Best MCU villains who have appeared on big screen
Thanos, Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: End Game.
By SALVADOR PANIAGUA
The Tower
The Marvel Cinematic Universe has had its fair share of fantastic heroes, but with super-heroes must come super-villains. There are many factors that play into a great villain such as background story, their impact on the story, how memorable they are, and more. Villains are what make a movie good and add suspense to any film.
With Marvel’s release of Avengers: Endgame in 2019, the MCU was in its climax of a decade-long saga. But since the record-breaking movie, Marvel has been hit or miss with movies such as Black Widow, Spider-Man: No Way Home, The Marvels, and Deadpool & Wolverine.
Since the release of the record-breaking Deadpool 3, Marvel has been giving fans hope of the revival of the MCU. In these glimpses of hope, here’s a look back at Marvel’s best MCU villains.
10. Kang
Though he has only appeared in one movie and lost, Kang The Conqueror is one of Marvel’s biggest bads. The impact and potential that this character could’ve had on the MCU is insane. There are many variants of this multiversal villain and that’s what made him dangerous. Kang wasn’t only a threat to Ant Man, but to the entire multiverse.
9. The High Evolutionary
This ruthless and unethical villain is so evil that he makes the fans want to punch him. The experiments he would do on animals explain the dark lengths he would go to cure his obsession with creating the perfect society. Though he is very skilled and intelligent, The High Evolutionary crosses the fine line between genius and madness.
8. Ego
As Peter Quill’s father, this villain tries to get away with reshaping the universe by tricking his son into joining him. Being a celestial, this villain had unimaginable power that was defeated by his son who inherits the same power. The impact of Ego had resulted in Peter getting abducted and becoming Starlord in the first place. Ego’s background goes back centuries, but the story only begun once he met Peter’s mom.
7. Hela
She is the Goddess of death and came back to seek revenge of her father who banished her to Hel after she became too bloodthirsty. Hela was strong enough to destroy Mjolnir and was so powerful that the only way to stop her was to destroy Asgard. Her impact was so big that it almost ended every Asgardian and caused them to move to Earth.
6. Mysterio
The clever and tricky villain had one of the biggest impacts on a single hero yet. His persuasiveness and slick manipulations perfectly fooled Peter Parker into giving him a very powerful piece of technology. Though Peter got the tech back, Mysterio in his last moments alive exposed his identity as Spider-man. This would later lead to one of the best MCU movies ever; Spider-Man: No Way Home.
5. Zemo
Though this meticulous villain is the only one on this list without super-enhancements, he was still one of the few who eventually reached his goal. His act of turning the Avengers against each other would eventually be a very impacting factor in most movies after Captain America: Civil War. It only took a universal threat to bring them together in Avengers: Infinity War.
4. Killmonger
Like Zemo, Killmonger would eventually reach his goal of sharing the rare element of Vibranium with the rest of the world, but he did so posthumously. The background of Killmonger really makes you wonder if he was even in the wrong. His impact on Wakanda was big because it would eventually lead the country to open up to the world.
3. Green Goblin
This cynical and lunatic villain is just straight up evil. The impact that the Green Goblin had on Spiderman, both Tobey and Tom, is life changing. The character of this villain is portrayed perfectly and shows you how real insanity looks like. Green Goblin killed Spiderman’s aunt May in Spider-Man: No Way Home and contributed in one of the best MCU movies of all time.
2. Ultron
The AI robot created by Tony Stark and Bruce Banner had a twisted view of peace in our time. In this new age of technology, Ultron is a perfect example of the dangers of unchecked artificial intelligence. The internal conflict he has with trying to understand humans makes him stand out from most villains. His way with words and unfathomable power makes him one memorable Avengers villain.
1. Thanos
Thanos the mad titan takes the number 1 spot for many reasons. First and foremost being because, like Zemo and Killmonger, he did end up reaching his goal which was erasing 50% existence. What makes him stand out from most villains though is that he doesn’t just create chaos out of spite, he did so because he genuinely believed that by wiping out half of all life in the universe, he is bringing balance and preventing future suffering caused by overpopulation. It sounds like mass genocide to any ordinary being, but Thanos made it seem like poetry. His twisted yet profound philosophy drove his every action. Another great factor that plays into his character is his sense of tragic nobility. Thanos is willing to sacrifice everything, including the life of his adopted daughter, in order to achieve his goal. You almost have to respect him for being so dedicated. His way with words is also very admirable and unusual for your typical villain, which makes him appear more human-like considering that he is a purple alien. Furthermore, Thanos has had the biggest impact in the MCU by far. Not only did it take a decade long saga to build up to him, but even after his time in the MCU he left a huge mark. Throughout the Infinity Saga we get introduced to the 6 infinity stones and such power that they possess. We also get small teasers of the mad titan in post-credit scenes. All of this just builds up the hype for the introduction of Thanos in Avengers: Infinity War. The jaw-dropping movie not only left the Avengers shocked, but the fans shocked too because it’s typical for the heroes to win and save the day, but Thanos isn’t typical. That’s why he is one of the most memorable and impactful villains in the MCU.
Honorable Mentions: The Winter Soldier, Loki, Scarlet Witch, Magneto