2026 is gearing up to be an all-time year for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. While the heroes are getting all the attention, since the Avengers are about to assemble for the first time since 2019 and Spider-Man is back in action, the villains also deserve some love. The leader of the pack, of course, is Doctor Doom, who will be played by Robert Downey Jr. in Avengers: Doomsday. Doom has a lot of pressure on his shoulders, but he’s not going to be the first bad guy to step up to the plate in 2026, as whoever picks a fight with Peter Parker will get first crack at it.
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While looking ahead is the name of the game in the superhero business, sometimes, it’s nice to stop and smell the roses. 2025 has seen the release of some pretty solid MCU entries, and each one features at least one notable bad guy. Here’s every major MCU villain in 2025, ranked.
10) Sidewinder
Sam Wilson doesn’t have Super Soldier Serum coursing through his veins, so Captain America: Brave New World provides him with a villain he can handle. Sidewinder picks up a couple of jobs for The Leader and gets a few good licks in during his two fights with Cap. However, he doesn’t exactly move the needle in his first MCU appearance, which drops him to the bottom of this list.
9) Muse
Matt Murdock is trying to do all his fighting in the courtroom in Daredevil: Born Again when he learns about a serial killer on the loose called Muse, who drains the blood of his victims and uses it to make art. Despite having a lot of potential as a villain, Muse’s reign of terror doesn’t last long, as he meets the wrong end of a gun before the end of the show’s first season. Maybe he returns down the line, but as it stands, he’s a lackluster evildoer.
8) The Leader
After the events of The Incredible Hulk, Samuel Sterns sits in a cell for well over a decade, helping Thaddeus Ross climb the military ladder. Once he breaks out, he exacts his revenge in Brave New World by orchestrating a conflict between Japan and America. The Leader’s plan is pretty convoluted, and he doesn’t make as significant an impact as most of the other villains on this list before ending up a prisoner in The Raft.
7) The Hood
When Riri Williams joins The Hood’s crew in Ironheart, he makes it seem like he’s acting as Chicago’s Robin Hood, ripping off the rich and helping the poor. It doesn’t take him long to show his true colors, though, as all he’s really interested in is gaining power and getting back at those who harmed him. The Hood has his moments, such as when he uses his magic to kill a few guards, but he’s far from the whole package.
6) Red Hulk
Ross has good intentions when he reaches out to Captain America to restart the Avengers in Brave New World. However, unbeknownst to him, there’s a darkness growing inside of him courtesy of The Leader. Ross turns into the Red Hulk and tears apart Washington, DC. While it’s nice to see a Hulk let loose again in the MCU, Ross’ angry alter ego doesn’t get enough time to shine in his debut.
5) Mephisto
Like Red Hulk, Mephisto only gets a few moments to show what he’s made of in Ironheart. He corners Riri in a pizza shop and makes her a deal she can’t refuse, bringing her best friend Natalie back to life. The real greatness of Mephisto comes from Sacha Baron Cohen’s performance, as he makes the character so charismatic that it’s easy to understand why so many people fall for his tricks.
4) Silver Surfer
Life is good on Earth-828 in The Fantastic Four: First Steps, as Reed Richards and Co. work hard to keep everyone safe. Everything changes when the Silver Surfer comes to town, though, as she warns about the arrival of her master, Galactus. But she has plenty to offer as well, being arguably the fastest character in the MCU and a thorn in the Fantastic Four’s side until she decides to join their fight against the Devourer of Worlds.
3) Kingpin
Villains can overstay their welcome in superhero projects, but Wilson Fisk always finds a way to bring something new to the table. In Born Again, he becomes the mayor of New York City and uses his new influence to fortify his criminal empire. Without having to do much fighting himself, he makes Daredevil’s life a living hell by making the Anti-Vigilante Task Force act as his personal army.
2) Galactus
Silver Surfer hypes up Galactus by informing the people of Earth that there’s no point in fighting back, and she has a point. He’s a menace throughout First Steps, even going as far as to demand an unborn child in exchange for sparing the planet. The only reason the Devourer of Worlds isn’t sitting at the top spot on this list is that he gets outsmarted and thrown to the other side of the galaxy.
1) The Void
Thunderbolts* introduces a new hero, Sentry, who Valentina Allegra de Fontaine believes is as powerful as all of the Avengers combined. What she doesn’t realize is that there’s a dark entity within him known as the Void, which makes anyone it touches relive their worst memories. By playing the mental game, the Void stands out as a villain in a franchise full of guys who just want to punch and kick their way to victory.
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