By Eddie Possehl
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The best villains out there are ones that have a deep connection to the heroes themselves. That's what makes a lot of Spider-Man's villains so interesting in the comic books, as most of them have a personal connection to Peter Parker or were accidentally created by Peter himself. Personal connections in any way, shape, or form make Marvel villains so much more compelling and interesting for viewers/readers to consume.
The Marvel Cinematic Universe has had 17 years to bring some awesome villains to the big screen and through that, some foes to the heroes have been created by the heroes themselves. Whether they're brought to life by heroes in the modern day or those from the past, in the words of Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson), "No matter who wins or loses, trouble always comes around."
10 Ghost (Ava Starr)
Played by Hannah John-Kamen
While Ant-Man and the Wasp wasn't as well-received as the first Ant-Man film, the concept of the villain of the film, Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen), is really dang cool. Her power-set, in which she can turn herself intangible through the power of quantum energy, is super fun and unlike any other ability seen in the MCU. She wasn't just some random villain, however, being "created" by the likes of both S.H.I.E.L.D. and Hank Pym (Michael Douglas). Once thought of as forgettable, she's actually coming back for Thunderbolts*.
Beginning as an operative taken in by the government agency to be a spy using her powers, she was mistreated and essentially thrown to the side when she realized she was dying due to her own abilities. Growing desperate, she took to villainous actions when Hank created the Quantum Tunnel in hopes of saving his wife (Michelle Pfeiffer). Seeing that this was the perfect opportunity to use the energy to stabilize her condition, she began to do some harrowing things to get there. While they didn't give her the quantum powers, S.H.I.E.L.D.'s treatment and Hank's development led to her being a villain.
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Ant-Man and the Wasp
PG-13
Action Adventure Science Fiction Superhero- Release Date
- July 6, 2018
- Runtime
- 119 Minutes
Cast
-
Paul Rudd
Scott Lang / Ant-Man
-
Evangeline Lilly
Hope Van Dyne / Wasp
-
Michael Douglas
Dr. Hank Pym
-
Hannah John-Kamen
Ava / Ghost
As Scott Lang balances being both a superhero and a father, Hope van Dyne and Dr. Hank Pym present an urgent new mission that finds the Ant-Man fighting alongside The Wasp to uncover secrets from their past.
- Director
- Peyton Reed
- Writers
- Chris McKenna, Paul Rudd, Erik Sommers, Andrew Barrer, Gabriel Ferrari
- Producers
- Charles Newirth, Kevin Feige, Louis D'Esposito, Stan Lee, Stephen Broussard
- Prequel(s)
- Ant-Man
- Character(s)
- Scott Lang / Ant-Man, Hope Van Dyne / Wasp, Dr. Hank Pym, Ava / Ghost, Jimmy Woo, Janet Van Dyne / Wasp, Dr. Bill Foster, Luis, Sonny Burch, Paxton, Maggie, Dave, Kurt, Cassie, Uzman, Anitolov, Knox, Agent Stoltz, Agent Burleigh, Elihas Starr, Catherine Starr, Young Hank, Young Janet, Young Bill, Young Ava
- Budget
- $140 Million
- Studio(s)
- Marvel Studios
- Distributor(s)
- Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
9 The Leader (Samuel Sterns)
Played by Tim Blake Nelson
The most recent villain to debut in the MCU was actually created far before his inclusion in Captain America: Brave New World. All the way back in his first debut in the second-ever MCU film, The Incredible Hulk, when he got Bruce Banner's (Edward Norton) blood on a wound in his hand— being affected by the radiation within it. The hero-centric creation doesn't end there, though.
When Captain America: Brave New World aired, it was revealed that after the events of The Incredible Hulk, Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross (William Hurt and Harrison Ford) took him captive and used him as his own personal think-tank to help him rise to power in the Presidency. For doing this, he promised the man his release, but never followed up on it. Which led to his big evil plan in Captain America: Brave New World.
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Captain America: Brave New World
4 10
59 8.2/10
- Release Date
- February 14, 2025
- Director
- Julius Onah
Cast
-
Anthony Mackie
Sam Wilson / Captain America
-
Harrison Ford
Thaddeus 'Thunderbolt' Ross / Red Hulk
Captain America: Brave New World follows Sam Wilson as he steps into his role as the new Captain America. Navigating the complexities of geopolitics, Sam encounters an international incident involving a mysterious global plot. As tensions rise, he must uncover the mastermind behind the scheme to prevent worldwide chaos.
