Thor: Love and Thunder introduced a great villain by the name of Gorr the God Butcher. Yet, Marvel has had a difficult time creating interesting and frightening villains. Still, Marvel has struck gold more than once. Here are my top ten MCU Villians. WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD!

THE ANOMALY

10. Loki (Thor, The Avengers)

The only reason Loki (Tom Hiddleston) ranks so low on my villain list is that Loki’s redemption arc has turned him into one of the most likable characters in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He helps Thor defeat Hela in Thor: Ragnorak, sacrifices himself to save Thor in Avengers: Infinity War, and becomes our favorite trickster god in the Loki series. 

But let’s not forget that Loki was a PROBLEM during the early days of the MCU. He was cunning and manipulative, always one step ahead of the heroes he faced. Loki successfully took the throne of Asgard for a time and released the Destroyer in Thor. He also stole the tesseract and unleashed a destructive, alien army on New York. He even killed Phil Coulson, everyone’s favorite agent of SHIELD. Loki was “burdened with glorious purpose.” He could have fulfilled that purpose if his arrogance didn’t get in his way.

THE MANIACS

9. Gorr the God Butcher (Thor: Love and Thunder)

Gorr (Christian Bale) is a great villain in a movie that never matches his greatness. One of the best traits of a villain is the bad guy who makes good points. Although his mission to kill all the universe’s gods is somewhat extreme, his righteous anger towards them is justified. 

He has one of the coolest powersets of any villains on this list. The ability to move and manipulate shadow reminded me of Noob Saibot in the Mortal Kombat franchise. Also, his shadow monsters look menacing and cool at the same time.

I also love some of the decisions Bale made with the character. He was creepy, especially when interacting with the Asgardian kids he kidnapped. He is the gods’ version of the boogie man. Gorr could have also ranked higher, but he didn’t get nearly as much screen time as he deserved in the film.

8: General Dreykov (Black Widow)

Since Black Widow was strangely released after the events of Avengers: Endgame, most audiences dismissed the movie as unnecessary. It was hard to get people to care about the back story of Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson) since we knew she died in the fourth Avengers film. It was a shame that this movie’s placement deflated its reception because it is one of the MCU’s better standalone films. 

One reason Black Widow was great was General Dreykov (Ray Winstone). General Dreykov is trying to win the title of “the most sinister villain” on the list. He kidnaps poor, female children from all over the world, puts the children through torturous training, and uses mind control to have them do his bidding. He doesn’t have much screentime, but his presence is always felt. General Dreykov falls to the eighth spot because he doesn’t have any powers or abilities that others on the list have, nor is his organization as impactful as HYDRA or other secret societies. This makes him somewhat out of touch with this new, superhuman world. If Black Widow had just one more Avenger assisting, they probably would have bested Dreykov in 30 minutes.

7: The Green Goblin (Spider-Man: No Way Home)

Transporting the Green Goblin (Willem Dafoe) to the MCU via a tear in the multiverse was a fantastic decision. Green Goblin was a lunatic in the original Spider-man franchise and showed how a great villain could magnify the suspense in these superhero films. 

I was not expecting Willem Dafoe to deliver an even more maniacal Green Goblin than he did in the original Spider-man (2002). However, I shouldn’t have been surprised since Dafoe continues to evolve as an actor. 

A great script and memorable lines further enhanced Dafoe’s performance. Peter Parker (Tom Holland) served as the audience’s surrogate, so when the Green Goblin challenged Spider-Man’s insecurities, he challenged our own. You genuinely despise the guy and wouldn’t have been too upset if Spider-Man took him out. 

The Green Goblin utterly overwhelmed Spider-Man throughout the movie. However, most Avengers heroes probably could have wiped the floor with him. Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) would have defeated him instantly if he wasn’t stuck in the mirror universe. Therefore, Goblin can’t go much higher than seventh.

THE MASTERMINDS

6: The Red Skull (Captain America: The First Avenger)

What is more villainous than a super soldier Nazi? The Red Skull (Hugo Weaving) is the best example of the archetypical comic book villain that was more prevalent in Marvel Comic’s Golden and Silver Ages (1939 – 1970). There wasn’t much depth to their backstory and motivations past a desire for world domination. You despise the Red Skull because, in true Nazi fashion, he believes in his superiority so much that he wants to subjugate all others. He is racist, fascist, and callous. Moreover, he is self-aware of these traits and wears them like a badge of honor.

The Red Skull also benefits from a simple but excellent character design (he literally has a red skull) and from the perfect casting of Hugo Weaving. I was disappointed that we didn’t see more of the Red Skull as either an Avengers foe or continuing his rivalry with Captain America. Although I believe Captain America: The Winter Soldier is a close-to-perfect superhero film, I can’t shake the idea that an opportunity was missed. Imagine how cool it would have been if Alexander Pierce (Robert Redford) had unmasked himself to be the Red Skull at the end? 

