by Stone Marshall | May 17, 2018 | Awesome Book News, Free, Intro, Minecraft News, Minecraft questions, news, parent-news, State of Stone, Stone Marshall Book News, Stone Marshall Books, Stone Marshall Club, Stone Marshall Minecraft Adventures, Uncategorized |
Those who saw Avengers: Infinity War know that the dramatic ending left a lot up in the air for the untitled fourth Avengers film. Some heroes died in the film during Thanos' (Josh Brolin) quest to get the Infinity Stones, while others disintegrated into the ether after the villain succeeded. Although they're ostensibly dead, it seems unlikely that they'll stay that way far beyond Avengers 4 — especially considering some of the supposedly dead heroes are already confirmed for appearances in the film.
It's possible that the fourth Avengers will incorporate flashbacks or time jumps, which makes it unclear whether the heroes appearing will be returning from the grave or popping up in some other capacity. Either way, the cast confirmed for the film opens up a lot of questions about what will be happening in the mysterious movie. With that in mind, here's a look at all the superheroes currently confirmed to appear in Avengers 4.
Ant-Man
Paul Rudd's Ant-Man may have missed out on the fun of Avengers: Infinity War, but he'll be back in action for the fourth film. Scott was said to have been caring for his family during the events of the third team-up, but some audiences didn't buy that reasoning. Screenwriters Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely have said that “all will become clear” with regards to Scott's absence when Avengers 4 comes out.
It's also possible that there will be further updates on the character's status in Ant-Man and the Wasp, which may help to explain what he was up to during Infinity War — and could potentially even provide a segue to his role in Avengers 4. Since Rudd has been spotted on the set of the film, it's safe to say that Ant-Man will be included somehow, but it remains to be seen how the tiny hero will fit into such a big story.
Black Panther
Chadwick Boseman's T'Challa was one of the many characters who bit the dust (pun intended) at the end of Infinity War. However, considering the fact that Black Panther's standalone film made over $1 billion at the box office and a sequel is already in the works, it seems safe to say that T'Challa will somehow find his way back from the dead in Avengers 4.
Boseman's appearance in the film was confirmed when he was spotted on the movie's Atlanta set, although it's hard to figure out what exactly T'Challa will be up to. Still, the character is a fan favorite, so it's likely that he'll have a large role in the fourth Avengers. Considering how much of the action of Infinity War took place in Wakanda (and how destructive it was to the once-secluded nation), he'll have his work cut out for him — as both a superhero and a king — when he returns.
Black Widow
Scarlett Johansson's Black Widow changed her hair color for Infinity War, but she and her new blonde ‘do didn't have as big a part as some fans had hoped. Although Black Widow got in on the action in Wakanda, her character didn't get much of a storyline beyond the fight. Markus explained that this is mostly due to her attitude — Black Widow is very “hard-bitten,” ready to fight when she has to, meaning that there wasn't much ground to cover with her emotionally.
However, given the fact that Black Widow is one of the few characters who survived the events of Infinity War, it seems safe to say she'll have a big role to play in the fourth film. Markus basically confirmed as much, saying that some of the characters who were featured less in Infinity War had “far more potential” in Avengers 4 “just in terms of how their characters would be tested by the story.”
Captain America
Chris Evans has been planning his Marvel exit for a while now, and there's a good chance that Avengers 4 will mark his swan song as Captain America. The actor has been prepping for other projects, and has on numerous occasions said that he's ready to hang up his shield for good. This doesn't bode well for Cap's fate in the next team-up, although he was one of the few who survived Thanos' wrath in Infinity War.
Like Black Widow, Cap underwent a pretty dramatic physical transformation in Infinity War, but his new beard wasn't shown all that much as he fought Thanos' minions in Wakanda. However, he is likely to get a bigger role in Avengers 4, especially since directors Joe and Anthony Russo have said that the film will conclude the story they began in Captain America: The Winter Soldier. While Steve might not make it out alive, it should be a good send-off.
Captain Marvel
Getty Images
We won't get the chance to officially meet Brie Larson's Captain Marvel until the character's standalone film comes out in March of 2019, but we did get our first tease of her entry into the MCU thanks to the Infinity War post-credits scene, which featured Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) sending out a call to the hero before disappearing into dust.
Captain Marvel seems likely to play a big role in Avengers 4, considering the fact that so many of the MCU's other heroes are currently out of commission, at least for the moment. Considering Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige has said that Captain Marvel will be the most powerful character in the MCU and Markus has said she's on “a power scale that right now doesn't exist in the MCU,” it seems safe to say that Carol Danvers will end up having a big role to play in finally taking down Thanos.
Falcon
Anthony Mackie's Falcon may have disintegrated in Infinity War, but he has already assured fans that he will be back for the fourth film, sharing a picture of himself on the movie's set. Mackie even offered up a bit of a hint for fans eager to hear about the plot of the movie, telling MTV, “[It's] a whole lot of people fighting. A whole lot of people talking.”
Although that plot description isn't exactly heavy on the details, it seems safe to say that Avengers 4 could bring big things for Falcon. He is one of the characters, along with Sebastian Stan's Winter Soldier, who fans think could take up the mantle of Captain America if Steve Rogers leaves it behind. With Evans likely out of his contract after Avengers 4 and Mackie's star still on the rise, it seems like his future in the MCU will probably be bright.
Gamora
Zoe Saldana's Gamora met a very tragic end in Infinity War, with Thanos sacrificing his adopted daughter so he could obtain the Soul Stone and get closer to fulfilling his quest to wield all of the Infinity Stones. Considering that her death wasn't one of the movie's ending disintegrations, it seemed like it might stick — that is, until Saldana confirmed that she'll show up in Avengers 4.
“I know that we will all have to come back at some point this fall and finish up the second, um, the fourth installment of Avengers,” Saldana said when asked by E! News about her last day on set for Infinity War. This seems to confirm her involvement in the fourth film, which would suggest that her character will somehow come back from the dead. While it's also possible that she could be shown via flashback, it seems like there's still lots of story left for Gamora in the Guardians franchise, and it could be possible that she'll get a full resurrection in the film.
Hawkeye
The absence of Jeremy Renner's Hawkeye from Infinity War was one of the film's biggest surprises. Like Ant-Man, Hawkeye was said to have retired from the superhero biz to be with his family, who was introduced in Avengers: Age of Ultron. Renner has confirmed that he will be back for Avengers 4, though, which could spell bad things for his loved ones. Some theorize that Hawkeye's family will have been killed off thanks to Thanos' doings, which could bring the hero back into the fold with a vengeance.
Renner was spotted on set with a new haircut and a costume that looks suspiciously like the superhero Ronin, an identity he temporarily assumed in the comics. Regardless of which name he goes by, Markus hinted that Hawkeye will be a big part of the fourth film, telling BuzzFeed, “We like Hawkeye. We like Hawkeye so much we gave him a really good story.” Hopefully that story is good enough to satiate the fans who were so sorely bummed out over the lack of the archer in Infinity War.
Hulk
Mark Ruffalo's Bruce Banner had some issues in Infinity War. The Hulk would definitely be a great asset in the fight against Thanos, but Bruce, who's been struggling with the Hulk since the two were involuntarily paired, was unable to call up the big green monster no matter how angry he got. This led to a lot of consternation for the other heroes, although Bruce was able to get in on the action at least a bit after climbing into Tony Stark's Hulkbuster suit.
Bruce lived through Thanos' dusting at the end of the film, and it seems fair to expect that his powers will be returned to him at some point in the fourth film. Ruffalo has been spotted on set in a motion capture suit, so he'll be leaning on his superhuman alter ego in at least some way. Ruffalo has said that Thor: Ragnarok and the two Avengers films are designed to form one Hulk storyline over three installments, so expect a lot to happen for the character in the conclusion.