- Writers
- Dalan Musson, Malcolm Spellman
- Prequel(s)
- Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Infinity War
- Franchise(s)
- Captain America, Marvel Cinematic Universe
- Main Genre
- Superhero
- Character(s)
- Sam Wilson / Captain America, Thaddeus 'Thunderbolt' Ross / Red Hulk, Betty Ross, Sidewinder, Rachel Leighton / Diamondback, Prime Minister Ozaki, Samuel Sterns / The Leader, Ruth Bat-Seraph / Sabra, Isaiah Bradley, Joaquin Torres / Falcon, Presidential Aide, Secret Service Agent #2, Navy Seal, White House Press
- Studio(s)
- Marvel Studios
- Distributor(s)
- Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
8 Abomination (Emil Blonsky)
Played by Tim Roth Et al.
The Incredible Hulk seems to have a tendency to be the source of some of the MCU's coolest villains. Within the plot of the film, the main monster is created by none other than the program itself and, later, Bruce Banner. Through the experiments being done at the lab, Emil Blonsky (Tim Roth) was injected with a prototype new Super Soldier Serum and, after being beaten by Hulk, he infused Banner's blood into his own bloodstream and transformed into the villain everyone knows and loves. He also delivered one of the best Hulk scenes in the MCU.
One of the biggest themes in The Incredible Hulk surrounds the pursuit of science and when it is too far when it comes to pushing forth with new technology and advancements. Abomination (JB Blanc, J.D. Hall, Fred Tatasciore, and Jonathan Lipow) is a direct representation of this theme and shows how, often, villains can be created by those around them in the search of advancement.
The Incredible Hulk
PG-13
Science Fiction Action AdventureBruce Banner, a scientist on the run from the U.S. Government, must find a cure for the monster he turns into whenever he loses his temper.
- Release Date
- June 12, 2008
- Runtime
- 114 minutes
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7 Hela Odinsdottir
Played by Cate Blanchett
One of the biggest perpetrators of "heroes" (up for debate with this guy) creating villains is none other than the head of Asgard, Odin Borson (Anthony Hopkins) himself. While Odin's herosim is up for debate by some, he's depicted as such in the MCU. Odin's treatment of his long-lost daughter, though, ended up creating a monster.
The firstborn of Odin, the overpowered Hela (Cate Blanchett) was once the Executioner of Asgard and leader of the army— the first to wield Mjölnir, too. When the leader of Asgard realized that peace was for the better for everyone, Hela majorly disagreed and, through this disagreement, he banished her after she attempted to take the throne from him. This action led to her eventual resurgence in Thor: Ragnarok, where she attempted to take the throne once again.
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Thor: Ragnarok
PG-13
Action Adventure Science Fiction- Release Date
- November 3, 2017
- Runtime
- 131 minutes
Cast
-
Chris Hemsworth
Thor
-
Mark Ruffalo
Bruce Banner / Hulk
-
Tom Hiddleston
Loki
-
Cate Blanchett
Hela
Imprisoned on the planet Sakaar, Thor must race against time to return to Asgard and stop Ragnarök, the destruction of his world, at the hands of the powerful and ruthless villain Hela.
- Director
- Taika Waititi
- Writers
- Christopher L. Yost, Craig Kyle, Eric Pearson
- Producers
- Kevin Feige, Louis D'Esposito, Thomas M. Hammel, Victoria Alonso
- Prequel(s)
- Thor: The Dark World
- Sequel(s)
- Thor: Love and Thunder
- Franchise(s)
- Marvel Cinematic Universe
- Main Genre
- Superhero
- Character(s)
- Thor, Bruce Banner / Hulk, Loki, Hela, Heimdall, Grandmaster, Valkyrie, Skurge, Odin, Doctor Strange, Korg (voice), Topaz, Surtur (voice), Hogun, Volstagg, Fandral, Asgardian Date #1, Asgardian Date #2, Actor Thor, Actor Odin, Actor Sif, Odin's Assistant, College Girl #1, College Girl #2, Lead Scrapper
- Budget
- $180 Million
- Studio(s)
- Marvel, Disney
- Distributor(s)
- Disney
6 The Vulture (Adrian Toomes)
Played by Michael Keaton
Much like Odin, the top-dog in the MCU, Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) has a nasty habit of creating some of the worst-of-the-worst villains. Most of the time, they turn directly against him or the Avengers as a whole, but there are two instances in which he created foes that were aimed at the young hero, Spider-Man (Tom Holland), instead. This would turn him into a Spider-Man villain, instead.
