All 14 Characters Who Have Led Hydra In The MCU

Several villains have led Hydra in the MCU, including many characters people may have forgotten. Hydra is the longest surviving villainous organization in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and one of the planet’s greatest threats. Hydra, which first appeared in Captain America: The First Avenger, serves as a recurring foe for the heroes of the MCU - both on the big and small screens. No matter how many times they get defeated, they always come back for more.

Hydra originated from the pages of Captain America in the Silver Age of Marvel Comics. Typically led by characters like Red Skull, Baron von Strucker, and Madame Hydra, Hydra has been at odds with the Sentinel of Liberty since the 1940s. In the classic comics, Hydra was revealed to be a terrorist group that grew from within the Third Reich during World War II, but was later rebuild by characters with similar ideologies. As Hydra developed stronger numbers, they eventually planted roots all over the world in an attempt to infiltrate other organizations, like SHIELD. By expanding in such a way, Hydra has become so much than just Captain America villains.

Over the years, MCU’s Hydra has built a reputation not unlike the one that it has in Marvel Comics. As Red Skull and others have long repeated, “cut off one head, two more will take its place”. This axiom has become the motto of Hydra, and for good reason. Despite numerous defeats, Hydra is a threat that just won’t go away. New villains will always rise up to orchestrate their next evil scheme. Here’s every character who has held the reins of Hydra in the MCU.

Red Skull

Red Skull (Hugo Weaving) is the most well-known leader of Hydra in both the comics and the movies. While serving under Hitler in the Third Reich, Red Skull formed Hydra, but secretly had his own ambitions for the organization. After becoming a super soldier, Red Skull discovered the Space Stone (then known as the Tesseract) and used it to create weapons for Hydra. His efforts were thwarted by Captain America (Chris Evans). Red Skull was teleported into space to become the guardian of the Soul Stone. Now played by Ross Marquand, he still lives today, but his ties to Hydra and the human world have long been severed.

Arnim Zola

In Captain America: The First Avenger, Arnim Zola (Toby Jones) was Hydra’s top scientist. Following his capture, the American government began relying on him for intelligence purposes. After being brought into SHIELD, Arnim Zola was able to bring Hydra back from the ashes, but didn’t remain its sole leader for long. While in control, Zola spearheaded the Winter Soldier program and later uploaded his consciousness into a computer. Zola was destroyed in Captain America: The Winter Soldier.

Wilfred Malick

First mentioned in Agents of SHIELD season 3, Wilfred Malick is a new MCU character and a key villain in Agents of SHIELD season 7’s time travel story. Wilfred was a bartender whose family had ties to Hydra in the 1930s. As time passed, Wilfred took command of the group and thanks to the intervention of the the time-traveling Chronicoms, Wilfred was able to infiltrate SHIELD sooner than expected in the timeline. He was killed by Deke (Jeff Ward) in 1976.

Alexander Pierce

Alexander Pierce (Robert Redford), the main villain of Captain America: The Winter Soldier, was the modern-day leader of Hydra who masterminded the downfall of SHIELD and the launch Project Insight, a plan that would have given Hydra the total control they always wanted. Luckily, he was defeated at the end of the movie.

Daniel Whitehall

The death of Alexander Pierce wasn’t the end of Hydra, unfortunately. Daniel Whitehall (Reed Diamond), a scientist who acquired an unnatural longevity after dissecting Daisy’s Inhuman mother and stealing her powers, became the next leader of Hydra. After serving Hydra for decades, Whitehall took over the organization and was one of the main antagonists of Agents of SHIELD season 2.

Hydra Leaders Killed By SHIELD Before Age of Ultron

Just before the events of Avengers: Age of Ultron, SHIELD discovered the whereabouts of the various leaders of Hydra and took them out in one fell swoop. All at once, SHIELD successfully weakened Hydra by taking out Shiekh (Maz Siam), Octavian Bloom (Fred Dryer), the Baroness (Kathyrn Leigh Scott), Banker (Joel Polis), and other high-ranking Hydra members, which was also teased in Agents of SHIELD.

Baron von Strucker

Classic Marvel Comics villain Baron von Strucker was adapted to the big screen in Age of Ultron as one of the only surviving heads of Hydra. Due to an experiment with the Mind Stone, he gave powers to Pietro/Quicksilver (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) and Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen) before being defeated by the combined might of the Avengers at the beginning of the film.

Gideon Malick

Wilfred’s son, Gideon Malick (Powers Boothe) appeared briefly in The Avengers as a member of the World Security Council consulted by Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson). It was discovered in Agents of SHIELD that Malick was a lifelong member of Hydra with a plan to help a powerful Inhuman called Hive return from his exile on a distant planet. Malick assumed control of Hydra late in life and created a large number of Inhumans so that Hive could control them. After his daughter became a victim of Hive, Malick lost his faith in Hydra, and soon after, his life.

Grant Ward

Grant Ward (Brett Dalton) was a member of the main team in Agents of SHIELD season 1 before a shocking twist revealed him to be an undercover agent for Hydra. Ward, who proved his loyalty to Hydra on numerous occasions, revived the organization after its fall and made an alliance with one of its older leaders, Gideon Malick.

Hive

Hydra was thought to have been formed during World War II, but it's actually much older than originally believed. Hundreds of years ago, a powerful Inhuman called Hive was sent from Earth to a distant planet through the use of an ancient device known as a Monolith. During his absence, a secret cult devoted to Hive plotted to bring him back so that he could lead them to greatness. This cult is what eventually evolved into Hydra. Their wish was fulfilled at last in Agents of SHIELD season 3 when Hive took over the body of Grant Ward and returned to Earth as the new leader of Hydra. Hive died when he was destroyed in an explosion set off by Lincoln (Luke Mitchell) in the season 3 finale.

General Hale

After Hive’s death, it seemed that Hydra was finally gone. They remained inactive in the MCU until they rose up again in Agents of SHIELD season 5 under the leadership of General Hale (Catherine Dent), who was handpicked at a young age by Daniel Whitehall to lead Hydra. She joined the military and worked her way up the ladder until she was a general in the Air Force. She met her end at the hands of Talbot (Adrian Pasdar) toward the end of the season. Once again, Hydra and their plans for the future were crushed, but it may be only a matter of time before another character in the MCU emerges as the leader of a new Hydra.

More: Every Major MCU Character Who Died & Came Back To Life (Before Endgame)