Iron Man
Robert Downey Jr.'s Iron Man started the MCU, and if you believe the rumors, Avengers 4 could be the end of Tony Stark. The going theory is that Downey Jr.'s famously expensive contract will be up after the film, sending the MCU's godfather out in style as they move into their very secretive Phase 4.
Although Downey Jr. hasn't given us any information on whether or not his character will make it through Avengers 4, he has been one of the more vocal cast members when it comes to sharing pictures of the film on social media, and, thanks to that, we know for sure that he will appear. Tony was ready to sacrifice himself when the time came in Infinity War, and with so many other heroes out of the picture, it should be interesting to see the potentially deadly lengths he has to go to in order to save the world in the fourth film.
Mantis
Pom Klementieff's Mantis didn't make her MCU debut until Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, but the odd little alien has already endeared herself to fans thanks to her fun one-liners and Klementieff's charming delivery. Unfortunately, Mantis was unable to take down Thanos despite her best efforts, and she disintegrated along with most of the rest of the Guardians at the end of Infinity War. Klementieff, though, has already seemingly confirmed that she'll be back on board for Avengers 4, sharing a photo of her make-up trailer on social media.
Although Klementieff's photo doesn't show anything about where her character might have disappeared to or how she might return from the dead, it does show that Mantis (and hopefully the other Guardians) will be returning. Considering James Gunn has already said he's planning Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 for 2020, it seems like Avengers 4 will have to get things back on track for the intergalactic team.
Nebula
Karen Gillan's Nebula didn't exactly get to have a fun time in Infinity War, mostly serving as a way for Thanos to convince Gamora to take him to the Soul Stone. Considering Thanos had to rip Nebula apart piece by piece to get Gamora to reveal the stone's location to him, Nebula is clearly not in a good place when the film ends.
She is, though, one of the few characters who makes it past Thanos' wrath, which puts her in a prime position for her appearance in Avengers 4. Gillan has teased that she hopes the character will be able to “somehow face her daddy issues head on” in the film, which would mean a big confrontation with Thanos. However, Gillan did note at the time of the interview that she wasn't sure exactly what would go down, so it's unclear what role Nebula will ultimately play in the proceedings.
Scarlet Witch
Elizabeth Olsen's Scarlet Witch had a pretty big role to play in Infinity War. As the only one with powers that could potentially destroy an Infinity Stone, Wanda had a moral decision to make about whether or not she would kill off her beau Vision (Paul Bettany) in order to potentially save the universe.
Wanda delayed as long as she could, and even though she ultimately decided to kill Vision and destroy the stone, it was too little too late, and Thanos ended up getting a hold of it. Destroying half the universe also meant the destruction of Scarlet Witch, which could put a bit of a damper on the remaining heroes' attempt to get rid of the stones. However, Wanda is still confirmed to appear in Avengers 4, with Olsen sharing a pic from the set revealing that her role will feature the character taking flight. Although that doesn't say much, it does seem to show that she'll be back and powered up in Avengers 4.
Spider-Man
Tom Holland's Spider-Man had one of the most emotional deaths in Infinity War, but it may not have hit as hard as it could have, especially considering the fact that we know Holland will be suiting up as Peter Parker again for the character's upcoming second standalone film, which is set to hit theaters just a few months after Avengers 4's release.
Unless Spider-Man: Homecoming 2 is giving the reins to Marisa Tomei's Aunt May or Jacob Batalon's Ned, it seems safe to expect Peter to make his way back from the dead in Avengers 4. We do know for sure that the character will appear in at least some capacity, with Feige revealing that Holland was signed on for the second film all the way back in April of 2017. We don't exactly know what role Peter will be playing, but things will hopefully be getting back on track for the young web-slinger.
Thor
Chris Hemsworth's Thor was one of the original Avengers, and one of the few who survived Thanos' wrath in Infinity War. However, it seems like the character's appearance in the fourth film could spell doom for the otherworldly god, with Hemsworth saying that his contract is up after Avengers 4. (Fingers crossed that the character's creative resurrection in Thor: Ragnarok could potentially make Hemsworth want to stay on longer.)
Whether or not he makes it out alive, it seems like a lot will happen for Thor in the untitled Avengers sequel. Despite the fact that the character got a much needed haircut in Thor: Ragnarok, Hemsworth was spotted on set with the character's old long-haired ‘do back, which implies that the film might be offering viewers some kind of flashback. With the movie appearing to tie back to the original Avengers somehow, Thor should have quite the journey ahead of him.
Vision
Paul Bettany's Vision didn't make it through Infinity War, getting a dramatic death at the hands of Thanos despite the best efforts of Shuri (Letitia Wright) and Scarlet Witch. Considering Vision has the Mind Stone embedded in his forehead, fans knew he was in danger even before the movie's opening act. However, it seems like Vision will still have at least some sort of role to play in the fourth Avengers film, with Bettany confirming that he'll be back on board for the movie.
Bettany hasn't dropped any hints about how his character will be involved, but he did share a picture of himself in full Vision regalia filling out paperwork on the Avengers 4 set in late 2017. While it seems safe to assume that Vision will end up having more to do than just pushing paper around, it remains unclear whether he'll factor into the story mostly through flashbacks or if he'll be brought back through time travel or some other manipulation.
War Machine
Don Cheadle's War Machine was put in peril in Captain America: Civil War, but he was able to get back in his suit and help out his fellow Avengers in Infinity War. Rhodey actually wound up making it out of the film, and was one of the few heroes still left standing after the universe turned to dust.
It's fitting, then, that Cheadle will be back for Avengers 4. We don't know what he'll be up to, but Brolin has said that the two actors share at least one scene, which means that he'll (unsurprisingly) be headed for another confrontation with the movies' big bad. Gwyneth Paltrow has also said that she's been on set with Cheadle and Downey Jr., which could mean that the Iron Man team is getting back together once again. Considering some people think that Paltrow's Pepper Potts may be suiting up as Rescue, the mentorship of Iron Man and War Machine could be very important in the fourth film.
Wasp
Evangeline Lilly's Wasp is set to co-lead Ant-Man and the Wasp, one of two Marvel films slated to be released between the two Avengers films. The movies' screenwriters have said that both Ant-Man and the Wasp and Captain Marvel will be important to the future of the Avengers, so it makes sense that Lilly's Wasp will be making an appearance in Avengers 4.
Lilly has said that you shouldn't expect too much Wasp in the film, revealing during a Q&A on her Instagram page that she is “not going to be [in it] a ton.” However, she did say that she's “proud” and “stoked” to be on board for the movie, adding that she had “so much fun” on the film's set, which had a party-like atmosphere. We don't know what role the Wasp will have in the action, but some have theorized that the Quantum Realm could be a way to bring back the disintegrated heroes, which would give Ant-Man and the Wasp big parts to play.
Winter Soldier
Sebastian Stan's Bucky Barnes has had quite the journey in the MCU, as his friendship with Steve Rogers has been tested by time, mind control, and more. This made his ultimate disintegration in Infinity War all the more heartbreaking, with the character reaching out to his friend before falling away into dust. Winter Soldier fans don't need to be too afraid, though: Stan has confirmed he'll be back for Avengers 4.
Stan remained tight-lipped about what exactly Bucky would be up to in the film, but he did confirm that he'd be going down to the movie's Atlanta set for more filming. It does seem like the Bucky and Steve journey will be important to the story, though, with the Russo brothers saying that the film will “complete the personal journey” that they started in Captain America. What exactly that means remains to be seen, but it does seem to imply that Bucky will have a big part to play.
Every superhero confirmed for Avengers 4
by Stone Marshall | May 17, 2018 | Awesome Book News, Free, Intro, Minecraft News, Minecraft questions, news, parent-news, State of Stone, Stone Marshall Book News, Stone Marshall Books, Stone Marshall Club, Stone Marshall Minecraft Adventures, Uncategorized |
Marvel has a lot of villains in its cinematic universe, but which ones stand above the rest when it comes to menacing Earth's Mightiest Heroes?
