5 MCU Villains Whose Character Arcs Were Secretly Better Than The Hero’s

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is filled with incredible stories and characters. Since it first began in 2008, the MCU has continued to grow with each passing year, adapting many different Marvel Comics storylines along the way. This has seen many different heroes and villains take their place within the franchise’s sprawling story, each contributing to the ever-growing size of the shared movie universe. The movies of the MCU have delivered many great narratives following its different characters, with some antagonists’ backstories proving every bit as compelling as those of the heroes they face. Sometimes, however, the villain’s story actually seems better than that of their heroic protagonist.

The franchise has many powerful characters, but sometimes, the best MCU villains don’t need flashy superpowers. On many occasions, antagonists have been able to shine simply because of the strength of their story, and there are times when these MCU villains actually have better character arcs than those of the heroes they’re pitted against. While the heroes almost always take center stage, the following villains all underwent stories that clearly outshone the heroic characters around them.

5) Gorr the God Butcher

The MCU’s depiction of Gorr the God Butcher proved considerably more divisive than expected, but Christian Bale’s turn as the villain of Thor: Love and Thunder was still one of the best aspects of the movie. His story established his hatred of gods stemming from the death of his daughter, Love, and followed his corruption by the Necrosword leading to his eventual wish when reaching Eternity being to resurrect Love. In spite of Gorr’s emotional narrative arc, Thor: Love and Thunder is sometimes considered one of the MCU’s funniest movies, and that’s reflected in its general tone.

While Thor’s larger MCU character arc has been excellent, his story in Love and Thunder was fairly underwhelming. As well as being pretty ineffective compared to Gorr throughout the movie’s plot and ultimately losing to the villain, Thor’s story lacks the emotional weight of Gorr’s. The God Butcher’s corruption and eventual redemption is touching, while Thor’s own story within the movie doesn’t really make major strides in his wider MCU arc.

4) Thanos

Thanos is one of only a small number of villains who serve as antagonists for all of the Avengers (and the Guardians of the Galaxy), rather than a villain in a single hero’s story. By far one of the most powerful MCU villains to date, Thanos’ story within the franchise first began in its early stages, where his involvement was gently established rather than outright shown. It built up to the epic events of Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame, where Thanos’ crusade to gather the Infinity Stones and eradicate half of all life in the universe came to fruition, and forced the Avengers to undo his deeds before defeating him once and for all.

Thanos’ character arc might not be the most complex in terms of MCU villains, but compared to the story of the Avengers as a team, he’s still far more compelling. He’s as charismatic as he is terrifying, and it’s hard not to understand that his obsession with balance is actually rooted in a genuine problem. Compared to the wider narrative arcs of the groups of heroes he faces, Thanos’ MCU story seems far more interesting than that of the Avengers or the Guardians.

3) Baron Zemo

Baron Zemo is another MCU villain who doesn’t oppose any single hero, but all of the Avengers. Introduced in Captain America: Civil War, Zemo’s motivations are initially unknown, but it is eventually revealed that his actions are part of an elaborate scheme to tear the Avengers apart after his family was killed during the events of Avengers: Age of Ultron. Relating his backstory back to a previous movie immediately lent it an organic air, immediately giving Zemo’s story a certain amount of narrative credibility.

The fact that Zemo’s plan worked perfectly establishes him as one of the smartest MCU villains, as he was ultimately able to create enough dissent to force the Avengers to disband. The Avengers’ story in Civil War largely stems from the issues caused by both Zemo and the Sokovia Accords, and while the movie’s airport battle is excellent, the Avengers’ narrative arc isn’t the franchise’s best. In comparison, Zemo’s tragic motivation, clever manipulation, and ultimate success make his arc way better than the Avengers’.

2) Loki

There are several MCU villains that define their heroes, and Loki is undoubtedly one of them. First introduced in 2011’s Thor as a villain, Loki’s return as the big bad of The Avengers cemented that status. However, subsequent movies chipped away at that status, eventually turning Loki into a reluctant antihero and one of the most popular figures in the entire MCU. From a manipulative and petulant villain to the incredibly powerful God of Stories who saved the Multiverse, Loki’s character arc is one of the MCU’s best.

Of course, Thor’s own story has been great, but it’s nowhere near as interesting and well-written as Loki’s. To have successfully and organically developed an out-and-out villain into a sensitive and complex hero who remains largely morally ambiguous is no mean feat, and it’s one of the best examples of MCU storytelling. From the sad truth of his origins to the heroic deeds he eventually commits, Loki’s character arc is by far one of the MCU’s most exciting to date.

1) Killmonger

Erik Killmonger might be an example of a one-and-done villain that the MCU discarded far too early, but he’s also so much more. He’s often cited as one of the MCU villains who was actually right, as his good intentions were unfortunately tainted by his brutal methods. His story in Black Panther establishes that he witnessed his father’s execution for treason as a child, resulting in his attempt to fulfill his vow to one day make major changes to Wakanda and its place within the world.

Black Panther is a great MCU hero, but T’Challa’s story in his solo debut was nowhere near as good as that of his villain. Killmonger’s story has it all: a traumatic childhood, a hard-fought rise to power, and his transformation into a dark version of his cousin, the movie’s hero. Even though it follows common genre tropes, Killmonger’s MCU story has seen him hailed as one of the best Marvel movie villains of all time, overshadowing even the story of the MCU’s first Black Panther in the process.

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