With Red Hulk now having made his Marvel Cinematic Universe debut, there are other iconic unused villains who deserve to appear next. Even after Red Hulk made his first appearance in the MCU as part of Captain America: Brave New World’s cast, there are still many iconic Marvel villains that the franchise needs to include. Red Hulk’s debut was much-anticipated, as the character typically plays a role in several Marvel stories, but now he has appeared, it’s time for the MCU to turn its attention to other comic book villains.
With many upcoming тιтles in the MCU’s movie timeline introducing new heroes and adapting key Marvel stories, there are specific opportunities for certain characters to appear. Even after the wealth of characters already in the franchise, there remains a number of iconic villains that remain unused by the MCU. With that in mind, here are 10 iconic unused Marvel villains that the MCU needs to introduce next.
10
Annihilus
Annihilus’s Fantastic Four Ties Make Him A Logical Addition To The MCU
With the Fantastic Four set to join the MCU in Fantastic Four: First Steps, there are many villains connected to the team that can soon be organically introduced to the franchise. One such character is Annihilus, who has long been an adversary of Reed Richards and the Fantastic Four in the comics. Often depicted as the ruler of the Negative Zone, Annihilus is a powerful and persistent antagonist who has featured in a number of Marvel Comics stories.
After the Fantastic Four’s introduction, Annihilus would be a great addition to the franchise, particularly as an antagonist in a sequel solo movie. Though he might lack the profile of some other Marvel villains, he’s a suitable threat to serve as the main antagonist in a future Fantastic Four movie, and he could also establish the Negative Zone within the franchise. Considering the many story opportunities the Negative Zone affords, Annihilus seems an obvious choice of villain to introduce to the MCU.
9
Molecule Man
Molecule Man Is A Hugely Powerful Marvel Villain
Though Molecule Man might not be a well-known character to some MCU fans, he’s a relatively important player within the wider Marvel Universe. As a hugely powerful enтιтy possessing near-omnipotence, Molecule Man has significant potential as an MCU antagonist. What’s more, he has also been involved in a number of Marvel narratives that the MCU has already begun to tease.
One of Molecule Man’s most prominent stories came during the first Secret War arc, in which he was brought to Battleworld to fight against the amᴀssed group of Marvel heroes. With Avengers 6 subтιтled Secret Wars, it’s entirely possible that it will adapt some or all of that story, delivering a perfect opportunity to introduce Molecule Man to the MCU. Exactly how large a role he could play would be entirely flexible, making him seem an interesting and potentially exciting addition to the franchise.
8
Morgan Le Fay
Morgan Le Fay Has Connections To Teased MCU Heroes
Though she might seem an odd prospect for the MCU, Morgan le Fay is actually a perfect candidate for the live-action franchise. As a powerful magical villain, she has ties to many existing and upcoming MCU characters, including Doctor Strange, Doctor Doom, and Black Knight. This alone makes it possible that Morgan le Fay could soon appear in the franchise, though her potential is far more significant than it might seem.
Introducing Morgan le Fay would afford the MCU a chance to expand its mythos considerably. Her connections to an as-yet unexplored part of the Marvel Universe would allow an entry point for the MCU to explore many other characters, all while establishing a major consistent villain who typically features in stories featuring various heroes. There are very few downsides to introducing Morgan le Fey to the MCU, and hopefully the franchise will do so soon.
7
Hobgoblin
The MCU Already Has The Perfect Hobgoblin Set-Up
Throughout Spider-Man’s MCU timeline, his most consistent supporting character has been his best friend, Ned Leeds. Ned has appeared in a supporting role in many MCU stories, with No Way Home even seemingly alluding to his comic book idenтιтy as the villain known as the Hobgoblin. Though the MCU has taken its version of Leeds in a slightly different direction, he does offer a perfect opportunity to introduce the Spider-Man villain.
Having Ned undergo a villain turn would be a great way to pay off Peter Parker being forgotten in Spider-Man: No Way Home’s ending. Ned becoming a villain who doesn’t remember being friends with Peter would make for excellent emotional drama, as well as fulfill the character’s more traditional comic book role. As one of the few Spider-Man villains not yet adapted into live-action, seeing Hobgoblin appear in the MCU would be an incredible development.
6
Enchantress
The Powerful Thor Villain Deserves Her MCU Debut
Over the course of Thor’s MCU story, the franchise has adapted many of the God of Thunder’s villains to the big screen. However, one particularly interesting character from the comics who has yet to appear is Enchantress, who has previously been one of Thor’s most important adversaries. A powerful Asgardian sorceress, the original Enchantress once served as a major villain, with subsequent iterations being given equally interesting characterizations.
