Summary

  • The MCU's success relies on memorable villains who challenge and force the heroes to grow.
  • Not every villain in the MCU works out, but overall, they have done a great job balancing threats.
  • The power level and effectiveness of MCU villains can vary, with some being more menacing or impressive than others.

The success of the MCU relies as much on memorable villains as it does on the heroes, and the franchise has delivered a wide range of antagonists, from the surprisingly mundane to the nearly unstoppable. From early MCU heroes like Iron Man and Thor to newer additions like Shang-Chi and the Eternals, heroes need an exciting, original villain to challenge them and force them to grow. While not every villain works out, the MCU has done a great job overall of learning how to balance one-off threats and multi-movie forces of evil.

Villains take many forms across the MCU's ongoing timeline, from their otherworldly and cosmic abilities to the intelligence and strategic minds that allow them to execute their plans. From the lackluster to the truly threatening, the MCU always has interesting villains, but only one can be the most powerful.

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38 Todd Phelps' Biggest Achievement Is Retconned Moments After It Happens

Appears In She-Hulk: Attorney At Law Season 1

Todd Phelps holds his hands over his mouth in She Hulk
She-Hulk: Attorney at Law

Release Date
August 17, 2022
Cast
Ginger Gonzaga , Jon Bass , Josh Segarra , Tatiana Maslany , Tim Roth , Renee Elise Goldsberry , Anais Almonte , Mark Ruffalo , Benedict Wong , Jameela Jamil
Seasons
1

With the more comedic approach of She-Hulk, it is not too surprising that the show fails to deliver a truly menacing villain. In fact, for much of the series, Todd Phelps comes off as just a gross, entitled rich boy. The She-Hulk finale doesn't do enough to change that.

She-Hulk and every other movie and TV show on this list are available to stream on Disney+.

It is not until the finale that Todd is revealed to be the head of the Intelligencia, a group of internet trolls who hack Jennifer Walters' personal phone. While this is a despicable act, the fact that Todd is simply arrested off-screen shows how little power he actually had. Theres a glimpse of Todd becoming a more powerful Hulk-ified enemy, but Jennifer Walters ret-cons it away.

37 Sadie Deever Isn't Particularly Effective

Appears In Ms. Marvel Season 1

A close-up of Agent Deever in Ms. Marvel
Ms. Marvel

Release Date
June 8, 2022
Cast
Matt Lintz , Laith Naki , Rish Shah , Nimra Bucha , Iman Vellani , Yasmeen Fletcher , Saagar Shaikh , Travina Springer , Zenobia Shroff , Mohan Kapur , Aramis Knight , Azher Usman
Seasons
1

It is telling that there is some trouble identifying the main villain in Ms. Marvel, but Sadie Deever is the antagonist for most of the first season. She is an agent working with Damage Control who seeks to bring down Ms. Marvel. While the organization seems to be getting more powerful, it's yet to really succeed in a show of force.

Her reckless and underhanded tactics make her easy to dislike, and her motivations are never really clear. Deever ultimately seems incompetent at her job and gets the anti-climactic end of simply being fired over the phone. Damage Control may continue to grow, but for now, Deever won't be part of the organization if that happens.

36 Ivan Vanko Comes Off Strong But Ultimately Fails To Impress

Appears In Iron Man 2

Whiplash prepares to attack in Iron Man 2.
Iron Man 2

Release Date
May 7, 2010
Director
Jon Favreau
Cast
Robert Downey Jr. , Mickey Rourke , Don Cheadle , gwyneth paltrow

Iron Man 2 is generally considered the weakest entry in the franchise, and that's largely in part due to Ivan Vanko, aka Whiplash, being an ultimately underwhelming nemesis. Vanko feels like a bit of a retread after he uses arc reactor tech to build a partial suit (and, in collaboration with Hammer, drones), which was already done by Stane in the first Iron Man movie. While Vanko seems menacing when he catches Stark off-guard in Monaco, Tony and Rhodey ultimately dispatch the villain relatively quickly in the film's climax.

35 Obadiah Stane Is Scary Even Before Getting His Power Armor

Appears In Iron Man

Iron Man

Release Date
May 2, 2008
Cast
Robert Downey Jr. , Jeff Bridges , gwyneth paltrow , Terrence Howard , Leslie Bibb , Shaun Toub , Clark Gregg , Paul Bettany
Director
Jon Favreau

As the first villain in the MCU, Obadiah Stane makes his mark, even if he pales in comparison to some who follow him. Even before donning the massive Iron Monger suit, Stane is a powerful figure in the business world and effectively wields that influence to further his wants. Of course, he gets physically powerful with his super suit as well, but Stane deserves credit for being intimidating even as an unpowered human.