The first example of this comes in Spidey's first solo MCU outing, Spider-Man: Homecoming, with the emergence of The Vulture. After the events of The Avengers, Adrian Toomes took up the monetary outing of collecting and getting rid of the alien ruins from the wreckage. With a joint venture with Stark Industries, the Department of Damage Control entered the fray, kicked them out, and ripped his job away from him. This would end with him taking up an undercover weapons operation that the Wall-Crawler would eventually get in the way of.
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Spider-Man: Homecoming
PG-13
Action Adventure Science Fiction Drama- Release Date
- July 7, 2017
- Runtime
- 133 minutes
Cast
-
Tom Holland
Peter Parker / Spider-Man
-
Michael Keaton
Adrian Toomes / Vulture
-
Robert Downey Jr.
Tony Stark / Iron Man
-
Marisa Tomei
May Parker
Peter Parker balances his life as an ordinary high school student in Queens with his superhero alter-ego Spider-Man, and finds himself on the trail of a new menace prowling the skies of New York City.
- Director
- Jon Watts
- Writers
- Chris McKenna, John Francis Daley, Jonathan Goldstein, Christopher Ford, Erik Sommers, Jon Watts
- Producers
- Avi Arad, Kevin Feige, Louis D'Esposito, Matt Tolmach, Patricia Whitcher, Stan Lee, Victoria Alonso, Amy Pascal
- Sequel(s)
- Spider-Man: Far from Home, Spider-Man: No Way Home
- Franchise(s)
- Spider-Man
- Main Genre
- Superhero
- Character(s)
- Peter Parker / Spider-Man, Adrian Toomes / Vulture, Tony Stark / Iron Man, May Parker, Happy Hogan, Pepper Potts, Michelle, Aaron Davis, Ned, Liz, Flash, Herman Schultz / Shocker #2, Anne Marie Hoag, Abraham, Coach Wilson, Principal Morita, Ms. Warren, Betty, Mr. Harrington, Doris Toomes, Phineas Mason / Tinkerer, Mac Gargan, Jackson Brice / Shocker #1, Karen / Suit Lady (voice), Agent Foster
- Budget
- $175 Million
- Studio(s)
- Marvel
- Distributor(s)
- Columbia Pictures
5 Erik Killmonger
Played by Michael B. Jordan
Known as one of the best villains in the MCU, Erik Killmonger's (Michael B. Jordan) origin story depicted in Black Panther showed that the previous Black Panther, T'Challa's (Chadwick Boseman) father (John Kani), murdered young Erik's (Seth Carr) father. To make matters worse, his hate for Wakanda would grow because of their national policies.
Black Panther covered a lot of social and political issues, like the topic of isolationism, and Killmonger is the side of the spectrum that is anti-isolationist. His reasoning may be understandable, but the actions he takes because of the previous Black Panther and Wakanda itself are horrific and led to him being one of the best MCU foes.
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Black Panther
PG-13
Action Adventure Science Fiction7.8/10
- Release Date
- February 16, 2018
- Runtime
- 135 minutes
WHERE TO WATCH
Streaming
- Cast
- Chadwick Boseman, Michael B. Jordan, Lupita Nyong'o, Danai Gurira, Martin Freeman, Daniel Kaluuya, Letitia Wright, Winston Duke, Sterling K. Brown, Angela Bassett, Forest Whitaker, Andy Serkis, Florence Kasumba, John Kani, David S. Lee, Nabiyah Be, Isaach De Bankolé, Connie Chiume, Dorothy Steel, Danny Sapani, Sydelle Noel, Marija Abney, Zola Williams, Janeshia Adams-Ginyard, Maria Hippolyte
- Director
- Ryan Coogler
- Writers
- Joe Robert Cole, Ryan Coogler
- Producers
- Jeffrey Chernov, Kevin Feige, Louis D'Esposito, Victoria Alonso
- Sequel(s)
- Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
- Franchise(s)
- Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe
- Main Genre
- Adventure
- Character(s)
- T'Challa / Black Panther, Erik Killmonger, Nakia, Okoye, Everett K. Ross, W'Kabi, Shuri, M'Baku, N'Jobu, Ramonda, Zuri, Ulysses Klaue, Ayo, T'Chaka, Limbani, Linda, River Tribe Elder, Mining Tribe Elder, Merchant Tribe Elder, Border Tribe Elder, Dora Milaje
- Budget
- $200 million
- Studio(s)
- Marvel Studios
- Distributor(s)
- Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
4 Baron Zemo
Played by Daniel Brühl
Many MCU villains play checkers, but through his hate for the Avengers, Baron Zemo (Daniel Brühl) played chess. After the devastating events of Avengers: Age of Ultron, almost all of Zemo's family—most importantly, his wife and child—were killed due to the wreckage and the Avengers... didn't do anything. This led to him taking steps to rip the superhero team apart from the inside, inciting the events of Captain America: Civil War.
