7 MCU Heroes Who Stupidly Created Their Own Villains 

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is one of the most successful movie franchises of all time, and its continued popularity has seen it become synonymous with the rise of superhero movies as the dominant force in modern cinema. Since it began in 2008 with Iron Man, the MCU has evolved to introduce and incorporate many other Marvel characters, adapting the comic book source material into both live-action and animation with incredible consistency. While the franchise’s heroes naturally take center stage in the MCU, no superhero story would be complete without a villain, and this has seen many antagonists also join the franchise over the course of its run so far.

One story element that seems to crop up with alarming regularity in the movies of the MCU is that Marvel heroes create their own villains. Although this is never intentional and often comes about as a result of well-meaning actions, the sad truth is that many of the MCU’s greatest heroes are the cause of their own biggest problems. Despite being inspirational figures within their cinematic continuity, several MCU heroes are stupidly responsible for the creation of their own worst enemies.

7) Bruce Banner/The Hulk

As one of the MCU’s original Avengers, Bruce Banner is one of the franchise’s longest-serving heroes. However, across his time in the MCU, Banner and his big green alter-ego have been inadvertently responsible for the creation of multiple villains. It was Banner’s blood that turned Samuel Sterns into the Leader, and it was because of the Hulk that Emil Blonsky transformed himself into Abomination. Additionally, Banner helped Tony Stark with creating the Ultron program that swiftly turned on the Avengers, making him a repeat offender when it comes to creating his own antagonists.

6) Thor

Across all of the MCU’s Thor movies, the God of Thunder undergoes some of the most drastic character development in the franchise. His earliest appearance in 2011’s Thor actually indicates how the character was responsible for creating his own worst enemy, though. Thor’s behavior in his first MCU outing sees him regularly mistreat his adoptive brother Loki, dismissing and belittling him in a way that ultimately spills over into major conflict. Though Thor isn’t entirely to blame, his poor treatment of his brother was a major factor in Loki’s villain turn.

5) The Avengers

The Avengers were formed within the MCU to battle major threats to Earth’s safety, but the team’s actions eventually led to the creation of another enemy. The events of Avengers: Age of Ultron came to a head in the Battle of Sokovia, during which there were many casualties. The Avengers’ actions, including the creation of Ultron, ultimately led to the death of Helmut Zemo’s family. This, in turn, saw Zemo scheme against the Avengers, turning the character into a major MCU villain as a direct result of the heroes’ previous actions.

4) Odin

Odin might not be one of the most obvious MCU heroes, but the King of Asgard is another powerful character who is responsible for creating one of his kingdom’s greatest enemies. Thor: Ragnarok reveals that Odin had a child before Thor and Loki: Hela, the Goddess of Death. After enlisting Hela to assist him in conquering the Nine Realms, Odin decided that his daughter was a liability, imprisoning her for thousands of years. Considering she only acted on her father’s behalf, her anger toward Asgard seemed relatively justified, meaning that Odin created one of his own worst enemies.

3) Black Panther (T’Chaka)

Many consider Killmonger to be one of the best MCU villains, with his justifiable grudge against Wakanda often cited as one of the main reasons. 2018’s Black Panther shows in an early flashback scene that T’Chaka, acting in his capacity as the Black Panther, killed his own brother for betraying Wakanda, abandoning his nephew in the process. That nephew grew up with a considerable axe to grind with Wakanda, meaning that one Black Panther created one of the greatest villains faced by his successor through his actions.

2) Ant-Man (Hank Pym)

It’s no secret that Hank Pym is one of the smartest MCU characters, but his actions also led to the creation of multiple villains. His mistreatment of Darren Cross and his refusal to trust his protege ultimately led to Cross developing his own formula for Pym particles and becoming the villain Yellowjacket. Additionally, Pym had Elihas Starr fired and discredited, creating the circumstances that led to Ava Starr becoming the villain Ghost. Though Pym acted with the best of intentions, he’s an MCU hero who created multiple villains that his successor was forced to face.

1) Iron Man

Some of Iron Man’s biggest moments in the MCU helped establish him as one of the franchise’s most beloved heroes, but they also saw him create a staggering number of villains. As well as the obvious creation of Ultron, Stark’s actions, both direct and indirect, led to multiple villain turns. His arms-dealing days turned the Maximoff twins against him, his poor treatment of Aldrich Killian created a literal monster, and his decisions on research avenues also created the villain Mysterio. While Tony Stark may have created some of the MCU’s most impressive tech, he also had a habit of creating villains that caused major problems within the franchise.