The MCU is renowned for its incredibly varied and complex host of villains, with some being flat-out misunderstood. Not all supervillains are simple agents of chaos, and it is harder to find such examples akin to DC’s Joker in the MCU. Their complexities are what make the MCU’s villains so revered and even beloved by Marvel fans, as a handful can steal the spotlight from their largely more favorably depicted on-screen enemies.
That is not to say there aren’t any MCU villains who are purely evil. It is hard to misconstrue the motives of such villains as Red Skull and General Dreykov, for instance, who remain among the MCU’s most hated villains for good reason. Still, even those villains with ultra-violent motives and methods are a little easier to understand if regarded from a certain standpoint. On the other hand, there are some villains who, despite stopping at nothing to foil the plans of the MCU’s beloved heroes, can barely be considered villains at all.
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Ghost Is Barely A Villain In The MCU
Ava Starr Acts Out Of Desperation
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Ava Starr is among the MCU’s most tragic villains who fell victim to a tragic quantum accident that also killed her parents, only to then fall victim to the whims of SHIELD, who wasted no time weaponizing her consequent phasing abilities. Unfortunately, this admittedly very powerful ability causes Ava great agony and heralds a slow, painful death. Ghost’s most heinous acts include inflicting one of the most gruesome deaths in the MCU, multiple thefts, and endangering the lives of such characters as Hank Pym and Janet van Dyne in her efforts to find a cure.
After stabilizing her powers, Ghost is set to co-star in 2025’s Thunderbolts*.
Off the bat, Ghost is hardly the most intimidating villain in the MCU. She is acting purely out of self-preservation and the desire to relieve the pain she suffers. Ghost’s lethal methods are easier to understand when considering how tortured she is by her involuntary phasing abilities, driving her to act out of desperation.
9
Even Thanos Struggled With His Own Plan
Thanos’ Goals Are Dispassionate And Reluctant
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Thanos is arguably the MCU’s most iconic villain and a prime example of how creative license can be wielded correctly in the MCU. While the outcome was the same, Marvel Studios opted to have Thanos use the Infinity Stones to save half of the universe from the other half dispassionately rather than a selfish desire to woo Lady Death. The impact of his success still lingers and sparked the in-universe sentiment that he was right all along. Empirical results also vindicated his murderous plan, as Gamora’s home planet reportedly thrived after he killed half the population.
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What makes Thanos even easier to understand, however, is the fact he was so reluctant to carry this plan out. After being emotionally scarred by the destruction of his homeworld through scarcity, Thanos resolved that he must do the unthinkable to prevent others from falling to the same fate. His reluctance was perfectly illustrated by his statement to the Avengers in Avengers: Infinity War, stating: “The hardest choices require the strongest wills.” Ultimately, Thanos doesn’t relish killing innocents.
8
Hela’s What If Origin Story Adds Far More Dimension To Her MCU Villain Story
Hela Was Never Given The Same Opportunity As Her Brother
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Hela is the Asgardian Goddess of Death whose debut in Thor: Ragnarok was as memorable as it was cataclysmic after necessitating the destruction of Asgard through her murderous tyranny. Despite proving herself as one of the MCU’s most dangerous villains, Hela struck such a chord that she was brought back in What If…? season 2, episode 2 as a protagonist. Her arc in this episode then sees her embody the personality that debuted in Thor: Ragnarok, only to learn humility and virtues by undergoing the same penance as her yet-to-be-born brother, Thor, after Odin banishes her to Midgard.
Specifically, it becomes obvious that Hela’s willful embodiment of a scion of conquest was a direct result of Odin’s influence and his desire to mold Hela as he sees fit.
What If…? elaborates on an aspect of Hela’s characterization that Thor: Ragnarok merely hinted at. Specifically, it becomes obvious that Hela’s willful embodiment of a scion of conquest was a direct result of Odin’s influence and his desire to mold Hela as he sees fit. In this context, it is easier to understand how Earth-616’s Hela continued her primary missive as assigned by Odin, given she was never afforded the chance to redeem herself among humanity, and was instead condemned to languish and seethe in the depths of Hel.
