MCU’s Phase 4 & 5 Are Still Missing The Most Important Avengers Villain

The MCU is introducing new antagonists in Phase 4 and setting up major threats for Phase 5, but the franchise is still missing what could be the Avengers’ most important villain. After the end of the Infinity Saga and the defeat of Thanos, Earth and the rest of the universe are living in a time of relative peace, but it may not last for long. In addition to the dangerous multiversal events caused by Loki, Spider-Man: No Way Home, and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, there are also “human-level” threats that could soon become a problem for the remaining Avengers and the MCU's new heroes – and one character could summarize this type of threat very well

Unlike the first three phases of the MCU, which saw most of the stories revolve around the Infinity Stones and the inevitable confrontation with Thanos, MCU Phase 4 still doesn't have a set north. This has been the most plural Phase of the franchise so far, largely due to the interaction between the movies and Disney +’s MCU shows. Thus far, there's not even been confirmation of an Avengers 5 project, whether it's a release date or what the Avengers lineup will be.

In any case, many of the current and potential storylines in MCU Phase 4 and 5 would benefit greatly from having Norman Osborn as a prominent character. In the comics, several of the sagas that are serving as inspiration for the MCU involved the Spider-Man villain, either in the main antagonist role or as a secondary player. For example, in the comics, Norman had his own version of the Illuminati, a group that will be featured in Doctor Strange 2. The Disney+ series Armor Wars would also be most fitting for Osborn, as he was once the Iron Patriot – whose armor was used by Rhodes in Iron Man 3 – in the comics and is fond of Stark tech. Another major MCU Phase 4 and 5 storyline seems to be the setup of a Dark Avengers type of group, which in the comics is Norman Osborn’s own team of Avengers. Osborn’s Dark Reign comics storyline also involved the Young Avengers, a group that could make their MCU debut at any time. This legacy of Avengers conflict in the source material proves that Osborn really is the best candidate for going up against the team in the future.

Norman Osborn as the Iron Patriot leading his Avengers team

Compared to how significant Norman Osborn is to a lot of Marvel stories, the live-action versions of the character have only scratched the surface of his full potential. In the movies, Norman has been restricted to a Spider-Man villain-only, mostly due to Sony owning the cinematic rights for the character. The Green Goblin persona is an essential part of Osborn's story, but the character is more than just a Spider-Man villain. On the contrary, the more modern Marvel stories often see Norman more as an Avengers villain than a Peter Parker antagonist. However, it seems like the MCU won't be able to adapt this different side of Norman Osborn to the big screen, as No Way Home confirmed that Oscorp doesn't even exist in the MCU. Willem Dafoe's iconic version of the Green Goblin will therefore remain the definitive version of Osborn for the foreseeable future.

MCU's Phases 4 and 5 can explore how vast the Marvel universe of villains is, but the best antagonist for the Avengers will not be there. Norman Osborn would be the perfect name for a time of power vacuum like the one the MCU is in right now, largely because of the death of Tony Stark and most of the original Avengers being out of the picture. It remains to be seen whether Marvel and Sony still have plans for Norman Osborn, whether in Spider-Man 4 or in the future of the MCU. However, given his history and relationship with the team, the MCU would do well to have Osborn square off against the Avengers onscreen.

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