Right now, Disney almost seems to have a monopoly on god-like characters in cinema. In Avengers: Infinity War, we were shown what Thanos and the Infinity Gauntlet were capable of, and, before that, way back in the classic animated film Aladdin, we were introduced to the all-powerful Genie. They're wildly different characters, but they seem to be equally matched in power; both seem to be able to turn reality into whatever they (or others) want it to be.
That's a fact that hasn't been lost on fans, who started comparing the two and have been mashing them up ever since marketing for the upcoming Aladdin remake began. It's an interesting, albeit terrifying, comparison, and it begs the question: If you needed to change the world, would you grab a magic lamp or an Infinity Stone-laden gauntlet?
RELATED: Aladdin: The Street Rat Meets the Princess in New Image
To determine which one is more powerful, let's take a look at both Genie and Thanos and the incredible feats of power they display in their respective films.
Phenomenal Cosmic Power
We'll start with Genie, whose power was coveted by Jafar. It's easy to see why! Genie seems to be able to play with reality as easily as he can move. We see him shapeshift countless times, he turns Abu the tiny monkey into a massive elephant, he summons an entire parade for Aladdin -- or rather, Prince Ali -- out of thin air and he imbues Jafar with the knowledge and skill necessary to become the most powerful sorcerer (and later genie) in the world. That's without mentioning anything from the Aladdin sequels, The Return of the Jafar and King of Thieves.
That says a lot about how much Genie is actually capable of. You might argue that all that phenomenal cosmic power sounds great, but it comes with its limits. We're not just talking about the fact that Genie was forced to serve whoever possessed the magic lamp. There are rules, "a few provisos, a couple of quid pro quo," that limit the kind of wishes Genie can grant. Genie can't kill anybody, he can't make anyone fall in love with someone else and he can't bring anyone back from the dead, or so he says. Can't, Genie... or won't?
RELATED: VIDEO: Will the Quantum Realm Reveal New Villains For After Endgame?
When explaining all of this to Aladdin, Genie says something quite revealing. "I can't bring people back from the dead. It's not a pretty picture... I don't like doing it!" Note that he says that doesn't like doing it, which implies that these three rules are more or less self-imposed, because even if he prefers not to, he's physically capable of resurrecting people and has done so at least once before.
That being said, it also implies that he isn't completely omnipotent, since those resurrections were presumably imperfect. In other words, he could reshape reality in almost any way he wants, there are just a few things he'd rather not do because he can't do it perfectly and because it'd be immoral. Thanos could stand to learn a thing or two from Genie, wouldn't you say?
NEXT PAGE: There's Plenty of Cosmic Power in the Infinity Gauntlet, Too
The Burden of Perfect Balance
Speaking of which, Thanos was able to drastically alter the universe as he saw fit thanks to the six stones he attached to the Infinity Gauntlet. The Power Stone alone is shown to be capable of destroying entire civilizations in Guardians of the Galaxy. With it, Thanos was able to take on the Avengers, beating the Hulk as if he were nothing. Then there's the Space Stone, which grants its user the ability to control space in more ways than just the creation of portals.
Next, there's the Reality Stone, which is capable of warping reality in almost any way imaginable, though Thanos' use of the stone seems limited, as its effect on Mantis and Drax wore off as soon as the Mad Titan left the area.
Thanos then went after the Soul Stone, which the Russo brothers explained was capable of manipulating souls and resurrecting the dead, though that was never really made clear in Infinity War. Finally, we have the Time Stone and the Mind Stone, which -- you guessed it -- are capable of controlling time and minds, respectively. All together, these stones allowed Thanos to wipe out half of all life in the universe in a relatively merciful way.
RELATED: Did Gwyneth Paltrow Just Spoil Her Avengers: Endgame Role -- Again?
Theoretically, as many fans have debated since the release of Infinity War, Thanos could have doubled the resources available in the universe if he wanted to because the Infinity Stones, together, are capable of reshaping every aspect of the universe completely, regardless of natural laws. Kind of like a genie that's extremely difficult to acquire and almost exclusively available to those with the strength to use it. Even then, there's a chance that the stones might threaten to destroy its user. Just look at the Gauntlet in the aftermath of the snap.
While at a glance it might seem as though these two are virtually omnipotent, the Infinity Gauntlet has proven itself to be more powerful than Genie. Anyone who dons the Gauntlet would have an exhausting journey ahead of them just to complete it, but, in the end, they'd be able to will anything they wanted into reality more perfectly than the Genie ever could.
So, if you're ever caught trying to decide between a magic lamp and an Infinity Gauntlet, you're better off picking the latter. Just remember that the one thing the Gauntlet is incapable of is being a friend like Genie.