The Marvel Cinematic Universe struggles with the consistent quality of its villains, and I hope they stop making the same mistake. The MCU is the most successful film franchise ever, but its villains have been a recurring weakness. While the franchise has many excellent antagonists, such as Thanos, Killmonger, and Loki, the success rate of its villains varies. Some films thrive despite the lack of a captivating villain, while others suffer. It can be hard for audiences to care about a film’s plot if they aren’t intimidated or worried about an impending danger.
In recent years, Marvel’s villain issue has become even more prominent, and its latest film, Captain America: Brave New World, also suffers from this problem. While The Leader has a few menacing qualities, the film is overstuffed with side villains that leave The Leader underdeveloped. Giancarlo Esposito’s Sidewinder is another victim of this issue since he’s only a small part of the plot. An overabundance of villains has been an issue with Marvel before the MCU, like Spider-Man 3, but I’m begging for Marvel to spread its villains out so they’re not wasted.
Marvel Has Way Too Many Villains For The MCU To Introduce Them One By One
It’s Hard To Count How Many Antagonists Exist In Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics has existed since 1961 and has expanded immensely since. There are a seemingly endless number of heroes and villains within this universe, and new ones continue being introduced. Marvel can’t create projects focusing on every single hero, and it’s the same for its villains. Not every villain can be the centerpiece of a film, so the studio needs to carefully decide which ones should be central antagonists, and which are better as side characters.
M.O.D.O.K. isn’t the only major villain from the comics whose MCU tenure was wasted, as other villains also suffered from having a short story that lasted for one film.
However, this can create issues for Marvel villains, who are more powerful, intimidating villains in the comics, but feel less important in the MCU since they are pushed to the side in favor of another character. For example, M.O.D.O.K. can be an Avengers-level threat, but he’s treated as a joke in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania to keep the focus on Kang. M.O.D.O.K. isn’t the only major villain from the comics whose MCU tenure was wasted, as other villains also suffered from having a short story that lasted for one film.
The MCU Has A Weird Habit Of Introducing Major Marvel Villains Only To Waste Their Story
Several Significant Villains From Marvel Comics Have Short Tenures In The MCU
Marvel is focused on developing its heroes, but it should show the same attention to its villains. Marvel has an unfortunate habit of introducing several interesting or powerful villains and then wasting their stories by killing them too early or not bringing them back. For example, Kaecilius was a powerful sorcerer whose magic abilities rivaled Doctor Strange’s. However, he was mainly a henchman for Dormammu and felt easily replaceable since Dormammu held all the real power. Kaecilius would have been a better character if he fought Doctor Strange independently.
The same can be said about Klaue and Crossbones, a.k.a. Brock Rumlow. Rumlow had an interesting arc as a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent turned HYDRA in Captain America: Winter Soldier and Klaue had potential as a funny, yet menacing criminal in Avengers: Age of Ultron. Unfortunately, both became cannon fodder in their follow-up appearances in Captain America: Civil War and Black Panther. Meanwhile, Spider-Man: Homecoming introduced Scorpion in a post-credit scene, and he still hasn’t returned. There are a lot of MCU villains who deserve more time to shine.
The MCU Already Has The Perfect Way To Fix Its Villain Problem
Several MCU Villains Are Returning To The MCU, And Marvel Should Do The Same For Others
The MCU can easily remedy this villain problem by having them return for different projects. Unless they’re ᴅᴇᴀᴅ, there are still plenty of opportunities to develop certain villains. Loki is the best example of expanding a villain and giving them a memorable arc. Fortunately, Marvel may have found a solution with Thunderbolts*. While these characters would be classified as anti-heroes, I’m excited that Ghost, Taskmaster, and John Walker are getting another sH๏τ.
They’re complex characters who can be redeemed through their involvement with a new team. It also allows Marvel to improve characters like Taskmaster, whose adaptation in Black Widow was disappointing. I don’t care that Marvel changed Taskmaster’s backstory, but the character wasn’t nearly as captivating as they are in other media. The notion of a team of villains or antiheroes is a clever way for MCU villains to return without being central parts of another story.
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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