Since its beginning in 2008 withIron Man, theMarvel Cinematic Universehas been wowing audiences with its unprecedented methods to build one of the biggest cinematic universes in the history of movies, which has become the most profitable movie franchise ever.
The MCU has been subject to many criticisms, one of the main ones being their hit-or-miss villains. But when one of their villains is a hit, they truly cement themselves as one of the best antagonists in any superhero film—And, as villains that they are, they tend to be pretty despicable.
10Loki Laufeyson
As the franchise has progressed,Tom Hiddleston’s Loki has defined himself as more of an occasionally heroic anti-hero, but near the beginning of the MCU, he was most definitely a villain—The main antagonist ofThe Avengers, no less.
Despite his past actions and his inherently mischievous nature, however, Loki has made up for it with his selfless acts and one of the franchise’s best redemptive arcs. The fans love him, and the creatives behind the MCU clearly think that his character still has a lot more to give, making him arguablythe best anti-hero in the whole franchise.
9Baron Helmut Zemo
Zemo is one of Marvel Comics' most iconic villains, which made fans delighted when he was introduced into the movies inCaptain America: Civil Warplayed byDaniel Brühl. A victim of the Avengers' unchecked behavior, he set an intricate revenge plan in motion that successfully broke the superhero team.
Zemo is one of the franchie’s most human and sympathetic antagonists, having lost his family to the Avengers' actions inAge of Ultron. He’s a clever and conniving man with a mysterious agenda, which definitely makes him dangerous and hard to root for, but it’s easy to understand where he’s coming from.
8Xu Wenwu, a.k.a. The Mandarin
Played by the legend of Hong Kong cinemaTony Leung, Xu Wenwu (the real Mandarin that Marvel fans had been dying to see in the movies) was a conquering warlord and owner of the legendary Ten Rings.
In the span of the story ofShang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Wenwu’s motivation is enough to make him tragic and sympathetic, as he’s being manipulated by the film’s real villain into thinking that he can reunite with his dead wife. However, he’s also a ruthless crime lord and a terrible father, despite his admittedly touching redemptive arc at the end of the movie.
7Erik Killmonger
It’s safe to say that no one was expectingRyan Coogler’sBlack Pantherto become the worldwide phenomenon that it proved to be, and it’s also safe to say that Killmonger (Michael B. Jordan) was a big reason why the film was so well received.
Although he’s definitely the antagonist inBlack Panther, Killmonger’s motivations are too complex to label him an outright villain. His thirst for vengeance and willingness to do absolutely anything to achieve his selfish goals make him tough to sympathize with, but it’s also fair to say thathe had some valid points—He just didn’t know what to do with them.
6Adrian Toomes, a.k.a. Vulture
When theSpider-Manfranchise was rebooted for the second time in 2017 withSpider-Man: Homecoming, fans didn’t know what to expect. Thankfully, what they got was a really fun and dynamic rendition of the Wall-Crawler with one of the best villains in any Spider-Man movie.
Michael Keatonmakes the iconic villain Vulture into a truly terrifying presence. Although Toomes’s reasoning for doing what he does (providing for his family and fighting economic inequality) certainly come from a place that’s easy to relate to, he’s still very much a criminal who put weapons in the hands of dangerous people, wanted to kill a teen, and murdered someone without remorse.
One of the latest standout villains in the MCU, Namor (Tenoch Huerta) ofBlack Panther: Wakanda Foreveris the fearless mutant leader of Talokan, a mighty underwater civilization that definitely won’t tolerate abuse.
Huerta and the people behindWakanda Forevertook one of the most legendary characters in the Marvel mythos, and translated him into an equally fascinating addition to the MCU. Namor’s tragic backstory makes him a sympathetic figure, and his actions come more from a place of misguided leadership than villainy, but those actions are too violent and vengeful to condone.
4Hela Odinsdottir
Played with incredible charisma and a dominating presence byCate Blanchett, Hela ofThor: Ragnarokwas the firstborn child of Odin, who imprisoned her when he saw that her bloodlust was incompatible with his desire for peace.
One can understand Hela’s anger. She and Odin fought side by side for years, until her ambitions outgrew his and he banished her. Just because her motivations are understandable, though, doesn’t mean they’re excusable. A ruthless dictator who wanted to kill anyone who wouldn’t bow down to Asgard, she proved to be just as menacing as her reputation would have you believe.
Arguablythe best MCU villain,Josh Brolin’s Thanos was a warlord from the planet Titan whose idea of making the universe a more stable place was to wipe out half of its population, which he thought was overabundant to the extreme.
Thanos’s motivation is nuanced and interesting enough to make him the kind of villain you love to hate (and the best part ofAvengers: Infinity War), but a genocidal warmonger who will do absolutely anything to achieve what he seeks isn’t exactly a likable guy. Thanos is a real treat to see in action, but hardly anyone sheds any tears when he’s defeated.
2Norman Osborn, a.k.a. Green Goblin
You’d be understood for not considering the villlains ofSpider-Man: No Way HomeMCU villains per se, but their importance to the story andTom Holland’s Peter Parker’s arc are far too great to overlook—Particularly in the case ofWillem Dafoe’s Green Goblin, originally the antagonist ofSam Raimi’sSpider-Man.
As if the fantastic 2002 movie hadn’t been enough, the Goblin further ascertains himself as the best Spidey villain to ever grace the silver screen inNo Way Home. Though it’s terribly sad to see him overpower Norman Osborn, he proves to be a despicable force of nature with no regard for human life or anything that you’d consider moral.
1The High Evolutionary
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, the most recent MCU entry at the time of writing has received more than enough praise as one of the franchise’s highest points, and that’s in no small degree thanks toChukwudi Iwuji’s High Evolutionary, a cruel geneticist who dreams of building a utopia.
There is absolutely nothing to not hate about the High Evolutionary, one of the franchise’s most purely evil villains. He sees animals like Rocket Raccoon as lower life forms, and is willing to use them to his will in the chase of his utopia, as well as dispose of anyone who gets in the way. He’s perhaps the most unlikable MCU villain, but that doesn’t make him any less great.
