Why Black Widow's Dreykov Is A Missed MCU Villain Opportunity

General Dreykov’s overtly sinister nature in Black Widow is undeniable, but an unfortunate casting choice led to a missed opportunity for a villain that could have been so much more. Ray Winstone’s acting resume is rich with memorable roles, as he inhabited several iconic “macho man” types like that of General Dreykov. However, Winstone's character in Black Widow wasn't up to par. Dreykov worked as an exceedingly despicable villain, but detrimental creative choices behind the scenes catalyzed the lackluster performance.

The MCU has a history of rich, multi-faceted villains. Their compelling depictions often led to sympathetic responses from audiences, with the villains’ perspectives frequently derived from a reasonable standpoint. This transition from one-sided villains to morally grey antagonists began with characters like Loki and Killmonger, and was further solidified with foes like Thanos and Namor. Conversely, this was not the case with Winstone’s portrayal of the Black Widow villain Dreykov, as he was undeniably irredeemable. Despite this refreshing change of pace, the character was let down by a strange casting choice that made Dreykov a forgettable MCU villain in Black Widow.

Dreykov Succeeds As A Different Breed Of MCU Villain

The tried-and-true adage that "a superhero movie is only as good as its villain" was applicable to Black Widow. The long-awaited Natasha Romanoff solo movie was poorly executed in a variety of ways, but perhaps the film’s most detrimental misstep was Dreykov’s interpretation. The largely one-dimensional MCU Phase 1 antagonists gave way to far more compelling iterations in later phases. While these character choices added much-needed depth to the franchise’s frequently trite villains, Black Widow’s Dreykov reverted to a less layered approach.

As cartoonish as the character was, Dreykov cemented himself as a supremely detestable MCU villain. Dreykov’s misogynistic and twisted inception of the infamous Black Widow Red Room training program made him instantly loathsome. Dreykov was reminiscent of truly vile characters like Game of Thrones’ Joffrey Baratheon and Ramsay Bolton, villains that successfully imposed themselves in the most repulsive fashions. Whereas these Westerosi roles felt perfectly cast, Ray Winstone’s Dreykov faltered.

Ray Winstone Is Miscast As Black Widow's Dreykov

Dreykov talking to someone in Black Widow

Ray Winstone’s involvement with Black Widow speaks to the reputable pull of the MCU. Winstone is an industry giant, having worked for over 50 years and collaborated with some of the most iconic names in cinema like Steven Spielberg and Martin Scorsese. Even with Winstone’s long-tenured pedigree and seemingly apt fit for the role, his performance missed the mark.

Perhaps the most condemning aspect of Ray Winstone’s casting as General Dreykov was the choice for the character to use a Russian accent. This was an understandable decision given the character's origin in the comics, but a retcon would have been prudent. If Marvel were fully intent on casting Winstone, they could have dropped the character's Russian roots. This change undoubtedly would have been divisive, but it would have led to a far more menacing villain akin to some of Winstone's other celebrated roles. Winstone did his best to disguise his distinct London dialect, but his performance was skeptical among a host of other actors more competently feigning Russian accents.

Dreykov Could Have Become An Iconic MCU Villain

Dreykov had the potential to be a heralded MCU villain, with the potential to skew more towards a Bond villain than MCU villain, and thus be refreshing and imposing at the same time. Instead, the general came off as a stereotypical "guy in the chair". The unconvincing accent, one-dimensional nature, and presence of more formidable villains in Black Widow rendered Dreykov obsolete. He held no true power or influence other than the pheromone control, and this lack of genuine threat meant that the character functioned as little more than an overblown caricature.

This depiction might have worked, had the other villains in Black Widow been handled better. The choice to change Taskmaster to more of a mindless minion and less of a thoughtful adversary was curious as well. Ultimately, the poorly executed villains epitomized a film plagued with mismanagement. Black Widow's release was also untimely in multiple respects. The ongoing pandemic surely negatively affected box office numbers, with the film simultaneously streaming on Disney+ also contributing to discontent. Meanwhile, the in-universe implications associated with the film's release were also puzzling, and served to sabotage its main villain's potential.

If the Black Widow movie was released at a time when passion for the character was at its peak, the result likely would have been better. Natasha Romanoff's memorable introduction in Iron Man 2 and her status as one of the original members of the Avengers propelled a vested audience interest in her character. Black Widow was a film meant for earlier phases and feels tacked on given the character's previously chronicled sacrifice in Avengers: Endgame. Even if it was released during the era in which it was set, this would have been a significant improvement - and would've established Dreykov before major villains like Thanos set a higher bar.

The circumstances surrounding the release of the film notwithstanding, Black Widow was still a solid MCU entry. Although it's held back by its villain, the movie successfully conveyed Natasha's origin story and introduced exciting new characters like Yelena Belova. While Natasha Romanoff may have passed, the Black Widow mantle was passed on to Yelena, a character that will be revisited in Marvel's Thunderbolts. This passing of the torch hopefully signified a further shift to more captivating Black Widow villains following the missed opportunity with Ray Winstone’s General Dreykov.

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