55 years ago, legendary Marvel founder Stan Lee established a golden rule for villains that many in the MCU perfectly adhere to. The MCU has earned widespread acclaim for its comic-accurate adaptations of Marvel Comics’ most popular characters, and more still for its compelling array of villains. Aside from Marvel Studios’ expert casting decisions, thrilling narratives, and stellar acting, it’s impossible to overlook the fact that Marvel’s villains were written that way to begin with.
This is largely thanks to Stan Lee’s golden rule, which stipulates that Marvel Comics’ villains should never be “all bad” just as Marvel’s heroes should never be “all good.” Lee argued that everything is a matter of perspective and that every villain should have a redeeming trait. This isn’t too hard to spot in most of Marvel’s arch-villains as so many can be easy to sympathize with. However, there are some that meet the criteria a little more than others.
10
The Vulture Is Doing What He Can To Provide For His Family
Adrian Toomes Feels Short-Changed By Tony Stark
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Adrian Toomes is introduced in Spider-Man: Homecoming as the owner of Bestman Salvage, a company that scores contracts to salvage from major incidents in New York. After having his livelihood taken by the Department of Damage Control, a government body with whom Tony Stark is involved, Toomes turns to the black market, utilizing his past expertise to become a shady arms dealer. Specializing in dealing with alien tech, Toomes kits himself with a suit that complements his new moniker: the Vulture.
During their interactions, Toomes delivers a pretty convincing justification for his unscrupulous activities: he’s fighting to survive while the upper echelons of society, for which Stark is a figurehead, “do whatever they want.”
The Vulture then becomes a foil for Spider-Man after Peter Parker learns of his illegal trade. During their interactions, Toomes delivers a pretty convincing justification for his unscrupulous activities: he’s fighting to survive while the upper echelons of society, for which Stark is a figurehead, “do whatever they want.” Toomes is resourceful and does what he believes is necessary to continue providing for his family, a trait that is hard to decry.
9
Thanos Wants To Save Half Of The Universe (By Killing The Other Half)
Thanos’ Motives Are Noble Even If The Means Are Awful
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Thanos was the arch-villain of the Infinity Saga, introduced steadily through post-credits cameos and a small role in Guardians of the Galaxy where it is made clear that he wishes to collect the Infinity Stones. When Avengers: Infinity War introduces him in earnest, his designs are revealed: to wipe out half of the universe with a snap of his fingers. Thanos also elaborates on his motives, revealing that his desire to kill half of all life in the universe is to counter overpopulation.
In Marvel Comics, Thanos wished to kill half of the universe to seduce Lady Death, which is a far more selfish motivation than that of his big-screen counterpart.
Thanos reflects on his motivations when facing the Avengers on Titan, evoking his own experiences with overpopulation causing the collapse of his entire world. He therefore decides to make one of “The hardest choices” that requires “The strongest of wills” to rectify what he sees to be the biggest problem plaguing the universe. Thanos genuinely believes he is helping the future of all civilizations by eradicating half, and presents one of the most sympathetic causes of all MCU villains.
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Killmonger Seeks Justice Through The Power Of Vibranium
Killmonger Wishes To Continue His Father’s Noble Legacy
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Erik Killmonger is introduced in Black Panther as King T’Challa’s cousin, N’Jadaka. After growing up as Erik Stevens in the United States, Killmonger witnesses the death of his father, Prince N’Jobu, who had hoped to extract vibranium from Wakanda and use it to empower the Black community, only to be killed by King T’Chaka for his perceived treachery. Killmonger spends his life aiming to avenge his father by usurping the new Wakandan king, T’Challa, and wielding his power to realize N’jobu’s goals.
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Killmonger succeeds in seizing the Wakandan throne, though his attempts to disseminate vibranium among populations of African descent were thwarted at the final hurdle. Ultimately, however, Killmonger was acting out of a burning sense of justice, enacting a plan that very few find easy to argue with. His legacy would then endure as T’Challa subsequently decrees Wakandan outreach across the world, though maintains Wakanda’s cautious approach to keeping vibranium from reaching nefarious hands.