To answer that increasingly complicated question, we've watched every MCU movie and ranked all of their many bad guys, from Loki to Batroc to Justin Hammer, Iron Monger, Hela, Thanos, and everyone in between. This list only focuses on tried-and-true villains, so you won't find reformed hero Scarlet Witch (who's since become a bona fide Avenger), her late brother Quicksilver (who died a hero), Nebula, or the Winter Soldier. We're talking 100 percent baddies, evil (or mostly evil) through and through.
Looking over the MCU's blockbuster history, it's pretty clear that despite the widespread belief that the franchise has a “villain problem,” we've actually seen some fairly compelling criminals cause trouble for our heroes over the years. Without further ado, here are all the villains in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, ranked from worst to best.
Kurse (Thor: The Dark World)
Kurse, also known as Algrim, was one of Malekith's top men and sacrificed himself to take on the power of Kurse in The Dark World. He allows Asgardian forces to capture him to get inside Odin's kingdom, and once he makes it to the Asgardian dungeon posing as a regular prisoner, Algrim activates the Kurse stone and turns into the hulking beast we know and love from the comics.
Kurse leads a straight-up prison riot in Asgard (with a bit of help from a locked-up Loki providing directions), helps Malekith sack Asgard, and actually kills Thor's mother, Frigga. He also leads the battle against Thor in the film's climax, beating the God of Thunder positively senseless with his brute strength before Loki manages to take Kurse out with some black hole grenades. Despite all that, Kurse is nothing more than a forgettable force of nature with no personality. He's just big and violent, and ultimately an obstacle cleared out of the way for the big finale between Thor and Malekith.
Laufey (Thor)
Laufey is a powerful force in Thor's corner of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but we never get to see a lot of him in action. King of the Frost Giants and biological father to Loki, he has super-strength and ice powers, but it turns out he's still no match for the sneakiness of his own son. Loki manipulates events to get Laufey to attack Asgard in Thor, but just as Laufey is about to kill Odin, Loki takes out Laufey instead—simultaneously killing the Frost Giant king and making himself look like a hero. Certainly an unceremonious end.
Brandt and Savin (Iron Man 3)
Aldrich Killian turned out to be the A-list bad guy in Iron Man 3, with Brandt and Savin shaping up as little more than B-list versions with the same power set. Both Brandt and Savin are given their super-heating and healing powers by the Extremis virus, and they both attack Tony Stark throughout the film, but neither is a match for Iron Man, even when he doesn't have his suit. Brandt is best known for jumping Stark in a dive bar, where he outmaneuvered her and managed to blow her up with a gas leak. Savin hung around a little longer, even stealing the Iron Patriot armor at one point, but he was still outsmarted by Iron Man and defeated with an energy blast.
Batroc the Leaper (Captain America: The Winter Soldier)
It's easy to forget, but yes, Batroc the Leaper is part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. We meet the French mercenary during the action sequence that opens Captain America: The Winter Soldier, during the hijacking of the ship the Lemurian Star. We get a breathless fight scene between Batroc and Cap, with the First Avenger accepting the challenge for a hand to hand fight without his shield. Batroc manages to hold his own—he's a beast when it comes to parkour—though Cap eventually knocks him out.
The Shocker(s) (Spider-Man: Homecoming)
The recent Spider-Man: Homecoming didn't just give us our first solo Spidey flick in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it also dug into the wall-crawler's deep bench of rogues, including not just one, but two Shockers. We first meet Jackson Brice (Logan Marshall-Green) wielding a Shocker gauntlet, but after the Vulture kills him, the trademark weapon is passed down to Herman Schultz (Bokeem Woodbine).
Schultz looks to be our “main” Shocker in the MCU, and he gets one epic fight against Spidey before being sidelined. The Shocker jumps Peter as he leaves the school dance attempting to follow the Vulture, and sends him flying through a school bus (and he loses his web-shooters, to boot). So why does Shocker rank so low? Because it wasn't even Spidey who took him out—it was Pete's pal Ned, who grabs the web-shooter and hits Shocker, distracting him long enough for Spidey to web him to a school bus, gift-wrapping him for the cops. Maybe next time, Shocker. Maybe next time.
Baron Von Strucker (Avengers: Age Of Ultron)
Strucker's lasting legacy in the Marvel Cinematic Universe is leading the experiments on Loki's scepter that created Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch, so he's definitely an important player, but all anyone really remembers is his immediate surrender to the Avengers during the opening of Age of Ultron. It's a funny gag, as Strucker gives a pep talk to his Hydra soldiers urging them to never give up—then he immediately surrenders, though he admittedly does so in a failed a attempt to hide his research. He also gets a few callouts on the companion series Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. during that show's Hydra arc, but nothing much of substance. In the end, Strucker was just another upper-level Hydra goon. Cut off his head, and nobody really noticed.
The Destroyer (Thor)
It doesn't get a ton of screen time in Thor, but when the Destroyer shows up, it sure makes full use of every moment. Basically an enchanted Asgardian automaton you can point at an enemy, its giant, powerful arms and legs can crush or stomp just about any opponent—and if they don't kill you, its laser blasts probably will. In Thor, we saw the Destroyer kill a few Frost Giants, then lay waste to a small town in New Mexico when Loki sent it to Earth hunting Thor. Still, it was finally no match for Thor: the God of Thunder regained his power and overcharged the Destroyer, ending the attack.
Justin Hammer (Iron Man 2)
Credit Sam Rockwell's unending charisma for Justin Hammer not showing up at the very bottom of this list—or even further down, if we could find a way to put him there. As far as credible villains are concerned, Justin Hammer is an absolute joke—he runs an arms manufacturer that's a rival to Stark Industries, except literally everything Hammer builds falls apart. The first version of the War Machine armor is basically a bare-bones Iron Man suit outfitted with a ton of Hammer weapons, which works about as well as gluing and duct taping accessories to a car.
In Iron Man 2, Hammer cuts a deal with Ivan Vanko that lands him in jail, and that's pretty much the last we see of him until the Marvel One-Shot “All Hail the King,” in which Hammer gets a brief cameo in prison, showing some resentment for the fame Trevor Slattery (a.k.a. the fake Mandarin from Iron Man 3) has garnered at Seagate Prison.
General Ross (The Incredible Hulk)
General Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross, father of Bruce Banner's love interest Betty Ross, is put in charge of trying to capture the Hulk after he goes rogue in The Incredible Hulk. Ross' project originally started as an attempt to recreate the Super Soldier Serum that created Captain America, but it went sideways and turned poor Bruce Banner into an unstoppable anger machine. Ross has a vendetta against the Hulk because Betty was injured during the Hulk's creation, so he blames Banner for putting her in a coma (though she eventually came out of it unscathed). Ross was also the catalyst in creating the Abomination, one of the more boring one-note villains in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Ross spends the entire film chasing Banner, and tries and fails to kill him a few times along the way (though those sonic cannons were admittedly pretty cool). For much of the film, he's a relatively one-dimensional “Military Bad Guy,” and falls into most of the attendant clichés.
Interestingly enough, Ross is one of the few characters from The Incredible Hulk to resurface onscreen later in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. In fact, he remains a major player in the MCU: he becomes the U.S. Secretary of State in Captain America: Civil War, pushes for the adoption of the Sokovia Accords, and was actually in charge of the secret prison where Captain America's rogue team was being held in Civil War before Cap freed them.
Abomination (The Incredible Hulk)
The early Marvel Studios films tended to lean into the old cliché of a hero facing an evil version of their own power set (Iron Man vs. Iron Monger, etc.), and former soldier Emil Blonsky pretty much fits the bill. In an effort to capture the Hulk after Banner's alter ego punches him through a tree, he hits himself with an experimental version of the same gamma McGuffin … except it doesn't turn him into a burly green guy. Instead, he becomes the Abomination, a monstrous creature that looks like a rotting troll.