34 Darren Cross Is More Menacing As Yellowjacket Than M.O.D.O.K.

Appears In Ant-Man & Ant-Man And The Wasp: Quantumania

Ant-Man

Release Date
July 14, 2015
Cast
Paul Rudd , Michael Douglas , Corey Stoll , Evangeline Lilly , Bobby Cannavale , Anthony Mackie
Director
Peyton Reed

Darren Cross is another corporate villain who is much more effective as a threat when wearing a tailored suit than he is when wearing a super suit. Cross proves that he is just as intelligent as Hank Pym, recreating the formula for Pym Particles. As such, he not only threatens Pym and others physically, but Cross threatens to damage Hank's legacy by militarizing their research.

Years later, Cross becomes the only MCU villain so far to don two different supervillain names. Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania reveals that Cross survived the end of Ant-Man, after which he was pulled into the Quantum Realm. Deformed, Kang armed him and he became M.O.D.O.K. While scary in theory, M.O.D.O.K. never really comes across as overly threatening or effective and goes out with a bit of a whimper.

33 Ghost Hasn't Explored The Full Potential Of Her Abilities

Appears In Ant-Man And The Wasp & Is Set To Appear In Thunderbolts

Ghost without her helmet on in Ant-Man and the Wasp.
Ant-Man and the Wasp

Release Date
July 6, 2018
Cast
Laurence Fishburne , Michelle Pfeiffer , Evangeline Lilly , David Dastmalchian , Judy Greer , Randall Park , Michael Douglas , Paul Rudd , Hannah John-Kamen , Michael Pena , Bobby Cannavale
Director
Peyton Reed

Ghost, aka Ava Starr, is a bit of an odd villain in the MCU as she has impressive powers but wants nothing to do with them. Her ability to phase through matter makes her very tricky to fight and allows her to be quite deadly as she can simply reach through a foe and stop their heart. However, Ghost's full potential isn't really realized because her abilities leave her in constant pain. With Ghost set to appear in the cast of Thunderbolts, it's possible she'll have honed her abilities in the years since her last appearance.

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32 Adrian Toomes/The Vulture Is Scarier Than He Is Powerful

Appears In Spider-Man: Homecoming & Morbius

Spider-Man: Homecoming

Release Date
July 7, 2017
Cast
Michael Keaton , Martin Starr , Angourie Rice , Robert Downey Jr. , Marisa Tomei , Bokeem Woodbine , Logan Marshall-Green , Garcelle Beauvais , Michael Mando , Zendaya , Tom Holland , Jon Favreau , Donald Glover , Hannibal Buress
Director
Jon Watts

One of Spider-Man's oldest villains, Vulture gets a very different approach in Spider-Man: Homecoming. He is something of a blue-collar bad guy who steals and sells high-tech weaponry to the highest bidder. As a criminal, he is fairly capable, especially with his intimidating flying suit. However, he is also just an ordinary guy underneath those wings. He is also quite reluctant to actually kill anyone. However, his relatively grounded nature is a big part of why he's so effectively terrifying.

While Spider-Man: Homecoming is Toomes' only appearance in the MCU, Sony's Morbius has a post-credits scene revealing that the villain has been transported to the Sony Spider-Man Universe. It's hitherto unclear how or if Vulture will be used moving forward.

31 Wilson Fisk/Kingpin Seems To Have An Inconsistent Power Level

Appears In Daredevil Season 1-3, Hawkeye Season 1, Echo Season 1, & Is Set To Appear in Daredevil: Born Again

Vincent D'Onofrio's Kingpin is a normal human without special abilities, but he wields incredible criminal influence, making him more powerful than most people. The extend to which Wilson Fisk's web of control spreads is unknown, but he controls much of New Yorks organized crime, has his foot in various legitimate businesses, and is currently set to pursue a political career in the events of Daredevil: Born Again.

However, Fisk's physical power has been inconsistent. Throughout much of Daredevil and Echo, he's able to be injured by strong strikes from other humans, but he also takes arrows and explosives to the chest in Hawkeye without batting an eye. His miraculous recovery from being shot point-blank in the face complicates things even more, leaving it unclear just how powerful Wilson Fisk really is.

While Vincent D'Onofrio and Charlie Cox played Kingpin and Daredevil in Daredevil seasons 1-3, which originally aired on Netflix, it's unclear if the show is wholly canon or if the MCU is simply choosing to keep the broad strokes in tact.

