This 'Agatha All Along' character can be Kang's perfect replacement
What's the story
The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) series Agatha All Along has given us a new, formidable villain: Lady Death.
Played by Aubrey Plaza, the character first appears as Rio Vidal, someone from Agatha's past who has a vendetta against her.
But later, we learn that Rio is actually Lady Death, an entity of immense power who could possibly take Kang the Conqueror's place and rival Thanos in future MCU narratives.
Context
Why does this story matter?
Following the end of Thanos's storyline in MCU, Kang (played by Jonathan Majors) was supposed to be the next big villain for the upcoming Avengers movies.
However, Majors's tumultuous life outside the screens forced Marvel to rethink their way ahead. They brought Robert Downey Jr. back as Doctor Doom and renamed Avengers: The Kang Dynasty to Avengers: Doomsday.
But Doctor Doom aside, Marvel would like to keep its supervillain options open.
Character reveal
Lady Death's true identity and cosmic role
Lady Death's true identity is unveiled in the seventh episode of Agatha All Along by Lilia Calderu, played by Patti LuPone, using her divination powers.
As Lady Death, Rio is tasked with guiding recently deceased souls to the other side and maintaining the balance between life and death.
This role explains her view of Billy Maximoff's spirit and his reincarnation into William Kaplan as a violation of this balance.
Future prospects
Lady Death's power and potential in the MCU
As per Marvel Comics, Lady Death is incredibly powerful, even more so than Thanos and Kang the Conqueror. Her character is motivated by a thirst for revenge against Agatha, despite her cosmic responsibilities.
In the comics, Lady Death is as old as the universe itself and is confirmed to be nigh-omnipotent and immortal.
This means she could return as a recurring threat in future MCU stories, possibly appearing multiple times in the ongoing Multiverse Saga.
Future conflict
Lady Death's potential as an Avengers villain
The prospect of the Avengers taking on Lady Death is an exciting one, although we aren't sure how they would stand a chance against such a powerful entity.
The upcoming Avengers: Secret Wars could potentially alter cosmic and reality laws, maybe even weakening or rewriting the concepts of death.
This could set the stage for a conflict where Earth's Mightiest Heroes find themselves on equal footing with Lady Death.
Upcoming appearances
Lady Death's potential return in future MCU projects
There is speculation that Lady Death could return in a potential second season of Agatha All Along, perhaps trying to stop Wiccan and Agatha's ghost from locating the reincarnated Tommy. This could give us more insight into her relationship with Agatha.
Further, upcoming Marvel projects like Ironheart and Avengers: Secret Wars could also see Lady Death, particularly if the multiverse is set to change drastically.