They say playing the bad guy is always more fun. In addition to the rich source material and eye-popping visual effects, one of the ways in which the Marvel Cinematic Universe has taken over Hollywood is through its stable of high-quality performers. When it specifically comes to the MCU's main antagonists and sinister supervillains, several Oscar-winning actors and actresses have starred in a Marvel movie to date, lending instant credibility to their respective characters.
As the 93rd Academy Awards ceremony approaches, it's time to highlight the supremely talented Oscar winners who've lent their star power and supreme acting chops to a Marvel comic book baddie.
Sam Rockwell - Justin Hammer (Iron Man 2)
Prior to winning an Oscar for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for his empathetic turn in Three Billboards Outside of Ebbing, Missouri, Sam Rockwell played Tony Stark's chief business rival, Justin Hammer, in Iron Man 2.
As the brilliant weapons engineer and CEO of the military contracting firm, Hammer Industries, Justin attacks Stark after he is publicly humiliated. Hammer recruits Ivan Vanko, aka Whiplash, to duplicate Stark's priceless Arc Reactor, but the plan backfires and lands Hammer in jail.
William Hurt - Thunderbolt Ross (Captain America: Civil War)
One of Justin Hammer's closest allies includes villain Thaddeus Ross, aka Thunderbolt, played by William Hurt in four MCU movies to date, most recently including Avengers: Endgame. Hurt won an Oscar for Best Actor in a Leading Role in 1986 for Kiss of the Spider Woman.
As for Ross, his villainous actions include approving the Sokovia Accords, which was designed to control the Avengers. Ross arrested and jailed those who didn't comply. Worse yet, Ross's involvement with the Accords led to the rise of Thanos since the disjointed Avengers could no longer cooperate to prevent the Snap from happening.
Jeff Bridges - Obadiah Stane (Iron Man)
One year after playing Tony Stark's chief rival Obadiah Stane in Iron Man, Jeff Bridges won an Oscar for Best Actor in a Leading Role for his heartfelt performance in Crazy Heart.
As for the villainous Obadiah Stane, aka Iron Monger, he began his MCU journey as Stark's ally and close friend of his father, Howard Stark. When Howard died and left Stark Industries in the hands of his son, Stane joined The Ten Rings in the attempt to assassinate Tony and become CEO of the company.
Jamie Foxx - Electro (The Amazing Spider-Man 2)
Ten years after earning an Oscar for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role for his portrayal of Ray Charles in Ray, Jamie Foxx suited up as Max Dillon, aka Electro, to take on Peter Parker in The Amazing Spider-Man 2. Fox is poised to reprise the role in the upcoming Spider-Man: No Way Home.
Max Dillon developed an unhealthy infatuation with Spider-Man after being rescued by the neighborhood hero, resulting in the wrathful creation of his villainous alter ego, Electro. Afterward, Electro teams up with the Green Goblin to kill Spidey once and for all.
Ben Kingsley - The Mandarin/Trevor Slattery (Iron Man 3)
Sir Ben Kingsley famously won an Oscar for Best Actor in a Leading Role for his riveting portrayal of Mahatma Gandhi in the historical epic, Gandhi. In Iron Man 3, Kingsley played secondary villain Trevor Slattery, aka The Mandarin.
The Mandarin was created to be a physical cipher for Iron Man's chief villain in the film, Aldrich Killian (Guy Pearce). That is, Killian created and controls The Mandarin to act as a disguise for himself so that his true identity cannot be discovered by Tony and his allies.
Benicio Del Toro - Collector (The Guardians Of The Galaxy)
Thirteen years after winning an Oscar for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for his bilingual role in Traffic, Benicio Del Toro joined The Guardians of the Galaxy as Taneleer Tivan, aka Collector.
As the leader of the Tivan Group, keepers of a vast collection of intergalactic specimens, Collector was long in possession of the Reality Infinity Stone ultimately sought by Thanos. With superhuman strength, immortality, and the ability to project purple energy fields while in possession of the Orb, Collector also plays an antagonistic role to Thor in The Dark World.
Cate Blanchett - Hela (Thor: Ragnarok)
Australian actress Cate Blanchett has won two Oscars in her career thus far: one for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for The Aviator in 2005 and another for Best Actress in a Leading Role in Blue Jasmine in 2014.
In Thor: Ragnarok, Blanchett has a blast portraying the evil Hela Odinsdottir, the Asgardian goddess of death and executioner. Determined to destroy Asgard once and for all, Thor (Chris Hemsworth) must cooperate with The Incredible Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) to thwart Hela's odious intentions.
Christian Bale - Gorr The God Butcher - Thor: Love And Thunder (2022)
Here's an added bonus. Although he has yet to play an MCU villain, details have spilled regarding Christian Bale's upcoming role in Thor: Love and Thunder. According to reports, Bale is set to play supervillain Gorr the God Butcher in the 2022 film. Of course, Bale won an Oscar for Best Actor in a Supporting Role portraying Dickey Eklund in The Fighter.
After losing his mother, lover, and children, Gorr denies the existence of the gods. When he is proven wrong, Gorr sets out to avenge his family's death by punishing the gods that allowed it to happen. In Love and Thunder, Gorr and Thor will no doubt have an epic showdown for ultimate supremacy.