30 John Walker Is As Strong As Captain America But Lets His Emotions Get In The Way

Appears In The Falcon And The Winter Soldier Season 1 & Is Set To Appear In Thunderbolts

John Walker in his full Captain America costume in The Falcon And The Winter Soldier
The Falcon and the Winter Soldier
Drama
Action
Superhero

Release Date
March 19, 2021
Cast
Sebastian Stan , Daniel Brühl , Anthony Mackie , Wyatt Russell , Erin Kellyman , Emily VanCamp

While there are some who would argue that John Walker is not the true main villain of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, the way he tarnishes his title certainly makes him a strong contender. Walker received a modern version of the Super Soldier Serum, the same substance that gave Steve Rogers his increased strength. Moreover, even before taking the super-soldier serum, Walker is an exceptional soldier. However, his rage seems to cloud his mind at times, making him more vulnerable and less impressive than the original Captain America.

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29 Yon-Rogg Is Strong But One-Dimensional

Appears In Captain Marvel

Yon-Rogg standing among trees in Captain Marvel.
Captain Marvel
Superhero
Action
Adventure
Sci-Fi

Release Date
March 6, 2019
Cast
Brie Larson , Samuel L. Jackson , Jude Law , Clark Gregg , Djimon Hounsou , Gemma Chan , Ben Mendelsohn , Lashana Lynch

As a Kree warrior, Yon-Rogg really should have been a more impressive villain, but just about any villain will look bad going up against Captain Marvel. He has the strength and fighting skills one would expect from a Kree, but he is no match at all for Carol Danvers. However, Yon-Rogg is more impressive when considering the mind games he played with Carol. Seeing her potential as a weapon, he convinced Carol for years that she was a member of the Kree.

28 Dreykov's Power Isn't Physical

Appears In Black Widow

Dreykov talking to someone in Black Widow
Black Widow
Superhero
Action
Adventure
Sci-Fi

Release Date
July 9, 2021
Cast
Scarlett Johansson , Florence Pugh , David Harbour , O-T Fagbenle , Olga Kurylenko , William Hurt , Ray Winstone , Rachel Weisz

Dreykov is the kind of villain who would rather have others do his dirty work than he himself. He is quite effective at this, creating the Red Room and brainwashing girls like Natasha Romanoff into becoming his personal assassins. However, the power Dreykov wields over those girls seems to have given him a dangerous ego. He arrogantly reveals his whole plan to Natasha without realizing he has walked into her trap, and the whole thing is quickly brought down.

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27 Malekith The Accursed Is Strong But A Shadow Of His Comics Inspiration

Appears In Thor: The Dark World

Dark Elf Malekith in 2013's Thor The Dark World
Thor: The Dark World

Release Date
November 8, 2013
Cast
Tom Hiddleston , Tadanobu Asano , Idris Elba , Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje , Anthony Hopkins , Natalie Portman , Zachary Levi , Christopher Eccleston , Rene Russo , Chris Hemsworth , Ray Stevenson , Stellan Skarsgård , Jaimie Alexander , Kat Dennings
Director
Alan Taylor

The leader of the Dark Elves, Malekith, is often regarded as the worst villain in the MCU. That reputation is mostly due to his lack of motivation or interesting character development. However, as a threat, he is not much to speak of either. Malekith's plan to unleash the Aether and erase the entire universe is certainly high-stakes, but he does little to actually achieve it. He seems particularly disappointing compared to Malekith in Marvel Comics, who's a true multi-realm threat who both commands armies and has mastery of magic.

26 Kaecilius Is Empowered By The Dark Dimension

Appears In Doctor Strange

Kaecilius in the first Doctor Strange movie standing in the mirror dimension.
Doctor Strange
Adventure
Action
Fantasy
Superhero

Release Date
October 25, 2016
Cast
Tilda Swinton , Benedict Wong , Michael Stuhlbarg , Mads Mikkelsen , Scott Adkins , Benedict Cumberbatch , Rachel McAdams , Chiwetel Ejiofor

Kaecilius is another fairly forgettable main villain, as he is basically a minion for the more powerful Dormammu. However, as a master of the mystic arts, he is skilled and certainly knows what he is doing more than Doctor Strange (at this point in Strange's career). He is a ruthless fighter and is powered by the Dark Dimension, making him quite formidable. However, Kaecilius' devotion to Dormammu limits his perspective and ultimately leads to his downfall.