Sure, he's formidable, but he's also relatively one-note. He's mean because he's mean and his only real character trait is that he loves to be a soldier. He was a forgettable baddie in an even more forgettable movie. He lived through the end of The Incredible Hulk and is apparently rotting away in a jail cell somewhere—and the fact that Marvel hasn't bothered to mention him since tells you everything you need to know.
Malekith (Thor: The Dark World)
Signing Doctor Who alum Christopher Eccleston to play the Dark Elf Malekith looked like a match made in casting heaven, what with Eccleston's intensity and unique facial features, but it sadly ended up producing one of the least memorable baddies in the MCU. Malekith had virtually no personality, and basically existed as a freaky-looking dude trying to get an Infinity Stone—nothing more, nothing less.
It's a shame, because on the surface, Malekith is extremely formidable. He's been around for millennia, and seeks to harness the power of the Infinity Stone known as the Aether. He even stages a surprise assault on Asgard itself, managing to breach the city's defenses, and later sets his sights on Earth. He put up a heck of a fight against Thor in the final act of The Dark World, though the God of Thunder still prevails.
Taserface: Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2)
As Rocket points out more than a few times, Taserface's name is pretty dumb—but he still has enough wits to lead a mutiny among Yondu's crew of Ravagers. He's big, mean, ruthless, and conniving, and brokers an uneasy alliance with Nebula to take Yondu's ship. He isn't all that bright, but hey, those other four traits go a long way—for awhile, anyway.
Whiplash (Iron Man 2)
Mickey Rourke rocking an Iron Man-style outfit with Arc Reactor-powered super-whips? How could it go wrong? Sadly, in a lot of ways. Rourke's Whiplash was one of many problems in the bloated, messy Iron Man 2, despite some admittedly awesome action scenes along the way. (Seriously, most of his body is exposed while fighting. How is he so hard to defeat?) Whiplash never feels all that intimidating, at least after that epic attack at the Monaco Grand Prix. He's motivated by a backstory involving the invention of the arc reactor technology (his father assisted the elder Stark in its creation), and teams up with the silly Justin Hammer, which only works to make him less terrifying. Not to mention his odd obsession with that bird.
Raza (Iron Man)
When Obadiah Stane decides to take out Tony Stark while Stark's on an overseas tour, he contracts with the terrorist organization the Ten Rings, led by Faran Tahir's Raza, to make it happen. Raza keeps Stark captive and proves to be an intimidating villain—at least until Stark secretly builds his first version of the Iron Man suit and manages to make short work of Raza's soldiers.
Raza was savvy enough to survive—even if his face did get burned in the process—and he tracked down stray bits of Stark's armor and tried to cut another deal with Stane. The only problem? Stane was a bit more tech-savvy than Raza, and used a sonic taser to paralyze him and kill his men. Despite his unceremonious ending, Raza is still technically the first villain we met in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and a throwback to the simple days of regular ol' terrorists in the MCU.
Korath the Pursuer (Guardians of the Galaxy)
Djimon Hounsou has popped up in everything from Gladiator to Wayward Pines, but for Marvel Cinematic Universe fans, he'll always be the guy who had no idea who “Star-Lord” is, or why he should care.
Hounsou's Korath has a small but memorable role in Guardians of the Galaxy that finds him tracking Star-Lord as he pursues the Infinity Stone. Though Star-Lord does get the better of him in the end, Korath still puts up a heck of a fight. He also manages to reacquire the Infinity Stone along with Nebula, which sets up Ronan the Accuser's near-world-ending attack on Xandar. Without Korath, Ronan would've never had the Infinity Stone to begin with for the assault, so he certainly served a purpose. He even holds his own against Drax the Destroyer for awhile—at least until Drax rips out the cybernetic implant in his head, killing him. Hey, at least he went out fighting.
Ulysses Klaue (Avengers: Age of Ultron, Black Panther)
The weirdest thing about Klaue is that the vast majority of his most important character moments happen offscreen. We get to see his introduction in Age of Ultron, where he loses his arm to a killer robot, and he's a pretty strong presence in the first half of Black Panther, but beyond that, we don't get much. His history with Wakanda, his acquisition of the piece of mining equipment that becomes his Vibranium arm-cannon, and even his death at the hands of Killmonger are completely absent from films.
On the bright side, Andy Serkis actually does an extremely entertaining job with him, which might be surprising considering that he's mostly known as the mo-cap actor for CGI characters that tend to stray a little further from human. That gives us the a nicely believable version of the Klaw we know from the comics, who still has the potential to come back after his “death” as a dude made of hot-pink sound waves. Plus, that sonic cannon was rad.
It's just weird that so many major events in his life happen while we're watching something else that's more interesting. Unless they happened during the events of Thor: The Dark World, that is. There's not much that's less interesting than that.
Ayesha (Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2)
She might not have been the big bad in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, but the golden goddess Ayesha (played by Elizabeth Debicki) was able to cause more than enough trouble for Star-Lord and his team. The leader of the powerful Sovereign, she commands a fleet of remote-controlled warships which come within one shot of taking out the Milano following an extensive chase. As if all that wasn't enough, the post-credit scene revealed Ayesha is actually the person responsible for birthing Adam Warlock, a major player in Marvel's cosmic universe and someone we expect to meet in Guardians Vol. 3. If nothing else, that portion of her legacy makes her more than worthy of a slot on this list.
The Chitauri (The Avengers)
They basically served as cannon fodder for Earth's Mightiest Heroes in the final hour of The Avengers, but they're still a massive alien army, led by those positively terrifying gigantic dragon-like ships that tore through downtown Manhattan. Their eventual humiliation notwithstanding, the Chitauri were more than formidable enough to push the Avengers to the brink in their first big screen team-up.
Arnim Zola (Captain America: The First Avenger)
In The First Avenger, Arnim Zola's appearance is basically just an Easter egg for fans in a movie that's full of them. He's a Nazi scientist that's seen through a weird lens for a moment, a callback to what is unquestionably one of Jack Kirby's weirdest designs. Beyond the nudge and wink, though, he could have honestly had any name without changing the plot at all.
When we pick back up in Winter Soldier, though, the setup of having Zola around for the first movie pays off in a pretty cool way. He might not be a robot with a camera for a head and his face on a giant TV screen built into his torso like the Bio-Fanatic of the comics, but what Winter Soldier's big reveal lacks in robot bodies, it more than makes up for by making him genuinely creepy.
Recasting Zola as the architect of Hydra's secret survival instantly makes him one of the most sinister enemies that Captain America has ever faced. On top of that, his synthesized voice and the way the camera tracks Cap and Black Widow's movements when they find the computer mainframe that he uploaded his consciousness into is the closest the MCU has ever gotten to a horror movie. Admittedly, both movies treat Zola as less of a villain and more of a plot device, but who's to say that there's not a backup of his programming somewhere just waiting to come back and make more trouble — and maybe next time, they'll upload it into a weird robot body.
The Scorpion (Spider-Man: Homecoming)
In the comics, Mac Gargan has a long villainous history, including tenures as the Scorpion, Venom, and even an brief period where he was the official Spider-Man of the United States government. In Homecoming, on the other hand, not so much.
His most notable actions in that movie are complete failures, first when an arms deal is interrupted by Spider-Man, and then later when he tries to get the Sinister Six going in prison before being shut down by the Vulture. Basically, he's just there to make Adrian Toomes look cooler by comparison, and when you're not as cool as the Vulture, it's safe to say that you screwed up pretty bad somewhere along the way.
The Black Order (Avengers: Infinity War)
Before we go any further, can we all just take a deep breath and bask in the joy that we are living in a time when the biggest movie of the year featured characters with names like Proxima Midnight and Corvus Glaive? Those are weird names even for superhero comics, and to get them in a film franchise that ten years ago only referred to Obadiah Stane as “Iron Monger” in the vaguest possible terms is a pretty incredible sign of progress.
