ineffective coward who is easily defeated by Captain Marvel, making him seem far less formidable in his second appearance.

9

Batman Got Less Effective In The DCEU

Justice League (2017)

The short-lived movie timeline of the DCEU saw the franchise face many problems, with inconsistency being one of its more subtle issues. Even so, the franchise’s handling of Batman saw him made significantly less powerful after his debut, largely for narrative purposes. His first full appearance came in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, which saw him face off against Henry Cavill’s Man of Steel, and he then reprised the role in 2017’s Justice League.

Between the two movies, Batman becomes considerably less effective. In Batman v Superman, he is able to invent kryptonite weaponry and gadgets that enable him to fully subdue and almost kill Superman. In Justice League, not only does he need an entire team of metahumans, but also to revive Superman himself in order to turn the tide against Steppenwolf. All things considered, it simply seems as though the DCEU’s Batman was severely nerfed between appearances.

8

Captain Boomerang Was Seemingly Nerfed After His First Appearance

The Suicide Squad (2021)

Another DCEU character to receive an apparent power downgrade was Captain Boomerang. Having been introduced in 2016’s Suicide Squad as a deceptively capable member of the titular team of villains, Captain Boomerang was one of the few to survive the events of the movie. He then returned for its sequel, 2021’s The Suicide Squad, although his second appearance made him out to be a much less powerful figure within the context of the DCEU’s story.

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After having survived a magical onslaught in Suicide Squad, Captain Boomerang is once again enlisted for Task Force X. However, in The Suicide Squad’s opening scene, Captain Boomerang is unceremoniously killed by enemy forces. The moment was clearly written to distance the sequel from its unpopular predecessor, but the jarring shift in Captain Boomerang’s combat capabilities was both incredibly noticeable and decidedly unfair.

7

Thor Was Established As Less Powerful In His Third Solo Movie

Thor: Ragnarok (2017)

Throughout Thor’s MCU story, he has undergone several changes alongside his overall character development to make him one of the most transformed characters in the franchise. On one particular occasion, this change sees Thor apparently become less powerful, establishing a new threat in the process. Immediately after meeting Hela, Thor’s older sister crushes Mjolnir and sends him off into space. When he returns to Asgard, he’s still unable to overcome his older sister.

Considering Thor’s previous appearances had established him as perhaps the MCU’s heaviest hitter, seeing him so helpless in Ragnarok was a big change. Whether Thor’s power level was actually subtly lowered for the movie isn’t clear, as it may simply be that Hela redefined the MCU’s power levels. Even so, the perception of Thor shifted to make him appear much less powerful within the franchise for the sequel movie.

6

Lex Luthor Lost His Villainous Edge

Superman II (1980)

Of all the actors to play Lex Luthor in live-action, few stand out as clearly as Gene Hackman. Hackman first played Luthor in the 1976 movie Superman, reprising the role in its sequels to varying degrees of success. The first two Superman movies are broadly considered the superior, but they saw Lex Luthor become far less capable as a villain after his debut.

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In Superman, Luthor is a cunning and quick-witted villain who easily outsmarts the hero with his brilliant and evil plan. For the sequel, Luthor was demoted to a lesser antagonist, and was depicted as being easily duped by Superman as well as weaker in a physical sense compared to Zod. In almost every way imaginable, Lex Luthor was nerfed for Superman II, because in the first movie he’s nothing short of a criminal mastermind, while in his second appearance he’s bumbling and easily tricked by the hero.

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Star-Lord Lost His Celestial Abilities

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023)

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 explored the mystery of Star-Lord’s parentage, establishing that Peter Quill’s biological father was actually Ego the Living Planet. In the movie, Ego introduces himself as a Celestial, explaining that Quill’s physiology shares many of his abilities. He later displays these in defiance of Ego, and though it’s hinted that he may have lost his powers once Ego dies, the truth of the matter isn’t made entirely clear.

By the events of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, all notion of Star-Lord’s Celestial parentage had vanished. Not only did he seem to be fully human, but no mention was made at all of the abilities he possessed due to his father or how they could have fully disappeared. The result of this is that it simply appears Star-Lord was given a huge power downgrade for the sequel, because any real explanation for the loss of his abilities was never truly given.

