For decades, Hollywood movies have been telling us riveting stories all about unlikely heroes overcoming great odds to save people, the world, or even the universe. We’ve loved all of these stories and have had countless adventures following our heroes to the ends of the galaxy, but perhaps it may be time to change the tides of major motion pictures. Why not tell a story all about the villains who stand up to our heroes and make all of these adventures that much more interesting? Without compelling villains, some of our favorite heroes would become dull and boring.

A movie all about a villain or villains may seem like a difficult story to tell, considering their tendencies for crime and murder. However, as George R. R. Martin once said, “Nobody is a villain in their own story. We’re all the heroes of our own stories.”

Here is Screen Rant’s 15 Supervillains Who Should Get Their Own Movie!

Venom

One of Spider-Man’s most ferocious and mysterious villains, Venom is an alien parasite who crash lands on Earth and "bonds" with Peter Parker. Once Peter Parker rids himself of the evil symbiote, it later finds its host in the form of Eddie Brock. Although Venom is often seen on screen in tandem with Spidey (and had its story told in Spider-Man 3), the character arc of not just Eddie Brock, but the alien symbiote itself is a very interesting one. There is a lot of internal conflict within both characters as well as a damaging relationship between host and parasite.

A Venom movie could easily show the roots of the symbiote in space and the road it takes before crash-landing on Earth. Once it is here, we could see Eddie struggle to maintain his sanity while also allowing the symbiote to fill his body with raw power. The hatred they both share for Spider-Man could also be a surprisingly tragic piece of their character arc as they both try to kill the one person who they think has ruined their lives.

Ra's al Ghul

The Demon’s Head himself, leader of the League of Assassins, oozes charisma that could so easily be utilized in a solo film. Ra’s al Ghul is not just one of the most intelligent Batman villains, but one of the most skilled as well. His journey to become the force of nature that he is when he faces the Dark Knight is one of mysticism, philosophy, heartbreak, tragedy, pain, and determination. Ra’s al Ghul wasn’t always the Demon’s Head, and this is what the movie would focus on.

Although he is an ideological extremist who uses his great resources and abilities to try and carry out terrorist plots across the globe, Ra’s began as a much simpler man. It was only after he was introduced to the League of Assassins that he became the villain we now know. A film that chronicled his life as a man, an initiate, and then a rising assassin in the League would not only greatly humanize the character - giving him far greater depth than ever seen before - but could also be a great opportunity to show us the mental changes that take place when one becomes a villain.

DC could use a similar formula with this film to that of Wonder Woman - jumping great periods of time to chronicle the life of a person who lives for so long, but learns so much.

Magneto

Arguably one of the most powerful and most interesting mutants in all of the X-Men comics, Magneto has a plethora of stories that could be told on screen that would make compelling cinema. We’ve seen flashbacks of his time in Nazi internment camps, and his early days alongside Charles Xavier, but what about rising above and breaking off completely from his former comrades? We see tidbits of this in X-Men: First Class and we see the fully-realized version in the original trilogy, but we don’t see that initial piece in time where he truly leads the Brotherhood of Mutants.

A movie all about Magneto could show the application of his growing ideology and prejudice against homo sapiens. We have to understand how he is able to become the icon of the Brotherhood of Mutants, and why he adopts such villainous tactics when trying to earn mutants’ equality in a world filled with fear and prejudice. Magneto, especially when played by Michael Fassbender and Sir Ian McKellan, is nothing short of “magnetic” on screen, so he could undoubtedly hold a film all on his own.

Mystique

Perhaps the second most famous X-Men villain, Mystique is a character we all love, but also love to hate. She has the amazing ability to deceive not just the eyes, but the minds of her enemies. Although she has been a hero at times, Mystique always keeps one foot in the door of villainy.

With so much history behind her character and all of her different interactions with mutants, a story all about Raven could be a great way to not just showcase the mutants in the X-Men, but those in the Brotherhood as well. We will be getting a solo Gambit film, who is a hero, and a Deadpool film, who is an anti-hero, so why not give Mystique a shot as well? With the star power of Jennifer Lawrence, a Mystique film would definitely earn good money.

Mystique is flawed and dangerous, and with her own uncertainty about where she belongs in the world, we could watch her as she tinkers with the thought of heroism, but ultimately chooses the life of villainy that she was destined to live.

Deathstroke

As fans of both the animated Teen Titans show and Arrow will tell you, Deathstroke is more than interesting enough to carry his own film. Unlike most others on this list, Deathstroke isn’t an ideological maniac, but a broken man inside an extraordinary body. He kills for money and to nurture his ego, but he hasn’t always been such a cold-blooded mercenary. Slade’s beginnings find him as a rising soldier in the ranks of the U.S. Army. He learns many skills, but also shows great talent for the art of fighting. Unfortunately, when he is unknowingly injected with a super-soldier serum, Slade Wilson begins to change. Although the enhancement succeeds, Slade is now enraged and violent, far more so than ever before.