Though the MCU’s Sylvie is based loosely on the later incarnation of Enchantress, the original Amora version of the character has not appeared. Considering Sylvie’s somewhat heroic role, introducing the original villainous iteration of Enchantress could be perfect for a future Thor movie. As Thor is one of the only remaining original Avengers active in the MCU, introducing another of his villains seems plausible, and Enchantress would be an excellent choice.
5
Mister Sinister
The MCU’s Mutant Stories Will Need A Major Villain
Though the X-Men have yet to make their formal MCU debut, the team has been teased on many occasions within the franchise. Marvel’s iconic mutant heroes are sure to make their first appearance in the coming years, and there will be a need for the franchise to establish appropriate threats for them to fight. One such character who has been as-yet unused in live-action adaptations is Mister Sinister, a long-time foe of the X-Men in the comics.
The character’s diverse set of abilities allows him to be a formidable enemy for the team, and he has played a significant role in many exciting X-Men stories. This makes him a perfect choice to appear in the MCU, serving as a major villain for the mutant heroes to face. Considering he has yet to be properly adapted to the big screen, Mister Sinister is a great choice to appear as an X-Men villain in the MCU.
4
The Beyonder
The MCU Could Use A Villain As Powerful As The Beyonder
The Beyonder is a complex figure within the Marvel Universe, as well as being incredibly powerful. Different iterations of the character over the years have played substantially different roles in the stories of the comics, though the Beyonder’s most prevalent moment came during the original Secret Wars story, where he forced heroes and villains from across the Multiverse to fight on his Battleworld. Within his comic book origin lies the perfect opportunity for him to appear in the MCU.
With the MCU set to adapt Secret Wars at the end of Phase 6, the Beyonder could potentially make his live-action debut. As a nigh-omnipotent being from outside the Multiverse, the Beyonder would be a logical inclusion for the adaptation, should Marvel opt to adapt the original Secret Wars story more directly. As a hugely powerful enтιтy, the Beyonder would be a perfect antagonist for the MCU’s Avengers in future movies.
3
Venom
Venom Is One Of Marvel’s Most Iconic Spider-Man Villains
Having been the star of some of the best movies in Sony’s Spider-Man Universe, Venom’s on-screen profile is at an all-time high. However, no live-action adaptation has yet truly done the character justice, as an adequate meeting of Venom and Spider-Man has not taken place. Only Spider-Man 3 actively attempted to do so, but its execution left much to be desired. This means that Venom’s full MCU debut would be perfect for Spider-Man’s future in the franchise.
As one of Marvel’s most consistently popular villains, Venom has become something of an anti-hero in the comics. He has featured heavily in many stories, including solo arcs and as a full-fledged villain. He’s perhaps the most versatile Spider-Man antagonist, and considering recent attempts have only come close to fully delivering on his potential, Venom is a great choice to appear in the MCU next.
2
Magneto
The X-Men’s Debut Will Allow For Magneto’s Long-Awaited Appearance
The X-Men have faced many villains in their time in the Marvel Universe, but none have proved as interesting and consistent as Magneto. As one of the most complex figures in the entire Marvel Universe, Magneto has acted as a villain, a hero, and everything in between across his long history in the comics and other adaptations. As he has not yet appeared in the MCU, he’d be a great candidate for the franchise to introduce next.
No X-Men story would seem complete without Magneto, and he should therefore be a key part of introducing the mutants to the MCU. The ethically complex characterization of the villain could make for some of the MCU’s best storytelling yet, should his narrative be handled with care. The huge potential of Magneto as a character means that he’s one villain that desperately needs to make his MCU debut.
1
Mephisto
The MCU Needs To Finally Introduce Mephisto
Despite persistent rumors about his apparent imminent arrival in the MCU, Mephisto has yet to appear in the franchise. The villain has long been speculated to have been pulling the strings behind the scenes in a number of MCU releases, though the closest he has come to appearing has been a simple throwaway mention in Agatha All Along. Considering the clear popularity of the notion of Mephisto in the MCU, it’s time for the franchise to finally bring him into the fold.
Finally paying off the long-standing theories about Mephisto’s arrival would almost certainly strike a chord with fans. Moreover, Mephisto’s appearance would provide opportunities to set up a number of other characters and storylines from the comics, opening a whole new world of possibilities for the MCU. Considering he’s one of the most mentioned names when it comes to unused Marvel villains, he’s undoubtedly the antagonist that should be introduced to the Marvel Cinematic Universe next.
Upcoming MCU Movies
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Thunderbolts*
- Release Date
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May 2, 2025
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The Fantastic Four: First Steps
- Release Date
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July 25, 2025
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Avengers: Doomsday (2026)
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Spider-Man Homecoming 4
- Release Date
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July 24, 2026
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Avengers: Secret Wars
- Release Date
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May 7, 2027
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