10 Best Villain Performances in the MCU, Ranked (#3 Hasn’t Even Been in a Movie Yet)

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is inhabited by some of the greatest and most powerful supervillains in any comic book movie franchise, and they have delivered some of the franchise’s most memorable moments. Some of the biggest actors in the world have brought their talents to the MCU by portraying live-action incarnations of some of Marvel Comics’ most iconic antagonists. Every good superhero story needs an equally-strong supervillain, and these ones have provided some remarkable MCU moments.

There have been many brilliant performances by villain actors in the MCU, including from the likes of Michael Keaton, Hugo Weaving, Alaqua Cox, Mads Mikkelsen, and more, but these ten are the cream of the crop. These stars played villains opposite some of the MCU’s strongest heroes, such as Thor, Black Panther, the Guardians of the Galaxy, and Daredevil, but always managed to steal whatever scene they found themselves in. It’s exciting to think about which villains will steal the show in the MCU’s future, but let’s look back at some of the best so far.

10) Cate Blanchett as Hela

Two-time Academy Award-winner Cate Blanchett joined the MCU in 2017’s Thor: Ragnarok at the wishes of her children and because of her desire to work with director Taika Waititi. Her delivery of the Asgardian Goddess of Death, Hela, was second-to-none, not only because of the threat she posed to Thor and Asgard, but also because she was the first major female villain introduced to the MCU. Blanchett fully embodied Hela’s drama, physicality, intensity, and wit, making the sadistic and harrowing villain likeable and, at times, hilarious.

9) Michael B. Jordan as Killmonger

Many consider Michael B. Jordan’s performance as Erik “Killmonger” Stevens, aka the Wakandan N’Jadaka, in 2018’s Black Panther to be one of the MCU’s best. Killmonger, despite his dark methods, was actually right in his quest to share Wakanda’s resources with the world, but his smug personality and unabashed testosterone-fueled rage made him a seriously unlikeable character. Jordan delivered the trauma, power, unpredictability, and familial connections of Killmonger perfectly, redeeming him from his previous superhero role of the Human Torch in 2015’s Fantastic Four.

8) Elizabeth Olsen as the Scarlet Witch

Although she was featured as a superhero and even an Avenger for some time during her MCU career, Elizabeth Olsen’s Wanda Maximoff started out as a villain in Avengers: Age of Ultron, and transformed into a corrupt antagonist again in WandaVision and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. She was empowered by her grief, which Olsen delivered beautifully and heart-wrenchingly, while also showcasing the full range of her formidable powers. Elizabeth Olsen is one of the MCU’s most celebrated stars, and there is speculation that she’ll be returning despite her death in 2022 – though hopefully as a redeemed hero.

7) Daniel Brühl as Baron Zemo

First seen in 2016’s Captain America: Civil War, Baron Helmut Zemo proved himself capable – one of the very few in the MCU – of dividing and destroying the Avengers. Daniel Brühl’s villain might not have any superpowers, but the German-Spanish actor delivered the manipulative, scheming, and influential personality of Zemo in sinister fashion. Brühl’s subdued performance spotlighted the villain’s quiet evil, though The Falcon and the Winter Soldier suggested he wasn’t so evil at all, but actually just had a vendetta against super-soldiers and heroes monopolizing the world, and Brühl delivered this complexity perfectly.

6) Kathryn Hahn as Agatha Harkness

2021’s WandaVision is widely regarded as one of the strongest instalments in the MCU, and Kathryn Hahn’s performance as original Salem witch Agatha Harkness helped the series achieve this status. Her performance in the WandaVision scenario – when she knew exactly what was going on, her outstanding reveal during the “Agatha All Along” song, and her pushing her witchy villain-come-antihero to the extreme in 2024’s Agatha All Along series have made her one of the MCU’s most beloved new characters. Hahn’s performance as Agatha Harkness makes us desperate to see her return to the MCU soon.

5) Chukwudi Iwuji as the High Evolutionary

After facing down Ronan the Accuser, Ego the Living Planet, and Thanos, the Guardians of the Galaxy’s best villain debuted in 2023’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. After working with James Gunn on Peacemaker season 1, Chukwudi Iwuji made the move to the MCU to portray the High Evolutionary, and his performance as the formidable and unhinged cosmic villain was unbelievable. His intensity and power, especially in moments when pushed to the limits or challenged, was captivating, and it was even more impressive that even these moments were laced with emotion and a haunting backstory.

4) Emma Corrin as Cassandra Nova

2024’s Deadpool & Wolverine not only brought its titular mutant antiheroes into the MCU proper, but also debuted a villain we never thought we’d see in live-action. Cassandra Nova is the incredibly weird dark mirror to Charles Xavier’s Professor X, and Emma Corrin perfectly embodied this strangeness and sadism. Corrin wore finger extensions and a shaved head (and bald cap) to ensure that Cassandra Nova was as uncanny and eerie as possible, and the star’s gentle tone yet commanding personality made Cassandra a seriously sinister and bone-chilling villain in the MCU’s Phase 5.

3) Vincent D’Onofrio as Kingpin

It’s surprising to think that Wilson Fisk’s Kingpin hasn’t yet opposed an MCU hero on the big-screen, since Vincent D’Onofrio’s haunting crime boss and Mayor of New York certainly has the notoriety and influence to be a theatrical antagonist. D’Onofrio has played Kingpin for a decade now, and he’s only become more and more terrifying as the years have passed. Kingpin has been featured as an enemy of Daredevil and Hawkeye, and has proven ultimately unbeatable. D’Onofrio is adept at delivering the sheer power, raw emotion, romantic heart, and dark history fantastically, contributing to some of the MCU’s stand-out scenes.

2) Josh Brolin as Thanos

As one of the most notable and world-renowned stars of his generation, it was thrilling to see Josh Brolin join the MCU as the Mad Titan, Thanos. Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame gave Thanos his time to shine, and Brolin imbued the looming purple alien with humanity and emotion, transforming him into an empathetic supervillain. He delivered heartfelt emotion when sacrificing Gamora, anger and hatred towards Nebula, and arrogance and might in the face of the Avengers, and there are hopes that Brolin will get the chance to deliver even more poignant performances as Thanos in the MCU’s future.

1) Tom Hiddleston as Loki

Tom Hiddleston has become synonymous with the role of Loki, the Asgardian God of Mischief who has since become a bona fide hero in the MCU’s Multiverse Saga. His sinister beginnings in Thor and The Avengers were embodied perfectly by the stage actor, with Loki’s more theatrical qualities coming to the forefront. In the years since, he has relied more on his comedic talents, while also delivering sheer emotion, 100% commitment, and an incredible physical energy that has made Loki one of the MCU’s most popular characters. Loki is returning in Avengers: Doomsday, so Tom Hiddleston will get even more chances to show off his impressive talents in the MCU’s future.

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