Deathstroke’s film would be all about how young Slade Wilson earned his stripes in the army, but it would also show his rise and fall. We could see him find happiness with his first wife, but also the toll that his new abilities take on him. Finally, the creation of his newfound persona would give us finality as he becomes the villain we know and love. The movie would end with him being dishonorably discharged from the military and his family life falling apart. As he struggles to maintain his humanity, he finally secedes from the emotions that once made him a great man. Then he completes his transformation into Deathstroke.

Carnage

By far the most brutal Spider-Man villain, Carnage is the child of the Venom symbiote, but is turned red by it’s first host’s blood, Cletus Kasady. Cletus was exposed to the Carnage symbiote when sharing a cell with Venom host, Eddie Brock. As villainous as Venom and Brock are, the Carnage symbiote easily surpasses their level of ferociousness and villainy when it bonds with psychotic serial killer Cletus Kasady.

As insane as Carnage is, we could still have a movie that chronicles not only Cletus’ life up until his bond with Carnage, but the rampage he goes on afterward. It could be similar to No Country For Old Men, in that it could be a movie that centers on the murderer, but in the end he makes it out alive. The film would showcase the maniacal minds of the duo and just how they manage to go about murdering and creating chaos for those around them. This won’t be a pretty film, but when we’re talking villains, should they really be rated PG?

Black Adam

SHAZAM's counterpart, Black Adam is a tragic and layered villain. We may eventually be getting a Black Adam movie considering the Rock’s involvement and how excited he is to portray the character, but for now it still remains unannounced.

Black Adam has been alive for thousands of years, and has had a rise and fall of power that would be great for a cinematic period piece. Black Adam’s movie would definitely let the character’s tragedy shine through, but would still show how his villainous ways allow him to gain the power that he possesses. Being a slave, audiences would initially sympathize with the character, but as he begins to murder and rule his people with an iron fist, the audience would begin to see his villainous side.

Considering the ancient nature of the character, a Black Adam film is a great way to introduce us to the villain before a potential SHAZAM film. It would help us understand why he is the way he is, as well as give us some more context about the magical powers both he and SHAZAM share.

Deadshot

We’re all anticipating next summer’s Suicide Squad, but with a huge name like Will Smith playing Deadshot, it’s hard not to suspect that they may be planning to spin-off for the character. Considering the talents of Will Smith, he could give us a Deadshot worthy of his own film.

Like many other villains in the DC universe, Deadshot is a man who wasn’t always the merciless mercenary we now know. Deadshot’s relationship with his son and wife after he gets out of the Marines and decides to become a mercenary would be a riveting story to tell. We could even flash forward to events after Suicide Squad, where he is now an established member of the team. Then, we could tie the story together by having his son kidnapped and murdered like in the comic Deadshot: Beginnings.

It would help us understand Floyd Lawton a bit better, but also give us a glimpse into how he sees the world each day.

Harley Quinn & The Joker

It appears as if we’re getting the Harley Quinn origin in Suicide Squad, so a team-up film involving these two psychos would have to be later on in their stories. Luckily, there are many stories involving both of them. With the Joker’s incredibly dark and murderous tendencies, Harley Quinn would be used as a way to not only lighten him up, but serve as the eyes from which to tell the story.

A film that amalgamates of the episodes "Mad Love" and "Joker’s Favor" from the Animated Series would serve as a great way to explore the relationship between the two characters. We could see why exactly Harley remains so infatuated with the Joker, despite his violence toward her, while we simultaneously see Joker like we’ve never seen him before - behind closed doors and private. Joker is one of the greatest maniacs of all-time, but even he doesn’t remain that vivacious all the time. This film would be a twisted love story told through abuse and murder, about the unwavering love of Harley Quinn for the Joker.

Thunderbolts

Marvel’s version of the Suicide Squad, the Thunderbolts could be a way for Marvel to give the darker corners of their universe some time on the big screen. While some of the members of the team are considered more anti-heroes, much of the recurring roster is filled with villains. Thunderbolts, while consisting of more villains on screen than any other choice on this list, would most likely be the most light-hearted of these movie ideas. Since most of these villains are working to reform themselves they would likely be less volatile as the others.

In this hypothetical film, we would surely see the team come together to take on a larger threat, considering their strength in numbers. Obviously, the dynamic between each character would drive the film, considering that most villains don’t usually get along with each other. It would be interesting to see who would shine as the “hero” amongst these other villains. Also, it would give Marvel a reason to put Jon Bernthal’s Punisher on the big screen.