4

Wonder Woman Was Less Powerful In Her Solo Sequel

Wonder Woman 1984 (2020)

As one of the most popular movies in the DCEU, 2017’s Wonder Woman established its protagonist as an especially powerful hero in the franchise. In the movie, Diana is shown to be all but impervious to bullets, as well as super-strong and fast, and an expert combatant. She is able to kill Ares, the God of War, and walk through No Man’s Land unscathed.

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The sequel, Wonder Woman 1984, saw Diana become much less powerful. After making a wish to bring back Steve Trevor, Diana begins losing her powers. Throughout the movie, Diana becomes increasingly less powerful, until she eventually renounces her wish and regains her abilities. Even so, for the majority of the sequel, Wonder Woman is far less powerful than she was in the original movie, including when it comes to her moral compass and general willpower.

3

Groot Lost Many Of His Abilities After His First Appearance

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017)

Guardians of the Galaxy introduced a number of fascinating elements and characters to the MCU, Groot ranking highly among them. The tree-like alien with the incredibly limited vocabulary was shown to be an incredibly dangerous fighter, growing and manipulating his plant limbs to make him one of the most powerful assets to the eponymous team. The movie’s final act sees Groot sacrifice himself to save his friends, though it’s later revealed that he was able to survive as a sapling.

Groot’s next appearance came in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, in which the adult version of the character from the first film was replaced. The new baby Groot was less effective in almost every way than he was in the previous movie, even lacking a general understanding of basic concepts. The reason for the change was obvious, but it’s still clear that Groot was nerfed in the sequel.

2

Hulk Couldn’t Transform At One Stage Of His MCU Story

Avengers: Infinity War (2018)

It’s no secret that Hulk’s MCU story has been full of change and transformation, but in one particular instance, he was nerfed for a sequel. In Thor: Ragnarok, it is explained that Banner had surrendered himself to the Hulk for an extended period, with the pair later begrudgingly making up. However, in his next appearance, Bruce Banner begins having some major issues with his abilities.

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After being casually defeated by Thanos, Banner finds himself entirely incapable of transforming into the Hulk, explaining that he muscular alter-ego was unable to emerge. This naturally makes him so much less powerful, as Banner is nowhere near as resilient or strong as the Hulk. Considering Infinity War was such a pivotal moment for the MCU’s story, it would seem that Bruce Banner picked the worst possible time to get nerfed.

1

Loki Went From An Avengers-Level Threat To A Supporting Character

Thor: The Dark World (2013)

In Loki’s first MCU appearance, he was a conniving but largely not powerful character. 2012’s The Avengers saw Loki wielding a scepter housing the Mind Stone, then setting out to invade Earth on Thanos’ behalf with an army of Chitauri. Being the first Avengers-level threat in the MCU made Loki a big deal, although his character was much less powerful in the sequel.

By Thor: The Dark World, Loki has been captured and his scepter was taken away. Without its powers, Loki is virtually useless for the majority of the movie, and seems far less powerful than in his previous appearance. Though he was later given another major boost, his fluctuating power level marks him as one of the most inconsistent characters in terms of his general efficacy. As such, Loki is one of the most notable examples of a superhero movie character nerfed in a sequel in not just the MCU, but also the DCU and beyond.

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Marvel Cinematic Universe

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is a multimedia superhero franchise that began in 2008 with Paramount’s Iron Man starring Robert Downey Jr. The franchise quickly grew in popularity, with Disney eventually buying out Marvel Entertainment in 2009. The MCU consists of dozens of movies and TV shows, most notably Avengers: Endgame, WandaVision, and Loki.
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DC Universe

The DC Universe is one of the biggest comic book franchises and often competes with Marvel. DC Comics started as National Allied Publications, founded by Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson in 1935. Since then, the franchise has exploded with thousands of comic books, movies, TV shows, and video games. 2013 marked the beginning of the most recent iteration of the superheroes, with Zack Snyder introducing Henry Cavill as Superman. After several movies with mixed reviews, DC underwent a soft reboot under the helm of James Gunn and Peter Safran.