Delightful names aside, the Black Order are perfectly serviceable henchmen. They manage to hit that Jaws-from-the-Bond-movies sweet spot of being threatening enough to present the heroes with a challenge and provide additional room for the action so that it's not just 40 people trying to punch Thanos at the same time, but not so threatening that they overshadow the actual villain of the piece. Each of them is distinct and visually menacing, and while Cull Obsidian doesn't do much beyond throwing his giant anchor around like a Guilty Gear character, Ebony Maw manages to come off as truly sinister and frightening.
Unfortunately, there's just not much for them to do. They're necessary for the plot, but we're never actually told anything about them — including most of those great names. They're visually striking and they serve a necessary purpose, but that's about it.
Ronan the Accuser (Guardians of the Galaxy)
Ronan was a religious zealot who co-opted a full-fledged Infinity Stone to continue his crusade to wipe out Xandar, but even without one of those awesomely powerful baubles, he's still one heck of a warrior; after all, he laid waste to Drax the Destroyer without even breaking a sweat. He also had the guts to stick it to Thanos, and actually walked away from the Mad Titan without much consequence.
The Guardians were no match for Ronan—Rocket Raccoon's super-gun left him unscathed, and the team's battle against Ronan's forces ended with the entire Xandarian fleet destroyed and Ronan reaching the planet's surface. Luckily, Star-Lord was able to actually control that Infinity Stone with the help of his team (and those sweet, sweet dance moves), and they used its immense power to blast the bad guy into oblivion.
Yellowjacket (Ant-Man)
The Marvel Cinematic Universe has a habit of introducing world-changing technology, then kind of ignoring it later on, and Corey Stoll's Darren Cross, a.k.a. Yellowjacket, played a key role in one of its biggest breakthroughs to date. Cross spent his entire career trying to follow in the footsteps of Hank Pym, finally cracking the code to duplicate the Pym Particles that allow the Ant-Man suit to shrink—though he doesn't realize it also messed with his brain chemistry in the process.
Cross used the tech to murder indiscriminately, taking out an official who doubts his capabilities by shrinking him into a pile of goo and flushing him down the toilet, and to build his Yellowjacket battle suit, which he wore while duking it out with Scott Lang's Ant-Man in an epic battle that almost entirely takes place inside a briefcase and on a play table in Scott's daughter's bedroom. The Yellowjacket suit is an insanely dangerous piece of tech, and the man pulling the trigger was truly unhinged; thankfully, Ant-Man managed to short it out and shrink Cross into oblivion.
Surtur (Thor: Ragnarok)
There's nothing like a fiery demon hellbent (pun intended) on destroying everything and everyone in his path to bond Thor and friends towards a common goal. The addition of Surtur in Thor: Ragnarok helped to not only bring the team together, but literally leveled the playing field.
Diehard comics fans know Surtur is a major villain in Thor's world. In Thor: Ragnarok, however, he's almost an ancillary one—appearing only in the opening act and destructive finale. That's not to say he's not important to the story. In Norse mythology, the word “Ragnarok” points to the apocalyptic battle between gods that results in a world destroyed by fire.
While Surtur is indeed the monster all Asgardians fear, Thor and Loki summon him to invoke the Ragnarok prophecy. This defeats Hela, but at a price: his attack absolutely decimates Asgard—crumbling the city in the sky to dust.
Red Skull (Captain America: The First Avenger)
There was every chance it would come off as silly, but Hugo Weaving's Red Skull easily stands out as one of the most original and terrifying baddies in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. In The First Avenger, he commands his own Hydra-fied Nazi division, complete with insanely dangerous weapons powered by the Tesseract. He also has super-strength, thanks to a tainted attempt to recreate the Super Soldier serum that gave Captain America his powers, putting him at a comparable strength level. He was one of the first characters to see the potential of the Tesseract, and managed to weaponize it more than 60 years before S.H.I.E.L.D. started trying to figure it out in The Avengers. He was Captain America's first big bad, and served as a red-skulled baptism by fire to get Cap ready to face the challenges of the modern era.
Kaecilius (Doctor Strange)
He might've just been a disciple of Dormammu in the end, but Mads Mikkelsen's Kaecilius was plenty intimidating his own right—a highly-trained sorcerer who went rogue, left the Ancient One's order to try and take out the Masters of the Mystic Arts, and nearly succeeded. In Doctor Strange, Kaecilius manages to destroy two of the Sanctums and put the Ancient One's forces on the ropes, and shows his prowess with magic in a few excellent fights against Doctor Strange. Luckily, a quick-thinking Strange managed to briefly trap him in magical straightjacket (thanks to a few assists from the Cloak of Levitation). Even if he was technically the B-list baddie in Doctor Strange, he'll always be an A-lister to us.
The Tinkerer (Spider-Man: Homecoming)
The Tinkerer is exactly the kind of character that the MCU needed, for the same reason that he was exactly the kind of character that the comics needed.
When the movies were starting out, characters like Whiplash and Justin Hammer made a lot of sense — self-made evil geniuses who could use their own villainous technology to threaten the heroes. As they went on and expanded to bring in more and more heroes and villains, though, it makes sense that we'd get to someone who wasn't quite on their level, but who could still learn from and reverse engineer that sci-fi super-tech and make it more accessible to street-level bad guys.
He's certainly not the focus, but Phineas Mason's work alongside the Vulture and the Shockers is the subtle embodiment of the change that's gone on in those movies for the past decade, from a universe with superheroes in it.
The Prowler (Spider-Man: Homecoming)
Of all the impressive things about Spider-Man: Homecoming, one of the most notable is just how many characters the filmmakers pulled in from the Marvel Universe. Beyond the main players like Spider-Man and the Vulture, this was a movie that had the Shocker, the Scorpion, Damage Control, the Tinkerer — even Jason Ionello, the kid who does the morning announcements at Midtown High, is pulled from Untold Tales of Spider-Man.
The best minor villain appearance by far is absolutely Aaron Davis, known in the comics as the Prowler. In the film, he's played by Donald Glover, who acts as the thoroughly unimpressed straight man to Peter Parker's “enhanced interrogation.” It's one of the best comedic scenes in the entire MCU, but what really makes it special is Davis's mention of his nephew. As comics readers know, Davis's nephew is Miles Morales, the second Spider-Man.
As far as villainy goes, Davis doesn't accomplish much beyond a failed arms deal. Hinting at a future of the MCU that includes Miles, though? That's pretty cool.
Crossbones (Captain America: Winter Soldier, Captain America: Civil War)
Frank Grillo's Brock Rumlow started out as a member of Captain America's strike team in Winter Soldier, eventually revealing himself as a Hydra agent when the attempted takeover began. He was a part of that epic elevator fight with Cap in that film, but wound up on the wrong side of the shield—after getting the edge on Sam Wilson during their one-on-one fight, he failed to notice a crashing helicarrier coming right for him, which resulted in Rumlow's burned, broken body being hauled out of the wreckage once the battle was over.
It seemed like that could be the end for Crossbones, but he survived to take one last shot at Cap in Civil War. Rocking his own homemade-looking battle suit, he got a fantastic extended action set piece fighting Captain America and Black Widow, and even laid some bone-crunching punches on Cap thanks to his suit's capabilities. So filled with hate that he literally blew himself up with Cap beside him, his final attack was foiled when Scarlet Witch managed to relocate the blast—taking out a group of Wakandan diplomats and kicking off the events of Civil War in earnest.