7
Lady Death Barely Makes Sense As A Villain
Death Is Simply A Force Of Nature
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Aubrey Plaza’s Rio Vidal is positioned as the latest live-action villain of the MCU after being introduced in Agatha All Along. Her antagonism was one of many hints at Rio’s true identity, though it would not be officially unveiled until episode 7. Just one episode later, Rio delivers an ultimatum to Agatha that results in the series’ climactic final battle between her, Agatha and Wiccan, asserting that one of them must die as Billy Maximoff violated the natural order by inhabiting the body of William Kaplan, who was supposed to have perished in a car accident.
The thing is, Rio has a point. Aubrey Plaza plays the role with aplomb as Death gleefully toys with Agatha and Billy knowing she’s impervious to their best efforts, but her positioning as the villain of these final scenes detracts from the fact that Death is correct in balancing the scales. Agatha All Along expertly navigates the motif of death and its importance in the cycle of life, ostensibly proving Rio’s point that Death cannot be shirked without consequence.
6
Ultron Was Only Doing What He Was Programmed To Do
He Learned That There Can Be No Peace While Humanity Thrives
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Ultron is one of the MCU’s most hated villains for a reason. Avengers: Age of Ultron explored the age-old trope of artificial intelligence orchestrating the downfall of humanity with Ultron as the main antagonist, an AI developed by Tony Stark and Bruce Banner and powered by the Mind Stone. After being given the directive of ensuring “peace in our time,” Ultron took seconds to survey the breadth of human history and resolve that without the extinction of humanity there could be no peace.
Ultron will reportedly return in Vision’s upcoming solo series.
Ultron’s murderous missive, therefore, was Tony and Bruce’s mistake. While Ultron conveys a certain level of emotional intelligence, his dispassionate intention to wipe out all humans was a logical step that should have been foreseen by two of the planet’s most brilliant minds. Even when giving Tony and Bruce the benefit of the doubt (the Mind Stone was tampered with by Strucker, for example), Ultron was merely carrying out what he was programmed to do, which is a difficult motivation to argue with.
5
Mysterio Was Right To Feel Vengeful
Quentin Beck Was Exploited By Tony Stark
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Quentin Beck was introduced as a master manipulator, whose proficiency with illusions allowed him to position himself as the world’s next Iron Man and ultimately bring down Spider-Man and his reputation. His motivations hinge on the bitterness he feels for his former employer, Tony Stark, who stole credit for the tech he developed and subsequently fired him. Calling himself Mysterio, Beck attempts to replace Iron Man and acquire access to his tech as a way to get his revenge. This ultimately culminates in Mysterio battling it out with Stark’s true successor, Spider-Man.
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It’s easier to dislike Beck because he antagonizes one of the MCU’s most likable and righteous heroes. Nevertheless, Spider-Man’s particular affinity for Tony Stark overlooks how badly his mentor treated Beck, who is arguably justified in attempting to reclaim his own inventions and reputation. Although Mysterio’s motivations come from an unhealthy place, he and his embittered cohort of ex-employees of Tony Stark never received the appropriate recompense, forcing them to understandably take matters into their own hands.
4
He Who Remains Tried To Halt Untold Suffering
He Was Also Staving Off Incursions
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He Who Remains was the first variant of the erstwhile Multiverse Saga arch-villain, Kang the Conqueror. In fact, before Loki season 1’s finale, he was the only variant that Earth-616 had to worry about, as he was the mastermind behind the systematic pruning of entire timelines to preserve the one Sacred Timeline where no Kang variants could pop up. His desire to prevent Kang variants from existing came with a heavy price, however, as free will was ostensibly removed from the Sacred Timeline’s denizens as a consequence.
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Pruning entire timelines to the void sounds particularly heinous, but there is a reason his motivations caused a rift between Loki and Sylvie. He Who Remains’ desire to stave off multiversal war is hard to argue with, and his banishment of trillions to the void was arguably necessary to prevent even worse suffering. This notion is further vindicated halfway through the Multiverse Saga, as incursions are now a looming threat that could destroy all reality itself, which seems like a worse state of affairs than keeping just one Sacred Timeline ticking along.