Zemo's reasoning for his villainy is commentary on a genuine problem with superheroes that is at the core of Captain America: Civil War. Usually, enemies that are created by heroes are created by, well, one hero. This incredibly smart man was created by the entire team of Avengers, which sets him apart a bit.
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Captain America: Civil War
PG-13
Adventure Action Science Fiction Superhero10/10
- Release Date
- May 6, 2016
- Runtime
- 147 minutes
Cast
-
Chris Evans
Steve Rogers / Captain America
-
Robert Downey Jr.
Tony Stark / Iron Man
Political involvement in the Avengers' affairs causes a rift between Captain America and Iron Man.
- Director
- Anthony Russo, Joe Russo
- Writers
- Christopher Markus, Stephen McFeely
- Producers
- Kevin Feige, Louis D'Esposito, Patricia Whitcher, Stan Lee, Victoria Alonso, Alan Fine
- Prequel(s)
- Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Captain America: The First Avenger
- Franchise(s)
- Marvel
- Main Genre
- Superhero
- Character(s)
- Steve Rogers / Captain America, Tony Stark / Iron Man, Natasha Romanoff / Black Widow, Bucky Barnes / Winter Soldier, Sam Wilson / Falcon, Lieutenant James Rhodes / War Machine, Clint Barton / Hawkeye, T'Challa / Black Panther, Vision, Wanda Maximoff / Scarlet Witch, Scott Lang / Ant-Man, Sharon Carter, Peter Parker / Spider-Man, Zemo, Brock Rumlow / Crossbones, Secretary of State Thaddeus Ross, Everett K. Ross, May Parker, King T'Chaka, Howard Stark, Maria Stark, Miriam, MRI Tech, Vicar, Josef / Super Soldier #1
- Budget
- $250 Million
- Studio(s)
- Marvel Studios
- Distributor(s)
- Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
3 Loki Odinson
Played by Tom Hiddleston
One of the most popular baddies in this cinematic universe is the villain-turned-hero, Loki Odinson (Tom Hiddleston). Yet another example of Odin being the spawn of his own monsters. The origin of Loki is actually a pretty depressing one and his adoptive father was so clearly in the wrong for hiding his true heritage from him, which made Loki lose it a bit.
He'd go on to lead the charge against Earth in The Avengers, betray Thor (Chris Hemsworth) multiple times, and wouldn't have a true turnaround until Thor: Ragnarok many years later. Had Odin not stolen Loki or hidden the truth, there's a chance the God of Mischief wouldn't have ended up so horribly before his redemption.
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The Avengers
PG-13
Science Fiction Action Adventure Superhero10/10
- Release Date
- May 4, 2012
- Runtime
- 143 minutes
Cast
-
Chris Evans
Steve Rogers / Captain America
-
Robert Downey Jr.
Tony Stark / Iron Man
A formidable enemy endangers global security, prompting Nick Fury, director of S.H.I.E.L.D., to assemble an extraordinary team of heroes. As tensions rise, this diverse group must unite to prevent a looming catastrophe, leveraging their unique abilities to uphold peace and protect the world from impending disaster.
- Director
- Joss Whedon
- Writers
- Joss Whedon, Zak Penn
- Producers
- Avi Arad, Chris Brigham, Jon Favreau, Kevin Feige, Louis D'Esposito, Victoria Alonso, Jeremy Latcham
- Sequel(s)
- Avengers: Age of Ultron, Avengers: Infinity War, Avengers: Endgame, Avengers: Doomsday (2026)
- Main Genre
- Adventure
- Character(s)
- Steve Rogers / Captain America, Tony Stark / Iron Man, Bruce Banner / The Hulk, Thor, Natasha Romanoff / Black Widow, Clint Barton / Hawkeye, Loki, Agent Phil Coulson, Agent Maria Hill, Selvig, Nick Fury, Pepper Potts, Jarvis (voice), The Other, NASA Scientist, Georgi Luchkov, Weaselly Thug, Tall Thug, Young Girl, Calcutta Woman, World Security Council, Carrier Bridge Tech
- Franchise
- Marvel Cinematic Universe
- Characters By
- Stan Lee, Steve Ditko
- Sequel
- Avengers: Age of Ultron, Avengers: Infinity War, Avengers: Endgame
- Cinematographer
- Seamus McGarvey
- Producer
- Kevin Feige
- Production Company
- Marvel Studios
- Sfx Supervisor
- Chris Brenczewski
- Budget
- $220 Million
- Studio(s)
- Marvel
- Distributor(s)
- Marvel, Disney
- Where To Stream
- Disney+
2 Mysterio (Quentin Beck)
Played by Jake Gyllenhaal
Another example of Mr. Stark's actions creating a little demon to throw Spider-Man's way is in one of the Web-Slinger's greatest villains, Mysterio (Jake Gyllenhaal). Tony pretty much steals Quentin Beck's technology and naming it B.A.R.F., which sets Beck on a mission to ruin the billionaire's legacy post-Avengers: Endgame death.