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Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross Wants To Protect His Country And His Daughter
He Unfortunately Continues To Make Mistakes
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General Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross has a direct hand in creating the Hulk after being assigned to Project Gamma Pulse, which comprised an attempt to recreate the Super Soldier Serum with gamma radiation. Following its creation, he becomes the Hulk’s main nemesis as he tries to hunt down and capture Bruce Banner/Hulk, before repeating past mistakes and helping to create the more wantonly destructive Abomination. Ross subsequently spearheads the Sokovia Accords, delivering them to the Avengers as an attempt to rein in superhumans and their dangerous activities.
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Despite being a recurring thorn in the side of Marvel’s main roster of heroes, Thaddeus Ross is a patriotic man who always acts in what he sees to be the best interests of the USA. Even as his Red Hulk persona finally emerges while President of the United States, Thaddeus Ross is seen to be protective of his country, mining to further its interests. Additionally, Ross is fiercely protective of his daughter, refusing to sanction her relationship with Banner out of concern for the damage Hulk can cause.
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Loki Is Full Of Redeeming Qualities
Loki Received The MCU’s Best Redemption Arc
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Loki is one of the most interesting villains to debut in MCU Phase 1, and fills the villainous role twice in the space of one phase. Thor’s overlooked younger brother always seems to be reaching for power, whether that takes the form of the Asgardian throne promised to Thor, or dominion over Midgard. His cunning allows him to nearly achieve his goals on multiple occasions, leading to a fraught relationship between him and Thor even after repeatedly burying the hatchet.
Loki’s pursuit of power, however, stems from a deep-seated desire for love and purpose. Wracked by feelings of rejection from both his biological and adoptive fathers, Loki is one of Marvel’s most tragic and relatable villains, whose redeeming qualities are among the most numerous. His wit, charm, and likability are ever-present throughout Loki’s MCU appearances, and his iconic redemption arc in Loki is one of the most welcome outcomes of the entire MCU.
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Namor’s War With Wakanda Is Sparked By His Sense Of Duty
Namor Is Firecely Protective Of His Oceanic Nation
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Namor is the second villain to attack Wakanda in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever as he leads Talokanil forces in a war against the nation. Namor attempts to ally with Wakanda and present a united front against countries that would attempt to steal their nations’ vibranium stockpiles. After Wakanda rejects his proposal, fearing violent escalation, Namor retaliates and sparks a war instead between the two nations, ultimately killing Queen Ramonda and nearly instigating the violent moral decline of Shuri, the new Black Panther.
Namor is one of the MCU’s original mutants.
Namor’s violent response may have been far too heavy-handed, though the Talokanil ruler acts out duty and a desire to protect the sanctity of his hidden nation and its valuable resources. Furthermore, his initial attempts to resolve matters peacefully with an alliance speak to his more nonviolent instincts. Namor is one of Marvel Comics’ foremost antiheroes, filling both villainous and heroic roles throughout his tenure, so it’s no surprise to see him embody a more relatable role as Black Panther: Wakanda Forever‘s main villain.
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Baron Zemo Thirsts For Revenge, But Not Power
He Tries To End It All After Achieving His Goals
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Baron Zemo has a particularly tragic history in the MCU after suffering the loss of his family due to the Battle of Sokovia and Ultron’s battle with the Avengers. Despite having no superpowers to speak of, Zemo masterminds a plan to have the Avengers destroy each other by framing Bucky Barnes for the attack on the United Nations and revealing to Tony Stark that Barnes (as the Winter Soldier) killed his parents. Upon nailing the final step of his plan and prompting an intense brawl between the Avengers’ erstwhile leaders, Zemo attempts in vain to take his own life.
This nearly final act from Zemo is indicative of his most redeeming qualities: his conviction and apathy towards power. Instead of building upon his success and feeding any sense of arrogance that may have arisen from defeating the Avengers, Zemo considers his work to be done and attempts to join his family. Zemo’s pursuit of retribution is easy to empathize with as everything he achieves is out of retaliatory love for his family.
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Scarlet Witch Is Simply Grasping To Regain What She Has Lost
Wanda’s MCU Arc Is Incredibly Tragic
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Wanda Maximoff has suffered one of the most heartbreaking arcs in the MCU. Wanda’s MCU arc is bookended by bouts of antagonism, first as an ally to Ultron acting out of vengeance against Tony Stark in Avengers: Age of Ultron, then as an enemy to Doctor Strange acting out of desperation to be reunited with her children. Wanda’s most egregious actions in the MCU occur in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness as she causes the deaths of multiple sorcerers and Earth-838’s Illuminati while striving to kill the young America Chavez and take her powers.