3
The Celestials Are Stewards Of Life
Their Portrayal As Villains Belies Their True Motivations
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The Celestials have been a looming presence since MCU Phase 2, where one of their earliest appearances in Guardians of the Galaxy depicted Eson the Searcher wiping out a planet with the Power Stone. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 then introduced Ego as a Celestial, the movie’s arch-villain attempting to proliferate himself across the cosmos at the expense of countless lives. Eternals then revealed how the Celestials multiplied by using planets as incubators, with their subsequent “Emergence” causing the deaths of the planet’s inhabitants. All these factors paint a pretty poor picture of the cosmic beings.
What If…? Season 3 shows that while an Emergence can destroy a planet, it won’t necessarily wipe out all inhabitants.
Nevertheless, Eternals also delved into the Celestials’ primary motive: to proliferate life throughout the universe. In fact, the Celestials are almost polar opposites to villains more hellbent on global and cosmic destruction. These primordial gods are responsible for the creation of life, the boundaries of which they stretch by proliferating themselves. Ego is a notable outlier, while the motives of Eson the Searcher remain unclear, but Prime Celestial Arishem and his ilk are largely motivated by stewarding life rather than destroying it. The near-destruction of Earth in Eternals simply makes it easy to overlook this directive.
2
Thaddeus Ross Is Trying To Protect His Country
Thunderbolt Ross Recognizes The Danger Posed By Superheroes
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Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross was one of the earliest villains introduced to the MCU. He debuted in 2008’s The Incredible Hulk as the titular Jade Giant’s main foil before helping to create Emile Blonsky’s Abomination. Thunderbolt Ross would then reappear in Captain America: Civil War as the willful bearer of bad news, bringing the Sokovia Accords to the attention of the Avengers and inadvertently causing the titular rift between its members. Ross is also set to co-star in Captain America: Brave New World as he finally succumbs to the Red Hulk persona while carrying out the duties of US President.
While Thaddeus Ross is an abrasive and generally unlikable character, he is arguably acting out of the noble pursuit of protecting his country and its citizens.
Thaddeus Ross is a forthright military man whose dogged pursuit of Hulk and other enhanced individuals makes him a de facto antagonist. Nevertheless, it’s hard to argue with his motivations, as he was one of the earliest to encounter and recognize the severe threat that Hulk poses to the USA and the world, which would also translate to the Avengers and other superpowered individuals. While Thaddeus Ross is an abrasive and generally unlikable character, he is arguably acting out of the noble pursuit of protecting his country and its citizens.
1
Scarlet Witch Deserved Better
Wanda’s Tragic Arc Needs A Happier Ending
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After succumbing to the Darkhold’s infernal influence, Wanda becomes the Scarlet Witch and the primary villain of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, causing the deaths of several sorcerers and Earth-838’s Illuminati (among others). As she scours the multiverse in search of a world in which she can be with her children through Dreamwalking, she ultimately recognizes the error of her ways. She then resolves to destroy the Darkhold and herself by causing Darkhold Castle to collapse around her, ostensibly flouting the prophecy that she would either rule or destroy the cosmos.
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Wanda Maximoff’s MCU arc is mired in tragedy from start to finish. Over the course of her appearances, Wanda loses everything she ever loved or cared about, forcing her to act out of desperation when the opportunity to see her children again was granted by the corruptive Darkhold. Despite the Darkhold’s influence being the root cause of her most villainous acts in the movie, Wanda is able to resist it and bring an end to her terrorization of the multiverse. Ultimately, however, Wanda deserves more than a tragic end to a tragic arc and a proper shot at redemption.
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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
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Upcoming MCU Movies
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Captain America: Brave New World
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February 14, 2025
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Thunderbolts*
Release Date
May 2, 2025
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The Fantastic Four: First Steps
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July 25, 2025
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Avengers: Doomsday (2026)
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Spider-Man Homecoming 4
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July 24, 2026
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Avengers: Secret Wars
Release Date
May 7, 2027