What makes this creation worse is that Stark would never be the one to face his wrath. Instead, Peter Parker would have to face him, take one wild beating (getting hit by a speeding train), and have his identity revealed to the entire world. Mysterio was created by selfish rich people and the young broke teenager suffered from it.
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Spider-Man: Far from Home
PG-13
Adventure ActionSci-Fi
Superhero- Release Date
- July 2, 2019
- Runtime
- 129 Minutes
Cast
-
Tom Holland
Peter Parker / Spider-Man
-
Jake Gyllenhaal
Quentin Beck / Mysterio
-
Samuel L. Jackson
Nick Fury
-
Marisa Tomei
May Parker
Following the events of Avengers: Endgame (2019), Spider-Man must step up to take on new threats in a world that has changed forever.
- Director
- Jon Watts
- Writers
- Erik Sommers, Chris McKenna
- Prequel(s)
- Spider-Man: No Way Home, Spider-Man: Homecoming
- Main Genre
- Adventure
- Character(s)
- Peter Parker / Spider-Man, Quentin Beck / Mysterio, Nick Fury, May Parker, Happy Hogan, MJ, Ned Leeds, Flash Thompson, Betty Brant, Brad Davis, Mr. Harrington, Mr. Dell, Jason Ionello, Maria Hill, Dimitri, Zach, Zoha, Yasmin, Josh, Tyler, Sebastian, The Seamstress, William Ginter Riva, Victoria, Guterman, Janice, J. Jonah Jameson, E.D.I.T.H. (voice), Dutch Soccer Hooligan, Venetian Glassblower, Queens Reporter, Italian TV Newsreader, Italian Customs Office, Helpful Dutch Man, Italian Street Vendor, Opera Singer, Caricaturist, Pat Kiernan
1 Ultron
Played by James Spader
The best example of a villain being created by a hero in the MCU comes from (of course) Tony Stark. In hopes of creating a machine and an extremely intelligent A.I. to protect the world, Tony accidentally created a monster that tried to drop a self-made meteor filled with innocent people on the planet. He made his mark on the MCU in Avengers: Age of Ultron.
Making things even worse, Ultron's (James Spader) personality was powered by Stark's worst qualities. Not only is he the one who unintentionally created him, but he's the cornerstone of the robot's mind. So he's the creation of his ideals, too. Ultron tried to end the world and this makes Tony one of the worst heroes when it comes to creating villains.
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Avengers: Age of Ultron
PG-13
Action Adventure Science Fiction Superhero10/10
- Release Date
- May 1, 2015
- Runtime
- 141 minutes
Cast
-
Robert Downey Jr.
Tony Stark / Iron Man
-
Chris Hemsworth
Thor
When Tony Stark and Bruce Banner try to jump-start a dormant peacekeeping program called Ultron, things go horribly wrong and it's up to Earth's mightiest heroes to stop the villainous Ultron from enacting his terrible plan.
- Director
- Joss Whedon
- Writers
- Joss Whedon
- Producers
- Jon Favreau, Kevin Feige, Louis D'Esposito, Patricia Whitcher, Stan Lee, Victoria Alonso, Jeremy Latcham
- Prequel(s)
- The Avengers
- Character(s)
- Tony Stark / Iron Man, Thor, Bruce Banner / Hulk, Steve Rogers / Captain America, Natasha Romanoff / Black Widow, Clint Barton / Hawkeye, Ultron (voice), Nick Fury, James Rhodes / War Machine, Pietro Maximoff / Quicksilver, Wanda Maximoff / Scarlet Witch, Jarvis / Vision, Maria Hill, Sam Wilson / The Falcon, Peggy Carter, Heimdall, Laura Barton, Erik Selvig, Dr. Helen Cho, Strucker, Ulysses Klaue, Madame B, Stan Lee, Dr. List, Fortress Soldier
- Story By
- Stan Lee, Jack Kirby
- Budget
- 365 million USD
- Studio(s)
- Marvel Studios
- Distributor(s)
- Disney
NEXT: Every Spider-Man Movie, Ranked by How Funny They Are
- Movie
- MCU
- Villains
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