Dormammu (Doctor Strange)
He's one of the biggest villains in Doctor Strange lore—and the MCU actually kept the extremely powerful ruler of the Dark Dimension relatively close to his comics counterpart, as Doctor Strange's trip to the Dark Dimension was practically a Steve Ditko panel brought to life. Dormammu is one of the most powerful villains in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, loaded with universe-destroying power and on a mission to fuse our world with the Dark Dimension. He's so powerful that Doctor Strange had to simply outsmart him to save the world, trapping Dormammu in a time loop with him (where Dormammu killed him over and over) until he was forced to bargain for his freedom. It makes for one of the most clever finales in all of the MCU, and lands Dormammu high on our list of favorites.
Alexander Pierce (Captain America: The Winter Soldier)
When Marvel signed Robert Redford for a superhero movie, you knew it'd be an interesting role—and his turn as Alexander Pierce certainly delivered. He's introduced as the well-meaning Secretary of the World Security Council and old friend of Nick Fury, a hero who literally declined a Nobel Peace Prize…though it's eventually revealed Pierce has been pulling a lot of the strings in regards to Hydra's infiltration of S.H.I.E.L.D.
It was Pierce who shepherded Project Insight, the program designed to create the networked helicarrier system everyone is fighting over in The Winter Soldier (and which Hydra planned to use to take over the country). He also planted bombs in the name tags of the other Security Council members, which he uses to brutally murder them when they challenge his takeover. He stayed evil to the end, too, uttering “hail Hydra” with his dying breath after Nick Fury put two rounds into his chest. Now that's hardcore.
The Mandarin (Iron Man 3)
Ben Kingsley's character in Iron Man 3 wasn't actually the real Mandarin—and the “All Hail the King” one-shot short suggested the bona fide bad guy could still be out there, waiting to make his move—but that “fake” Mandarin still gave us the chills, at least until it was revealed that he's really just an out of work actor named Trevor Slattery who can barely be trusted with a six-pack of beer, much less a gun.
Kingsley embodied much of the look and feel of what comics fans expected to see from the Mandarin, and his haunting delivery of lines like “You'll never see me coming” is a masterstroke in fear. It loses some luster by the end, but the Mandarin presented in the front half of that film is one of the scariest baddies in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It might've all been a ruse, but it was effective.
The Grandmaster (Thor: Ragnarok)
When Thor is suddenly marooned on the junk planet Sakaar, he comes in contact with the larger-than-life character known as the Grandmaster. Aside from his comic-book origins, which make the dude 14 million years old (he's also the Collector's brother), the Grandmaster's introduction in Thor: Ragnarok adds some much-needed levity to Thor and Loki's dire situation.
Jeff Goldblum's addition to the MCU adds some Caesar Flickman-style antics amid the chaos, which finds Thor thrown into an event known as the Contest of Champions. While it's clear the Grandmaster acts as a power-hungry tyrant over the citizens of Sakaar, there's something that draws them all to this gladiator battle. And while Thor eventually teams up with Hulk—who's been stuck on the planet for quite some time—the Grandmaster does everything he can to keep the battle going no matter what. Obviously, he gets his comeuppance in the end. But something tells us this won't be the last we see of him.
Obadiah Stane/Iron Monger (Iron Man)
You have to respect where it all began, and Jeff Bridges' Obadiah Stane, a.k.a. Iron Monger, set the tone for the villains of the MCU in the first Iron Man film. Bridges' Stane is positively slimy, betraying Tony Stark and actually setting his entire hero's journey in action—so really, we can thank Stane for the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe. When his assassination attempt on Stark in the desert failed, Stane eventually donned the massive Iron Monger suit to try and finish the job himself. A lot has changed since Iron Monger stalked the skies, but his final fight with Iron Man had a brutal, messy feel that really let you feel the hate Stane had for Stark—and it still resonates, even in a world with heavy hitters like Thanos prowling around.
Ultron (Avengers: Age of Ultron)
Look, Age of Ultron was great, but there's no doubt the film was hampered by the strain between director Joss Whedon and Marvel, as well as the fact that it was basically a stopgap story on the way to Infinity War. Despite all that, James Spader brought absolute terror to the metal menace that was Ultron, with a near-endless supply of robot bodies and a design that had comics fans geeking out.
He's basically a big budget Black Mirror story brought to life, exemplifying how technology can be our greatest scourge, though Ultron does it with a wit that only Spader can provide, verbally sparring with Tony Stark better than most non-robot baddies. Like any great villain, Ultron also has a real point of view to his plan and motives. There's no doubt humans do cause a lot of problems, and looking at the facts, Ultron's final determination that humans and superheroes are what makes the world such a dangerous place makes its own twisted kind of sense.
Helmut Zemo (Captain America: Civil War)
The big-screen version of Captain America comics baddie Helmut Zemo in Civil War was a stark departure from what readers might've expected—including the absence of his distinctive purple outfit—but they gave the character more than enough added nuance to compensate. The most amazing thing about Zemo in Civil War is he's just an average guy—a smart guy, sure, but still a regular dude.
No superpowers. No gigantic master plan to take over the world. Just a man who wants revenge for the death of his family, and wise enough to realize the best way to take out the Avengers is to set them against one another. Sure, his plan does require a few leaps in logic, but it was refreshing to see a villain like Zemo brought to life in the MCU. He's a great reminder that it doesn't take world-smashing superpowers to give Earth's Mightiest Heroes a run for their money.
Aldrich Killian (Iron Man 3)
Iron Man 3 is one of the most polarizing movies in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, featuring an epic fakeout that reveals Guy Pearce's Aldrich Killian is actually the big bad behind a mysterious rash of bombings and terrorist attacks sweeping the globe. His secret weapon? Extremis, a versatile technology that first showed up in the Iron Man comics and is reimagined here as a way to super-heat one's body and literally regrow limbs.
Killian uses it to turn himself into a living weapon, capable of slashing through the most advanced Iron Man suits with his bare hands like they're made of nothing more than hot butter. His particular skillset makes for one of the most technically ambitious fight scenes in the MCU, with dozens of armored suits flying around and getting sliced to pieces by Killian. It's sometimes hard to believe any villain can truly go toe-to-toe with Tony Stark, but Killian made one heck of a run.
Ego (Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2)
Peter Quill's search for his father was a key part of the story in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, a journey that brought him face to face with Kurt Russell's Ego. It takes awhile for Ego to reveal that he's actually the villain of the film, but when the reveal comes, it's cosmic (literally).
As far as sheer abilities, Ego is one of the most powerful villains in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, right up there alongside the Mad Titan Thanos himself. Ego is essentially a god, encompassing an entire planet and capable of manifesting himself however he wishes. His master plan aims to expand his reach across most of the known universe, wiping out pretty much all other life in the process. The best part? Russell sells it so well that you really do understand where Ego's coming from, even if he is a psychopath who's killed hundreds of his own children in his quest for power. Ego redefined the concept of daddy issues—a tall order in a universe that already included Tony Stark.
The Vulture (Spider-Man: Homecoming)
Michael Keaton's Adrian Toomes, a.k.a. the Vulture, is one of the newer additions to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but there's no doubt he's also one of the best. In rebooting Spider-Man for the third time in a decade, Marvel decided to dig a bit deeper into the Spidey canon to find a villain who hadn't already been done to death on the big screen (how many Goblins do we really need?), and landed on the Vulture for Spider-Man: Homecoming, and thanks to Keaton's menacing, blue-collar take on the character, he quickly became a fan favorite.
In a universe of world-destroying monsters, the Vulture is decidedly street-level in his approach, but that's exactly what makes him work. The writers tweaked his backstory to make Toomes the father of Peter Parker's teenage crush, and he takes the “girlfriend's angry dad” trope to a whole new level. The effects team also did an amazing job with his armor and look, with the Vulture looking positively terrifying and inhuman when he's under that mask, stalking his prey.
Hela (Thor: Ragnarok)
Since her first appearance in the trailers for Thor: Ragnarok, it was pretty obvious that Cate Blanchett's Hela was going to leave an impression. We've never seen Thor face a villain like this one. Heck, we've never really seen a baddie such as Hela, the Goddess of Death in any of Marvel's offerings, or in Blanchett's varied career. Much like Loki before her, this Asgardian villain is someone audiences will immediately love to hate.