Her final moments are used to destroy the corruptive Darkhold, though this still seems a brutal end for such an understandably grief-stricken villain.
Wanda ostensibly dies at the end of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, though her arc feels somewhat underserved. Her final moments are used to destroy the corruptive Darkhold, though this still seems a brutal end for such an understandably grief-stricken villain. Wanda’s desperate actions (influenced heavily by the Darkhold) are borne out of intense love for all those she lost, causing her to finally break and lash out in her most powerful form.
2
Xu Wenwu Acts Out Of Love For His Family
His Attempts To Reunite Them Are Misguided But Heartwarming
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Xu Wenwu is finally revealed to be the real Mandarin in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings years after Aldrich Killian and Trevor Slattery co-opted the mantle in Iron Man 3. After centuries of conquest and subjugation, the Mandarin returns to his violent ways after learning that the woman he renounced his warlike ways for, Shang-Chi’s mother Yang Li, was seemingly calling out to him to be freed. Stopping at nothing to reunite his family, Wenwu orchestrates a violent assault on the ancient hidden city of Ta Lo, inadvertently releasing the Dweller in Darkness.
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Wenwu’s misguided actions in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings pale in comparison to the centuries of brutality he waged as the ambitious ruler of the Ten Rings organization. Nevertheless, the depiction of Wenwu’s love for Yang Li and his family helps to substantially humanize him. This is strengthened by his final act: recognizing the error of his ways and sacrificing himself to the Dweller in Darkness and having his soul consumed in order to save Shang-Chi.
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Gorr the God Butcher Is Rightfully Vengeful Toward The Universe’s Most Powerful Beings
Gorr’s Worst Actions Are Intended As Retritbution
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The erstwhile worshiper of the god Rapu, Gorr the God Butcher, appeared as the vengeful arch-villain of Thor: Love and Thunder. After Rapu’s careless neglect of his devotee leads to the death of Gorr’s daughter, he swears retribution upon all the gods of the universe after claiming All-Black the Necrosword and using it to kill Rapu. Gorr then sets his sights on rampant deicide and the revival of his daughter by reaching Eternity. After kidnapping the children of Asgard to bait Thor into bringing him Stormbreaker, Gorr fulfills his goals and accepts death after leaving his daughter under Thor’s care.
It is hard to condemn Gorr’s actions. While even virtuous gods don’t escape his crosshairs, Gorr’s pursuit of the Marvel universe’s most powerful entities is somewhat respectable, while his actions are borne of immensely relatable conditions as he acts out of desperation and love for his daughter, Love. Gorr is one of the most relatable villains the MCU has produced, and his actions are even vindicated by Thor: Love and Thunder‘s post-credits scene, which shows Zeus vowing to strike fear in the hearts of their worshipers once more.
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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.
Created by
Kevin Feige
First Film
Iron Man
First TV Show
Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
Cast
Robert Downey Jr.
, Chris Evans
, Scarlett Johansson
, Samuel L. Jackson
, Jeremy Renner
, Chris Hemsworth
, Mark Ruffalo
, Edward Norton
, Paul Rudd
, Tom Holland
, Tom Hiddleston
, Anthony Mackie
, Cobie Smulders
, Brie Larson
, Chadwick Boseman
, Sebastian Stan
, Chris Pratt
, Dave Bautista
, Zoe Saldana
, Bradley Cooper
, Vin Diesel
, Pom Klementieff
, Josh Brolin
, Karen Gillan
, Clark Gregg
, Paul Bettany
, Don Cheadle
, Benedict Cumberbatch
, Evangeline Lilly
, Simu Liu
, Aaron Taylor-Johnson
, Angelina Jolie
, Kit Harington
, Salma Hayek
, Richard Madden
, Barry Keoghan
, Gemma Chan
, Ma Dong-seok
, Brian Tyree Henry
, Kumail Nanjiani
, Lauren Ridloff
, Lia McHugh
, Jonathan Majors
Expand
Upcoming MCU Movies
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Captain America: Brave New World
Release Date
February 14, 2025
-
Thunderbolts*
Release Date
May 2, 2025
-
The Fantastic Four: First Steps
Release Date
July 25, 2025
-
Avengers: Doomsday (2026)
Release Date
-
Spider-Man Homecoming 4
Release Date
July 24, 2026
-
Avengers: Secret Wars
Release Date
May 7, 2027
