Marvel Studios
For all of the plaudits that the Marvel Cinematic Universe has accrued over the years — especially prior to the 2020s — one common criticism of the franchise is that its villains are less compelling than they should be, particularly in comparison to its DC counterpart, which has offered up the likes of Heath Ledger’s Joker, Gene Hackman’s Lex Luthor, Paul Dano’s Riddler, Danny DeVito (and Colin Farrell’s) Penguin, Liam Neeson’s Ra’s al Ghul, Michael Shannon’s General Zod, and numerous other villainous performances over the decades.
Still, while villainy may not be considered to be one of the MCU’s defining strengths, there have been plenty of compelling performances over the years since the project launched in 2008 with Iron Man through this year with the impending release of Avengers: Doomsday, which will feature the long-awaited debut of the franchise’s take on Doctor Doom, played by none other than Robert Downey Jr. (while fans’ opinions on this casting choice are split, to say the least, the proof will be in the pudding when Doomsday hits theaters in December).
When Spider-Man: Brand New Day releases in July, there will have been 38 Marvel Cinematic Universe movies, in addition to 13 live-action Disney+ shows — 14 if you count the recent Punisher special — producing dozens upon dozens of villains to choose from when ranking the best bad guys the franchise has ever produced. We did out best to whittle that expansive list down to the Top 11 best villains in the history of the MCU.
Ranking the Top 11 best villains in the history of the Marvel Cinematic Universe
11. The High Evolutionary (Chukwudi Iwuji – Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3)
Many Marvel Cinematic Universe fans will tell you that the Guardians of the Galaxy series is the best trilogy in the franchise. Ask which of those three films is the best, though, and you’ll likely get numerous answers. When it comes to the best GotG villain, though, that debate is largely settled, as the High Evolutionary in Vol. 3 brought a particular menace and loathsomeness to a set of three-films long lauded for its heart.
10. Red Skull (Hugo Weaving – Captain America: The First Avenger)
While Hugo Weaving has been open about the fact that he didn’t particularly enjoy making this film, he was still able to deliver a performance as Red Skull that served as a throwback to classic comic book villainy — theatrical, ideologically repugnant, and fully committed to his own dogma. Despite the inherently campy nature of the character, Weaving was able to bring his trademark cold menace to the role.
9. Green Goblin (Willem Dafoe – Spider-Man: No Way Home)
Granted, the Green Goblin’s appearance on this list is largely aided by the affinity fans had for the character dating back to 2002’s Spider-Man. When Willem Dafoe returned as the character nearly 20 years later for Spider-Man: No Way Home, though, it was like he never skipped a beat, as the Green Goblin was as deranged and terrifying as ever, plus an added dimension of physicality that improved on his initial outing.
8. Gorr the God Butcher (Christian Bale – Thor: Love and Thunder)
Given that Thor: Love & Thunder is one of the most disappointing movies that the Marvel Cinematic Universe has ever produced, Christian Bale’s portrayal of Gorr the God Butcher has likely been memory-holed by many fans. But if there’s one redeeming quality of the film, it’s him. His introduction is heartbreaking, his action is quite compelling, his character design is nightmarish, and the performance is on par with what we’ve come to expect from the Oscar-winning Bale: totally committed and often unnerving.
7. Zemo (Daniel Bruhl – Captain America: Civil War)
While Zemo doesn’t have any powers, he succeeded in tearing the Avengers apart with nothing more than a cell phone and some documents. That, in and of itself, is reason enough for him to earn a place on this list.
6. Killmonger (Michael B. Jordan – Black Panther)
Killmonger’s entry on this list can be validated by his final line alone, which has stood the test of time and has become one of the most profound utterances in the history of the Marvel Cinematic Universe: “Bury me in the ocean, with my ancestors that jumped from the ships, because they knew death was better than bondage.”
5. Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen – Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness)
While opinions about Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness are mixed, Elizabeth Olsen’s descent from hero to heartbroken villain is widely considered to be one of the most compelling arcs ever put to screen in the MCU. She also easily decimates a slew of alternate-universe Avengers — Professor X, Captain Carter, Captain Marvel, Black Bolt, and Reed Richards — which makes her raw power undeniable.
4. Ultron (James Spader – Avengers: Age of Ultron)
The best villains — in the MCU or otherwise — are the ones that make you think, “Hey — maybe they’ve got a point.” And while Ultron’s ends are obviously genocidal, his core argument — that mankind is the greatest threat to mankind — is tough to argue with. Plus, released in 2015, the Ultron character in Age of Ultron portended the rise of AI, and its consequences, that we’ve seen become a reality in the 2020s. He (it?) also boasts one of the most memorable introductions in the MCU.
3. Vulture (Michael Keaton – Spider-Man: Homecoming)
What made Michael Keaton’s Vulture such a compelling villain was his relatability. Similar to Batman — that’s DC and a hero, we know, but walk with us — he’s ultimately just an incredibly determined man in a suit. And there’s something to be said for that sort of lo-fi extremism. He also boasts one of the most chilling scenes in MCU history when he confronts an unsuspecting Peter Parker in the back of his car, performed with typical Keaton menace that’s made it one of the most memorable villain moments in the entire franchise.
2. Loki (Tom Hiddleston – Thor/The Avengers)
If this were a ranking of the best overall characters in the MCU, you could make a case for Loki being in the top overall spot considering the arc of his journey from his maniacal debut in Thor to his anti-heroism in Thor: Ragnarok to his evolution into a full-blown, timeline-saving good guy in Season 2 of Disney+’s Loki. As a pure villain, however, Loki is bested by just one baddie, and that’s the one who kills him in Avengers: Infinity War (temporarily — these are comic book movies, after all).
1. Thanos (Josh Brolin – Avengers: Infinity War/Avengers: Endgame)
Given the nature of comic book movies — and the art of cinema in general — audiences enter films with the innate understanding that, at the end of the day, the hero will succeed. When it came to Thanos, though, his power was so all-consuming that it was hotly debated how the Avengers would possibly defeat him, especially considering the events of Avengers: Infinity War.
Similar to Ultron, Thanos also had a degree of rationality to him, thus making him all the more compelling — the universe is overwrought and overburdened with gluttony that threatens its very existence, and surely someone must do something about it.