When Loki and Thor are faced with the death of Odin, a spell is broken that unleashes Hela back to the place she once ruled: Asgard. The concept of a secret sister takes Thor and Loki off guard, naturally. As soon as Odin passes, she appears to the brothers and presents her plan to take her rightful place on Asgard's throne. To prove her point, she easily crushes Mjolnir, Thor's hammer.
The truth is eventually revealed that Hela once acted as Odin's executioner, leading the Asgardian army to victory over all Nine Realms. This secret history helps to elevate Hela to epic villain status. Not only is she extremely powerful, prompting Thor to assemble his “Revengers” to take her out, her motivations to rule come from a very real, justifiable place. Honestly, viewers may find it a bit tough—even for just a moment—not to root for her.
Erik Killmonger (Black Panther)
With the exception of outright Nazi monsters like the Red Skull, the Marvel movies tend to be pretty good about telling stories of villains with complicated, and even relatable motivations. Characters like Loki, the Vulture, even Hela, the literal goddess of death, have some pretty legitimate reasons for what they're doing, even if those reasons have led them down exactly the wrong path. None of them, however, come close to being as sympathetic as Erik Killmonger.
He essentially has a superhero's origin: his father is killed in front of him, his royal heritage is denied to him, and he uses those tragedies to motivate a relentless dedication, training himself to the peak of his abilities before seeking vengeance. That setup is a whole lot closer to Batman than it is to, say, Crossbones or Ultron. When you add in the fact that Killmonger specifically wants to address the continuing history of racism, it's hard not to admit that he makes some pretty good points.
But the key word there is “vengeance.” For all of Killmonger's justifications, his major personal motivation is built around inflicting the same kind of pain that he experienced onto the world around him. Even if he's right, his goal is dominance rather than leadership, which makes him a true ideological opponent for T'Challa. It's one of the things that makes their final battle, in which they're both in nearly identical Black Panther costumes, so good: they're reflections of each other, both committed to fight to the death (and beyond) for their ideals without compromising who they are.
Loki (The Avengers)
Who else could it be? There's a reason Marvel Studios chose to use Loki as the main villain for The Avengers—he's one of the most compelling, calculated and charismatic villains ever brought to the big screen. There are some good reasons he's so formidable, too—before he went bad, Loki fought alongside Thor, so he has plenty of experience, and he has some mad trickster skills thanks to his cunning wit and mastery of the dark arts. He can also be positively ruthless, and will live in infamy as the man who pulled a fast one on Coulson and murdered everyone's favorite S.H.I.E.L.D. agent (he's since been resurrected on ABC's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., but still). Tom Hiddleston is so good at being bad that Marvel opted to keep him around long after his bid for supremacy was foiled at the hands of Earth's Mightiest Heroes. He's still no match for the Hulk—but who is?
Thanos
Thanos is the villain of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Sure, Loki may have been the immediate threat back in Avengers, but Thanos was the one behind him, whose arrival on the screen was foreshadowed for the better part of the decade before he finally stepped into the spotlight, with devastating results.
The thing is, he's not just a mindlessly powerful threat. There's been a lot of character work put into the cinematic version of Thanos, which is especially impressive considering that most of it is shown to the audience in a movie that's also juggling story arcs for dozens of other characters at the same time. Through it all, though, he's shown to have the same quality that all the greatest villains share: he thinks he's right. He's the hero of his own story, the only one who can step up and save the universe from itself, and is willing to sacrifice whatever he needs to in pursuit of that goal. And after he accomplishes, true to his word, he retires to a quiet life, happy in the knowledge that he's done what no one else could to make the universe a better place.
There's just one problem. His “heroic solution” is genocide on a galactic scale that's all but unimaginable. The sacrifices he makes aren't his own, they're simply more murders that simply don't matter when they're stacked up against what he intends to do with the Infinity Stones. In the comics, Thanos has often been referred to as “the ultimate nihilist,” but the MCU's version is the exact opposite. He believes very much in what he's doing, which makes him even more compelling… and more dangerous.
Every MCU movie villain ranked worst to best
by Stone Marshall | May 16, 2018 | Awesome Book News, Free, Intro, Minecraft News, Minecraft questions, news, parent-news, State of Stone, Stone Marshall Book News, Stone Marshall Books, Stone Marshall Club, Stone Marshall Minecraft Adventures, Uncategorized |
The Marvel Cinematic Universe showed audiences that a man could fly (as long as he was in a robotic suit of high-tech armor, or a literal god), and the slow threading of various superheroes into a cohesive universe has been amazing. But of all the mighty and astonishing superheroes that make up Marvel's premiere super-team, which is the most incredible?
To settle the question, we're ranking the most powerful members of the Avengers, starting from the bottom and ending with the strongest one there is. To qualify, we counted all the heroes in the Avengers movies, obviously, as well as characters who appeared on Iron Man or Captain America's team in Captain America: Civil War, both because they've all been Avengers at one point or another in the comics, and because part of the fun of it was the two heroes assembling their own team of Avengers. Read on to see who takes top honors!
Hawkeye
We'll start with the obvious loser on the team, the Avengers' arrogant archer Clint Barton, a.k.a. Hawkeye. While the Hawkeye of the comics has built a loyal cult fanbase based largely on David Aja and Matt Fraction's stripped-down formalist run on his solo book, none of those qualities are visible in the Hawkeye of the MCU. He's technically a super-spy on the level of Black Widow, but his defining moments in the movies involve him decidedly not stopping Thor from getting to his magic hammer (Thor), getting mind controlled by Loki (Avengers), almost being shot to death (Avengers: Age of Ultron), and getting immediately taken out by Black Panther in an airport brawl (Captain America: Civil War).
There's certainly a charm to a lovable loser who keeps fumbling his way through dangerous situations, but unfortunately for Hawkeye, we're not giving extra credit for a downtrodden demeanor. Hawkeye easily lands at the bottom tier of the team, at least until they fight a supervillain whose only weakness is arrows.
Quicksilver
Believe it or not, there was a time when Quicksilver, the white-haired on-again/off-again son of Magneto, was in two movies in the same year (X-Men: Days of Future Past and Avengers: Age of Ultron). It's certainly hard to believe, since his appearance in Ultron is so bad it's rocketed him down to the Hawkeye tier of our list.
His power is superspeed, which seems like it would keep him a bit higher on a list of most powerful superheroes in the MCU, but he was shot to death by Ultron's machine guns. Dying because of regular bullets, especially when you're a literal superhero with superpowers, is just embarrassing. Superman over at DC is known for being faster than a speeding bullet, but clearly Quicksilver isn't, which makes his “super” speed pretty unimpressive, if you ask us.
Black Widow
There's no shame in Black Widow's placement this far down the list. In a world with gods, robots, magic, and aliens, Black Widow earning a spot on the Avengers' roster due to sheer competence is nothing to be ashamed of. Like Hawkeye, she's a super-spy, but unlike Barton, she knows better than to use an outdated weapon that mankind has been developing countermeasures against for literally thousands of years. She also gets a few extra credit points for appearing in so many Marvel movies. There's got to be some reason that Iron Man, Nick Fury, and Captain America rely on her so much, even if actual onscreen examples of her excellence haven't been as constant as some of her peers.
Ant-Man
If this list were graded on charm and the strength of the supporting cast, Paul Rudd's Scott Lang would easily vault near the top. Unfortunately for the diminutive dynamo, we're grading on sheer power, and Ant-Man's skills don't quite stack up. There's a reason that the climax of Ant-Man goes for easy laughs with the constant reminder of the scale of Ant-Man and Yellowjacket's final battle.
