7 God-Tier Marvel Villains the MCU Hasn’t Used

The Marvel Cinematic Universe never shies away from using big villains. Phase One features heavy hitters like Red Skull, Loki, and the Abomination. However, none of them can hold a candle to Thanos, who makes his first appearance during the mid-credits scene of The Avengers. As Earth’s Mightiest Heroes spend their time fighting the likes of Ultron, HYDRA, and each other in Phases Two and Three, the Mad Titan is plotting, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. The door opens in Avengers: Infinity War and refuses to close in Avengers: Endgame, a movie that forces the entirety of the MCU to come together.

With Thanos now out of the picture, it feels like the MCU introduces another god-tier villain every few months. Ikaris and his boss, Arishem, nearly destroy Earth, while Kang gives Scott Lang a run for his money as he works to conquer the Quantum Realm. Despite tossing out powerful villains like they’re candy, Marvel Studios still has a few tricks up its sleeve for the future. Here are seven god-tier villains the MCU hasn’t used.

7) Ares

The Greek gods are starting to make a name for themselves in the MCU. In Thor: Love and Thunder, the titular Asgardian picks a fight with Zeus and wins, stealing the deity’s lightning bolt. Losing doesn’t sit right with Zeus, so he orders his son, Hercules, to track down Thor.

While it’s easy to understand why Zeus would call upon his most heroic child, Hercules’ half-brother, Ares, is also a great candidate for the job. In the comics, Ares often picks fights with Thor and other powerful heroes. He even joins the Dark Avengers for a time, acting as the team’s enforcer.

6) Onslaught

Magneto and Professor X are locked in an eternal struggle about the fate of mutantkind. The Master of Magnetism believes mutants need to be more aggressive to prevent humans from getting a leg up on them, while the leader of the X-Men wants to help humanity learn about what it doesn’t understand.

At one point, Professor X has had enough of Magneto’s games and messes with his mind. All of Magneto’s negative emotions flood into the telepath, creating a new persona known as Onslaught. Once unleashed, the being tries to wipe out both humans and mutants, believing they’re unworthy of the gifts they possess.

5) Annihilus

Pocket universes are all the rage in the MCU. Ant-Man and Co. often travel to the Quantum Realm, where they meet countless interesting characters, and Shang-Chi spends some time in Ta-Lo, the mysterious location his mother was born in that houses a giant dragon and other mystical creatures.

Not every pocket universe is full of whimsy and charm, though. The Negative Zone is home to Annihilus, a dangerous being from the planet Arthros that uses the Cosmic Control Rod to get his enemies to submit. The Fantastic Four have their fair share of run-ins with the villain, and very few of them end well.

4) Gladiator

As Thanos and his army make very clear, space in the MCU isn’t full of sunshine and rainbows. Another powerful force likely lurking in the stars is the Shi’ar Empire, which conquers planets with ease thanks to its formidable Imperial Guard.

The leader of the Imperial Guard is Gladiator, a Strontian who possesses super strength, among other abilities. While typically a foe for teams like the X-Men and the Avengers, he has been known to turn over a new leaf now and again, even spending time with the Guardians of the Galaxy.

3) Apocalypse

Magento likes to take credit as the X-Men’s greatest villain. After all, he constantly pushes Professor X and his team to the edge, forcing them to make tough choices. However, Magento frequently takes a back seat to one villain, Apocalypse.

Whenever the ancient being shows his face, he builds a team of horsemen out of the mutants at his disposal, giving him an extra layer of protection. The X-Men have no choice but to fight their former friends to stop Apocalypse from taking control of the entire world.

2) Knull

Spider-Man can never seem to kick the symbiotes to the curb. After he dons one and becomes a bully, it keeps coming back in the form of Venom. Carnage also makes his life difficult when it bonds with a serial killer, Cletus Kasady.

Well, it turns out that there’s a single entity responsible for the symbiotes, Knull, the King in Black. The villain is far too much for Spider-Man to handle on his own, as he makes enemies out of Celestials and Asgardians. With the Necrosword at Knull’s side, there are few who can challenge him.

1) Nightmare

Doctor Strange has several notable villains in the MCU, including Dormammu and Baron Mordo, who has yet to make the bill come due. Somehow, though, he’s yet to face off against his greatest rival in the comic books on the big screen.

Nightmare resides in his own corner of the Dark Dimension, a place the MCU’s Doctor Strange is all too familiar with, forcing people to live out their worst fantasies as they sleep. The more people have a rough time at night, the more powerful he becomes.

What do you think? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!

7 Incredible Actors Who Were Completely Wasted By The MCU