3 MCU Villains That Simply Don’t Get Enough Praise

The Marvel Cinematic Universe has no shortage of great villains. The cream of the crop, of course, is Thanos, who serves as the Big Bad for the first three phases of the franchise, pulling the strings behind the scenes until he’s ready to strike in Avengers: Infinity War. Going down one tier will reveal the likes of Erik Killmonger and Baron Zemo, two bad guys with axes to grind against heroes who are willing to stop at nothing to achieve their goals. Loki also deserves plenty of credit for getting the MCU off on the right foot in the villain department, but since turning over a new leaf, he’s no longer part of the “GOAT” conversation.

There is one downside to giving the best of the best their flowers, though. All of them steal so much of the spotlight that the solid villains that contributed plenty don’t get mentioned much at all. And as the years go by, it’s becoming easier and easier to forget them entirely. Here are three MCU villains that simply don’t get enough praise.

3) Ego

Peter Quill can tell there’s something off about him, but he can’t quite put his finger on what until his dear old dad arrives on the scene in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. Ego seems nice enough at first, welcoming his son and his team to his planet with open arms. However, he eventually reveals his true colors, and they’re not pretty.

Ego’s ultimate goal is to spread himself all over the galaxy and take control. That’s bad enough, but he also reveals that, in order to move forward in his mission, he had to get rid of all of his attachments, including Peter’s mother. While Ego sounds remorseful for his actions, it doesn’t change what he did.

2) Alexander Pierce

Captain America has a difficult time adjusting to the world after he comes out of the ice. The only thing that keeps him going is his work with S.H.I.E.L.D., which seems to be helping people. Once the head of the spy organization, Alexander Pierce, sets his sights on the Star-Spangled Man, though, the vibe starts to change.

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It comes to light that Pierce is actually one of HYDRA’s highest-ranking members and wants to restore order to what he believes is an orderless world. Cap puts an end to his schemes by taking out the Project Insight helicarriers, but Pierce does plenty of damage, bringing down S.H.I.E.L.D. from the inside.

1) Obadiah Stane

Tony Stark lives a cushy life at the start of Iron Man, partying to his heart’s desire while his mentor, Obadiah Stane, does all the hard work. Stane eventually gets fed up with the arrangement, so he enlists the help of a terrorist organization to kidnap Tony, opening the door for him to take full control of Stark Industries.

Stane’s plan isn’t anything special, but his reckless abandon is what sets him apart from other Phase 1 villains. He doesn’t hesitate to build a suit of his own and nearly takes Iron Man out for good. While he’s the first in a long line of MCU villains to die in their first appearance, he still deserves a seat at the table.

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