To be fair to the reformed con man, he did test out growing to a massive size in Captain America: Civil War, but no one ever grows to a massive size to win a fight. Call it a byproduct of our obsession with David and Goliath stories, but generally the only time a character gets bigger is to be satisfyingly knocked over like an AT-AT Walker on Hoth. Still, actual superpowered technology beats quick-dying quasi-mutants and super-spies on this list.
Falcon
You know what rules? Flying. You know what rules even more? Flying around on awesome metal wings while you try to save the world from fascism with your best buddy Captain America. Sam Wilson has all the training that comes from working as a pararescue airman for years, plus the coolest technology that doesn't come with a Stark branding. There's a reason Captain America trusts him to watch his back.
The only downside to the MCU Falcon is that they decided to go with a robotic drone version of his comics counterpart's faithful Redwing. Sure, talking to birds like some sort of high-flying Aquaman isn't the greatest power, but we're getting to the superpowered side of this list, so he'd need something to rank a bit higher. Plus, if we're being fair, he actually lost to this next Avenger, and we're nothing if not objective.
Winter Soldier
He might look like a teen exploring his identity at Hot Topic, but Buchanan “Bucky” Barnes, a.k.a. the Winter Soldier, is a force to be reckoned with. Tortured and mind-controlled by HYDRA, he's been on so many secret assassination missions that his name is a legend in super-spy circles. Add in a super-strong and super-flexible metal arm that can punch a hole through concrete, along with a version of the Super Soldier Serum that powers Captain America, and the Winter Soldier's a formidable threat.
Plus, thanks to his central role in two different Captain America movies, we've actually seen him fight a good chunk of the Avengers, making his placement on this list fairly easy. Just imagine playing rock, paper, scissors against a guy with a metal arm. Now that's intimidating.
War Machine
They say it's good to have friends in high places, but generally that means that those friends can get you a job or maybe loan you some money. For James “Rhodey” Rhodes, being best friends with Tony Stark means that he gets a personalized version of high-tech armor with enough guns and missiles to fuel a small war.
As War Machine, Rhodey's got all the explosive offense of early Iron Man armors combined with the exacting methodology of a U.S. Army pilot, basically walking around in a wearable fighter jet. The Winter Soldier might be a brilliant assassin with a metal arm, but when you're wearing a mobile armory capable of shooting a missile from 1000 feet away, it's hard to imagine Bucky winning against War Machine.
Spider-Man
Smart, superpowered, and fitted out with Stark tech, Spider-Man's a late, but powerful, addition to the MCU. His relative youth and experience might cause him trouble in his regular life as Peter Parker, but his spidery alter ego, is a powerhouse. In his first appearance in the MCU in Captain America: Civil War, he's able to disable Winter Soldier and Falcon, bring down a Gi(Ant) Man, and even keep up with Captain America. That's a pretty strong showing for the young superhero.
Plus, in Spider-Man: Homecoming, audiences saw just how extensive the Stark-designed suit really was, with a powerful on-board AI, thousands of different kinds of webbing, and even an automated fight simulator. You give someone with actual superpowers some Stark tech, and they get bumped up to a whole new tier.
Captain America
Captain America's the full package, and we're not just talking about actor Chris Evans. Steve Rogers has superpowers, fighting prowess, and an indestructible vibranium shield that's the closest thing to unbreakable in the MCU (until adamantium shows up). Plus, if we're counting raw charisma as a superpower, that's one more advantage Cap has got to push him into the upper tier of powerful Avengers.
Onscreen, he's handily beaten nearly every character on this list, whether in fistfights (Spider-Man) or footraces (Falcon). Unfortunately, there's one opponent he wasn't able to beat, even when the fight took place in his own movie.
Iron Man
Iron Man is everyone's favorite genius billionaire playboy philanthropist, and that's even before you get to the laser-blasting, high-tech weaponry all wrapped up in a suit powered by tech more powerful than a literal nuclear reactor. Iron Man's got some power, is what we're saying. And that's only in one suit, not including the literal dozens that he can control remotely, or the giant suit he built especially to beat down the strongest thing in the world.
While his lack of close combat experience might seem to drop him a bit lower, the ending of Captain America: Civil War is literally him fighting Captain America and the Winter Soldier to a standstill, even with a barely functioning suit, so he's more than earned his spot.
Black Panther
Tony Stark might be an eccentric rich genius in America who gets treated like a king, but he's not an actual king like the Black Panther, ruler of Wakanda. Like Iron Man, he's got a technologically advanced suit—though in his case, it's made of nigh-indestructible vibranium instead if iron— and the resources to build any gadget he needs. But Black Panther's also got the fight training that Stark lacks, along with highly trained bodyguards, and the backing of an entire country so technologically advanced it makes New York City look like Amish country.
Plus, depending on how closely the upcoming movie follows his comic book origins, Black Panther might also have some mystical background, as he's able to communicate to Bast, the Panther goddess who gives him enhanced senses and strength. Even if the movie veers more toward realism, well, he's definitively beaten Iron Man a few different times , so even this spot on the list might be conservative.
Scarlet Witch
This is a bit of a tough one, since the Scarlet Witch of the MCU might be significantly less powerful than the comics version. In the comics, the Scarlet Witch is a ridiculously powerful mutant who was able to completely erase the mutant genome from the planet with her chaos magic, but the comics' “No more mutants” has nothing on Disney's “No mutants (until we buy the rights to the X-Men back).” As a result, the Scarlet Witch of the MCU uses abilities that run closer to telekinesis and telepathy than the magical powers of her comics counterpart.
Even without magic, though, she's a powerful superheroine, able to take down half the team under Ultron's orders. Still, considering the Doctor Strange movie has put magic squarely in the realm of the possible, it's not out of the question that we'll be seeing Wanda Maximoff reach closer to the ridiculous power of the comics. She might be young and have questionable taste in robot men, but being the only magic user on the Avengers puts her over the top. And speaking of questionable robot men?
The Vision
In the comics, the Infinity Gems are the most powerful items in the universe, used in conjunction with the Infinity Gauntlet to wield complete control over basically everything. While there's not full confirmation that the MCU will follow suit until the release of Avengers: Infinity War, it's not a far stretch to say that the magical MacGuffins are incredibly powerful. The Vision, the cybernetic homunculus based on Tony Stark's JARVIS AI, has the Mind Gem embedded in his forehead, giving him the powers of density manipulation, intangibility, and laser blasts. Even before the Mind Gem was used to power everyone's favorite walking AI, it was used to by Loki in a magic staff to mind control followers and bring a horde of alien invaders to attack earth in The Avengers.
Altogether, the combination of a brilliant AI, laser blasts, and a power source derived from a fundamental power source of the entire Marvel universe makes The Vision almost godlike.
Thor
Unfortunately for Vision, godlike isn't godly, and Thor is the actual God of Thunder, which puts him just over the top. Faster than a bolt of lightning, more powerful than a burst of thunder, able to leap tall buildings in a single throw (of his hammer)! In a world of super-soldiers and tech geniuses, only a god can keep the rest of the Avengers humble. Even if you discount his magic hammer, or his control of storms, or even his super-strength, he's the prince of Asgard, a popular scion of a supremely powerful king who commands a whole army of gods. Each one of Thor's many friends and family members are nearly as strong as he is, living in a god-filled utopia in space. Oh, and for eons, there was an entire basement full of world-ending weapons under his dad's castle. In the Marvel Universe, there's no one who can command that level of power. Well, almost no one…
The Hulk
The Hulk has beaten basically everyone in the entire Marvel Universe a few different times, often in (literally) earth-shattering ways, and that's just in the comics. In the MCU, Hulk's personally beaten the tar out of Thor, Iron Man, Loki, The Abomination, and the entire U.S. Army—and those are just the characters who've actually bothered to fight him instead of just running away. When Iron Man's response to Loki in The Avengers is to offer up the fact that the Avengers have Hulk on their side, it's not a joke. Hulk really is the strongest one there is.
The most powerful Avengers in the MCU ranked