25 Aldrich Killian Shows The Power Of Extremis

Appears In Iron Man 3

Guy Pearce's Aldrich Killian in Iron Man 3
Iron Man 3

Release Date
May 3, 2013
Cast
Ben Kingsley , Guy Pearce , Paul Bettany , Don Cheadle , gwyneth paltrow , Jon Favreau , Robert Downey Jr.
Director
Shane Black

While Ben Kingsley's Mandarin was billed as the main villain of Iron Man 3, Aldrich Killian was the man behind the curtain the entire time. It was certainly a controversial MCU twist, but it showcased Killian's intelligence and ability to manipulate. He is a little hard to take seriously as his whole plot is covering up his failed Extremis experiments, but the fact that he convinced the world there was a fake terrorist on the loose shows he was smarter than the average villain. The ability to spew fire doesn't hurt either.

24 Arthur Harrow Represents A Powerful God

Appears In Moon Knight

Arthur Harrow with Ammit stick in Moon Knight

Arthur Harrow is another villain whose power largely comes from convincing people to follow him. He has his believers feeling that they are going to save the world by cleansing it of all the corrupted souls. Harrow has the ability to take the lives of those deemed unworthy. He may be backed by an immensely powerful god in Ammit, though she doesn't often appear alongside him.

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23 The High Evolutionary Is Despicable, But Not All-Powerful

Appears In Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3

Sympathetic villains can be compelling, but the High Evolutionary is a perfect example of a completely irredeemable villain who audiences can't wait to see go down. The High Evolutionary has some vaguely defined tech that gives him pseudo superpowers like gravity manipulation, but his real power comes from his scientific intellect. The High Evolutionary isn't the most challenging villain to take on one-on-one, but his ability to create entire societies gives him power beyond most other MCU antagonists.

22 Alexander Pierce Weaponizes Politics

Appears In Captain America: The Winter Soldier

Alexander Pierce with his hand on a window in Captain America 2
Captain America: The Winter Soldier

Release Date
April 4, 2014
Cast
Chris Evans , Hayley Atwell , Scarlett Johansson , Samuel L. Jackson , Robert Redford , Anthony Mackie , Cobie Smulders , Frank Grillo , Sebastian Stan

As one of the political villains of the MCU, Alexander Pierce feels like a man who is always in control. He managed to rise to the top of SHIELD and even fool master spy Nick Fury while secretly rebuilding Hydra from within. He is not a fighter by any means, letting Winter Soldier and other Hydra agents do all the dirty work. However, operating in plain sight for so long and coming close to fulfilling Red Skull's plans isn't too bad for a politician.

21 Ronan The Accuser Becomes Immensely Powerful For A Short While

Appears In Guardians Of The Galaxy & Captain Marvel

The Kree zealot Ronan the Accuser might be the best example of squandered power from an MCU villain. He is a ruthless and barbaric murderer on a warpath to "cleanse" the galaxy, but he's not particularly bright. He proves to be a great fighter, easily handling Drax and withstands a direct blast from a moon-destroying gun as well as being run over by a spaceship. Armed with the Power Stone, he had the power to conquer the universe, he's distracted by simple dancing.

20 Agatha Harkness' True Power Is Still Largely Unexplored

Appears In WandaVision

Kathryn Hahn as Agatha Harkness casting a spell in WandaVision
WandaVision

Release Date
January 15, 2021
Cast
Paul Bettany , Elizabeth Olsen , Kathryn Hahn , Teyonah Parris , Randall Park , Kat Dennings , Debra Jo Rupp , Evan Peters
Seasons
1

After appearing as the nosy neighbor Agnes for much of WandaVision, Agatha Harkness gets one of the great villain introductions in the MCU. And if her own theme song wasn't enough, Agatha gradually shows off just how powerful of a witch she is. A flashback shows her taking out an entire coven single-handily, and she is able to control the mind of Wanda Maximoff without her knowing. However, once Wanda does go toe-to-toe with Agatha, she shows her that no one is a match for the Scarlet Witch.

19 Mysterio Is Powerful As Long As He Keeps His Secret

Appears In Spider-Man: Far From Home

Jake Gyllenhaal as Mysterio amid ruins in Spider-Man Far From Home
Spider-Man: Far From Home

Release Date
July 2, 2019
Cast
Michael Keaton , Tom Holland , Jacob Batalon , Jon Favreau , Zendaya , Samuel L. Jackson , Martin Starr , Marisa Tomei , Cobie Smulders , Jake Gyllenhaal , Tony Revolori , Angourie Rice
Director
Jon Watts

One of the underrated plot twists in the MCU is the reveal of Quentin Beck, aka Mysterio, being a villain all along. He is presented as a multiverse hero who comes to save Earth from the Elementals. But the reality is that he is a disgruntled Stark employee looking to trick Spider-Man. While Mysterio might not be as powerful as he first appears, Beck's ability to pull off this massive ruse is almost more impressive. But when the illusions are no more, he is easily beaten.