Taskmaster

There has been some speculation about Grant Ward from Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. being the MCU’s Taskmaster, but since that hasn’t been confirmed, we’ll treat it as nothing more than a theory and rumor. If Taskmaster was to make his way to the big screen, hopefully he would be a bit more faithful to the comics. Perhaps the costume might be a bit much, but his talents are certainly worth a proper translation.

Taskmaster has the amazing ability to perfectly replicate the fighting styles of anyone he sees. A man with such talent would definitely be interesting to follow. He has spent most of his masked career as a villain who not only fights heroes on his own, but also teaches other villains the skills he’s acquired.

A film about the Taskmaster would cover his origin and explain his amazing gift, but it would also show us the road he took to become the renowned teacher he is now. The movie could end with Taskmaster eventually using his skills to teach heroes instead of villains, even if most of the film would be about his time as a HYDRA agent.

Dr. Doom

Unfortunately, we will have to put that train-wreck that was Fant4stic behind us before we can even begin to fathom a successful and interesting Dr. Doom film.

Ok, we’re good now.

So, most of us can still remember that Dr. Doom is Marvel’s golden boy when it comes to villains. Sure, everyone has their favorites, but Dr. Doom has been a mainstay when it comes to threatening the universe. A film that finally shows us his true cunning and abilities would not only be a welcome change to the current state of Fantastic Four films, but an interesting concept for Fox’s Marvel/X-Men universe.

We’ve already seen time travel and universe-altering decisions being made in the X-Men universe, but a Dr. Doom film could demonstrate the immense power he wields in stories such as the recent Secret Wars comic run. Dr. Doom is a villain who is meant to be imposing, intelligent, powerful, ideological, and egomaniacal. We’ve yet to see a proper version pitted up against more than just Marvel’s first family - Fantastic Four. It’s time we see a Dr. Doom movie where he is the star, and we follow him in his endeavors to not just conquer Latveria and mankind, but the universe.

Sinister Six

Yet another team, the Sinister Six are exactly what they sound like - six sinister villains who team up to go toe-to-toe with the webslinger, Spider-Man. When Sony was still in control of making a Sinister Six film, there were rumblings of a film version not featuring Spider-Man, which would be a catastrophic mistake. While Spider-Man’s involvement is completely necessary, the film could still star the villains and tell the story from their perspective.

The audience would see the dynamics between the villains, not just when they battle against Spidey, but when they are in their respective lair planning his demise. The struggle for power and leadership among the members could be full of tension. With Marvel Studios’ involvement with the new Spider-Man films within the MCU, the Sinister Six could easily take on a Guardians of the Galaxy vibe. However, the idea of a group of different individuals teaming up for a common goal isn't exactly a new idea, the Sinister Six has a lot of potential to be a fun, different way of telling a Spider-Man story, while also quickly introducing us to many different Spidey villains.

D.R. & Quinch

Many of you may not have heard of D.R. & Quinch, but they were written by the legendary Alan Moore and illustrated by Alan Davis, who has worked on not only Batman comics, but also on the highly regarded Uncanny X-Men series. So, with a bit of introduction out of the way, D.R. & Quinch are a pair of alien anarchists who love to cause all kinds of mayhem. When we’re talking about a movie being made about villains, there can sometimes feel like a lack of story - but not when it comes to these two.

Both Alans give these two humorous anarchists a rich background to pull from. Despite this, a screenwriter could literally take a story with these two anywhere, as long as they kept their humor and murderous tendencies in tact. Sci-fi films so often play with the idea of underdogs and unlikely heroes, it would be refreshing to see two aliens pair up to just cause some chaos in their universe without worrying about being the good-guys for once.

Nemesis

Perhaps Mark Millar’s greatest character, Nemesis is the most cinematic villain on this list. Mark Millar’s comic series about Nemesis is ripe with cinematic shots, tension, drama, and storytelling that could be literally ripped right off the page. Not only is the character enthralling, but Mark Millar is on fire in terms of his character’s successfully being adapted to the big screen - i.e. Kick-Ass, Kingsman, Chrononauts, Starlight, and Wanted.

Nemesis would be another in a long line of Mark Millar adapted characters, but could stand far above the others. While we fell in love with Kick-Ass, marveled at the bullet-bending in Wanted, and were gleefully surprised by Kingsman, we will be glued to the screen if a Nemesis film gets made. This comic is full of some of the most graphic violence you’ll ever see, but also features an amazing game of cat and mouse between Nemesis and his, uh, nemesis: Chief Morrow.

Conclusion

There you have it dear readers! Hopefully you enjoyed our entries, and please let us know who we missed in the comments below. We love seeing who your favorites are, so let us know which villain you’d like to see lead the way in a new wave of villain-centric films. Thanks for reading!