5. Baron Zemo (Captain America: Civil War)

Like General Dreykov, Baron Zemo (Daniel Brühl) is just an ordinary human. However, what Zemo lacks in superhuman powers and abilities, he makes up for with his cunning and wit. Zemo understands the new age of superheroes he lives in and despises it. His family died in Sokovia during the events of Avengers: Age of Ultron. In his mind, The Avengers were directly responsible for their deaths because of a perceived disinterest in protecting innocent lives during battle. What’s more, Ultron was born out of Tony Stark’s (Robert Downey Jr.) and Bruce Banner’s (Mark Ruffalo) hubris, so the event was avoidable altogether. Zemo is yet another example of a villain that makes good points.

Zemo’s plot has a significant impact on the MCU. He takes advantage of Bucky Barnes’ (Sebastian Stan) brainwashed state and uses him to assassinate King T’Chaka (John Kani). It leads to T’Challa’s (Chadwick Boseman) father’s death, which shook the nation of Wakanda. It also disbanded the Avengers and pitted hero against hero. The two leaders of the Avengers, Iron Man and Captain America, could have killed each other at the movie’s end. No villain on this list was as successful at psychological warfare as Zemo.         

4. Erik Killmonger (Black Panther)

Erik Killmonger (Michael B. Jordan) trained his whole life to enact revenge on the country responsible for his father’s death. Killmonger became an orphan when a disagreement between Wakandan King T’Chaka and Killmonger’s father (and T’Chaka’s brother) N’Jobu. After years of planning, Killmonger finds a way to sneak into Wakanda and challenge his cousin for the throne. He beats T’Challa, takes control of Wakanda and its resources, and begins plans for revolution.

Killmonger is high on this list due to his commitment to the long game. Every decision Killmonger moved him closer to avenging his father and exposing Wakanda to the world. He received multiple college degrees, combat training as a US Navy SEAL, and conducted many dangerous missions worldwide solely for training his mind and body. 

He is also our final entrant in the “villain that makes good points” category. Killmonger is right. Wakanda was largely absent from world affairs while people of African descent were oppressed all over the globe. Wakanda’s absence from the world stage should not be forgiven. His desire for a violent revolution across the globe went too far. However, he opened the eyes of that nation’s leadership, leading to Wakanda offering humanitarian aid worldwide.

THE UNIVERSAL THREATS

3.  Hela (Thor: Ragnarok)

Hela (Cate Blanchett) is the powerful firstborn child of Odin (Anthony Hopkins) and the previous commander of the Asgardian armies. Odin and Hela conquered the nine realms. Odin’s reasoning for the conquest was a pursuit of peace, but Hela had grown imperialistic and hungry for power. Odin knew that Hela had grown too bloodthirsty and formidable. So, Odin imprisoned Hela and erased her from history. Odin shares with Thor and Loki that his coming death would release Hela and mark the start of “Ragnorak,” the destruction of Asgard.

After Odin’s death, Hela does show up and bests Thor, destroying Mjolnir in the process. Hela kills the beloved Warriors Three, conquers Asgard, and plans her next conquests. 

At the time of Thor: Ragnorak, Hela was the most powerful villain we had seen. Her immense power, coupled with her tremendous confidence, made her frightening. Hela laughed off everything that Thor and the other Asgardians tried. The fact that she found Thor, Loki, and even the Hulk’s best efforts minor annoyances cemented her standing in the MCU. In fact, it took the summoning of a demon stronger than Odin to destroy Asgard for her to be defeated. What a powerhouse.

2. The Scarlet Witch (Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness)

Following the events of WandaVision, Wanda Maximoff, aka The Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen), has mastered the cursed Darkhold, a book of ancient magic that gives the user unimaginable power. Wanda was already mentally unstable, but the curse of the Darkhold made her absolutely insane. She was obsessed with being a mother again since the children she created during the events in Westview, New Jersey, had disappeared (yes, a LOT happened in WandaVision). Wanda learns about the existence of the multiverse and that there are alternate versions of her and her children. She plans to travel the multiverse, kill her alternate self, and take the children as her own. 

The more time we spend with Wanda, the more we question if she was ever a hero in the first place. However, in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Wanda is unquestionably a pure villain. She is trying to kill the teenager America Chavez (Xochitl Gomez) and kills scores of sorcerers while attempting to capture Chavez. Wanda even kills the Illuminati, an alternate earth’s version of the Avengers! She only gives up after scaring her alternate universe’s kids causes an epiphany that what she is doing is batshit crazy.

1. Thanos (Avengers: Infinity War. Avengers: Endgame) 

Of course, Thanos (Josh Brolin) takes the number one spot. This villain completely turned the MCU on its head. Thanos believed that limited resources lead to suffering across the universe and possibly destruction. His solution was to eliminate half of the universe’s population. That way, resources are abundant for remaining life. Thanos set off on a quest to collect the infinity stones, which would give him the power to eradicate half the universe with a snap of his finger.

Thanos is powerful, confident, and resolute in his goal. We can’t call Thanos overconfident because he does everything he says he will do. He easily defeats Hulk and Thor, who were at their most powerful. He beats all the Avengers, the Guardians of the Galaxy, and anyone else that tried to stop him. Although Thor almost takes him out by impaling him with the ax Stormbreaker, he still snaps his fingers and wipes out half the universe. Afterward, he retires to an empty planet as if he had finished a long and fruitful career. Sure, Scarlet Witch and Hela may be more powerful than Thanos without the stones. But with the stones, none can withstand Thanos. He was “inevitable.”