Many of the most iconic comic book supervillains, from Joker and Darkseid to Green Goblin and Red Skull, are known for being vicious, irredeemable forces of pure evil, whose vile deeds are as terrifying as they are thrilling. However, when written well, a more nuanced antagonist can be just as compelling.
For evidence of this, look no further than the Marvel Cinematic Universe. While many early MCU films struggled to create engaging villains, later movies received acclaim for their humanized and tragic antagonists. Here are just a few of the greatest Marvel villains who prove that some of the coolest bad guys aren’t always as bad as they seem.
RELATED:X-Men: The 5 Best Storylines From The Original Animated Series
Loki
Generally considered to be the first great MCU villain,Loki set the standardfor bad guys to come. Ever since the original 2011Thor, Tom Hiddleston imbued Loki with a blend of wicked mischief and sorrowful vulnerability that captured the hearts of audiences. Despite his ambitions of conquest and destruction, Loki is ultimately driven by a desperate need for approval, which manifests as a narcissistic hunger for glory and worship. He’s committed no shortage of evil deeds, but under the surface, this trickster is just a sad, lonely kid who wants to be loved for who he is.
Baron Zemo
Introduced inCaptain America: Civil War, Baron Helmut Zemo is one of the most beloved villains in the MCU despite ostensibly being a normal human. Originally a Sokovian nobleman and former soldier, Zemo lived a happy life with his wife and son until they were killedduring the battle between Ultronand the Avengers. Since then, Zemo has held a grudge against the Avengers and superhumans in general, seeing them as irresponsible, dangerous, and undeserving of their power.
Zemo is perfectly willing to kill innocents in the pursuit of his ideals — including T’Challa’s father T’Chaka — but he is not without a sense of honor. He’s even downright friendly towards Sam Wilson and Bucky Barnes during their team-up inThe Falcon and the Winter Soldier. He may be a remorseless criminal mastermind, but Zemo is ultimately a broken man driven by the loss of his family.
Vulture
One of Spider-Man’s defining attributesis his compassion — he can see the best in everyone, including his deadliest enemies. Take for instance Adrian Toomes, aka the Vulture, the main antagonist ofSpider-Man: Homecoming. Despite being an unscrupulous thief and arms dealer, Vulture’s crimes are motivated by the need to provide for his family. He’s a victim of circumstance, whose turn to villainy is a result of Tony Stark’s mistakes. In the end, Spider-Man saves the life of his enemy, and Vulture returns the favor by protecting Peter’s secret identity.
Killmonger
Despite his ominous name,Killmonger is one of the most multifaceted villainsin the MCU to date. Born N’Jadaka, son of the Wakandan Prince N’Jobu, Killmonger shares his father’s belief that Wakanda should use its power to change the world for the better instead of remaining isolated. He genuinely wants to bring an end to prejudice and inequality, but his methods of doing so involve conquest and bloodshed on a global scale. Killmonger’s noble goals, as noble as they are, have been corrupted by his desire for vengeance against the world that brought him so much suffering. Even so, he managed to change T’Challa for the better, convincing him to share Wakanda’s resources with the world.
Thanos
The Infinity Saga’s big badis built up as a coldhearted, power-hungry tyrant, butAvengers: Infinity Warshows that there’s a surprising amount of depth to him beneath the surface. It’s revealed that Thanos’ intergalactic conquest and quest for absolute power are nothing but a means to an end — after failing to save his homeworld of Titan from ruin, he’s desperate to prevent any other planets from meeting the same fate, no matter how many lives he must take to do so.
Of course, all of the remorse and good intentions in the world don’t make up for Thanos’ actions. He may want to create a better universe, but he believes that only he is capable of saving everything, and that his murderous methods arethe only path towards lasting peace.And even though he clearly loves his adopted daughter Gamora, his love is a twisted and selfish one, just like the love he has for the universe he seeks to save through death. But although his kindness is a mask for more cruelty, Thanos is still a remarkably tragic figure — a man who has endured untold loss, whose desperation to become the universe’s savior led him to become its ultimate enemy.
Wenwu
Better known as the Mandarin, Xu Wenwu fromShang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Ringswas once a fearsome warlord and a cunning criminal mastermind, but he ended up abandoning his evil ways to settle down and become a loving family man. But when his wife Ying Li was killedby a rival crime syndicate,Wenwu became consumed by vengeance and fell back into his old ways. But in the end, his greatest wish is to make his family whole again — which is what makes him susceptible to the manipulations of the Dweller-in-Darkness. In a way, it’s hard to call Wenwu truly evil. As ruthless as he can be, his actions show that he values his family over all else.
MORE:Guardians of the Galaxy 3: 6 Characters Chukwudi Iwuiji Could Be Playing
