By now, everyone knows that you can’t have an interesting superhero without a formidable opponent to test their limits, and even after 10 years of films connected to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, some of their best villains, for one reason or another, have yet to appear on the big screen.
To be completely honest, Marvel’s done a great job of utilizing their lesser known villains (be honest, how many of you knew who Eric Killmonger was before this past weekend?). But there are still some classic baddies who haven’t got their just due and would be perfect for the grander landscape that is the MCU, so without further ado, here are the 10 Best Villains we want to see in the MCU.
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10. Juggernaut
Kicking off our list at No. 10 is the Juggernaut. Now, the time last we saw the unstoppable stepbrother of Professor X, it was in the not-so-great X-Men 3 where he was grossly mishandled, at no fault of Vinnie Jones. Rumors keep suggesting he might pop up in Deadpool 2, but either way, ol’ Jughead deserves an outing in the MCU where he could square off against Spider-Man or, even better, the HULK.
9. Nightmare
No. 9 is Nightmare, an evil ruler of the dream dimension who tortures humans in their sleep, and one of the most underrated villains in all of Marvel comics. Predominantly known as a villain for Dr. Strange, he’s mixed it up with Ghost Rider, Wolverine, and others on different occasions. Thankfully, Dr. Strange director Scott Derrickson has revealed that he wants to incorporate Nightmare into the Dr. Strange sequel, so we might end up seeing the Fear Lord very soon.
8. Kraven the Hunter
Kraven the Hunter is one of Spider-Man’s most unique foes. Director Ryan Coogler admitted that he almost included Kraven the Hunter in Black Panther but ultimately decided against it. “Kraven’s Last Hunt,” to this day, is one of the most critically acclaimed stories to come out of Spider-Man comics, and I’d love to see an adaptation of that in a stand-alone Spider-Man film. Speaking of Spider-Man villains, that leads us to–
7. Green Goblin
So far we’ve seen Spider-Man’s arch nemesis three times in live action but nobody’s nailed Gobby down right just yet. Willem Dafoe had an amazing performance in the first Spider-Man, but his costume was pretty terrible. Ditto for James Franco, who’s snowboarder Goblin costume was even worse, and somehow, the demented elf version in The Amazing Spider-Man 2 didn’t hit the mark either. Here’s hoping he Green Goblin comes along in the MCU and they get it right.
6. Mandarin
No. 6 is the Mandarin, but not that charlatan played by Ben Kingsley in Iron Man 3, we’re talking about the real Mandarin. Supposedly, one of the big reasons for the shocking twist in Iron Man 3 was because the powers-that-be felt like the mystical elements of the Mandarin from the comics didn’t fit in the MCU. Now that Dr. Strange has become a part of that world, that doesn’t really apply anymore and the real Mandarin needs to come out of hiding.
5. Magneto
No. 5 is Magneto. It might be impossible to top what Ian McKellen, and by extension, Michael Fassbender, has already done with the character — But that doesn’t mean we don’t want to see what the Master of Magnetism could do inside the MCU.
4. Galactus
And we’re not talking about that stupid planet eating cloud at the end of Fantastic Four 2: Rise of the Silver Surfer. I’m talking the real “Devourer of Worlds,” who would be a perfectly formidable opponent for the entire Avengers once they take down Thanos.
3. Doc Ock
In the third spot is another Spider-Man baddie – Dr. Octopus. Originally played by Alfred Molina in Spider-Man 2, Doc Ock is arguably the best Marvel villain to appear in live action outside of the MCU. He’s too important of a villain to not recast him and square him off against Tom Holland’s Spider-Man.
2. Red Hulk
At No. 2 is Red Hulk! Because Red Hulk first debuted in 2008, he’s the only character on the list who is actually younger than the Marvel Cinematic Universe itself, but he’s been a fan favorite villain since his arrival. Considering his alter-ego is none other than Thunderbolt Ross, it would be perfect to let William Hurt reprise his role as the General and give us a Red Hulk movie.
1. Dr. Doom
But the best villain we absolutely need to see in the MCU is Dr. Doom. Please! Before his legacy is tarnished any further than it already has been in movies and Fox tries to make a Dr. Doom stand-alone origin story (which isn’t as far fetched as it once sounded). We’ve seen three live action incarnations of him now, and literally none of them have followed the comics and made him the ruthless Dictator of Latveria. The MCU could be a fresh start for one of Marvel’s most powerful villains.
