Being a hero in the Marvel Cinematic Universe isn’t for the faint of heart. Every few months, another potentially world-ending event takes place that pushes everyone to their limits. There are a few heroes, such as Captain America, who never compromise their morals to get the job done, forcing the world to move to them rather than the other way around. But not everyone is Steve Rogers, as even pure-hearted characters like Spider-Man can be tempted by the dark side under the right circumstances. Of course, Peter Parker surrounds himself with good people who keep him on the righteous path, but that’s a luxury few can afford.
Videos by ComicBook.com
There have been times when MCU heroes have to face a problem alone and aren’t in the right frame of mind. More often than not in those situations, goodness prevails. However, it would be boring if everyone stayed a goody two-shoes forever. Here’s a ranking of seven MCU heroes who turned into villains.
7) Hawkeye
Hawkeye gets up to some shady stuff before joining the Avengers while working for S.H.I.E.L.D. He keeps his composure during the toughest of times, though, saving Natasha Romanoff despite being ordered to kill her. But losing his family at the start of Avengers: Endgame is too much for the hero to bear, and he begins killing anyone he deems unworthy as Ronin. After acting as judge, jury, and executioner, Hawkeye has plenty of red in his ledger.
6) Bucky Barnes
Being old friends with the newly dubbed Captain America pays off for Bucky Barnes when his unit gets captured by HYDRA. Unfortunately, he doesn’t walk away unscathed, and after falling off a train, the evil organization recaptures the Howling Commando and turns him into a living weapon. Acting as an assassin isn’t something that the Winter Soldier wants to do, but he drops plenty of bodies.
5) Baron Mordo
Karl Mordo tries to teach Kamar-Taj’s newest recruit, Stephen Strange, everything he needs to know in Doctor Strange. Kaecilius doesn’t care to wait for the sorcerer to be at full power, though, so he attempts to bring Dormammu to Earth. Strange fights back using the Time Stone, which doesn’t sit right with Mordo. After leaving Kamar-Taj behind, Mordo begins to hunt down anyone he feels is abusing magic. It’s unclear where he is these days, but the MCU is surely going to finish his story at some point.
4) Ikaris
The Eternals’ mission on Earth is to move humanity forward. However, they can’t agree on how to do that and go their separate ways. Unfortunately, the vacation doesn’t last forever because Ikaris attempts to awaken a Celestial inside of Earth and kill every person on the planet. Getting a beat down makes Ikaris realize the error of his ways, and he flies into the sun, leaving his former friends to pick up the pieces.
3) Doctor Strange
The Doctor Strange from Earth-616 doesn’t do everything by the book, but he’s still a good guy. His variant on Earth-838 can’t say the same because he tries to use the Darkhold and gets corrupted by it. The Illuminati has to put him down, which is why they’re so hesitant to trust their old friend’s doppleganger in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Adding fuel to the fire is the fact that another evil version of the hero appears in the 2022 movie.
2) John Walker
When Sam Wilson gives up Captain America’s shield in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, the United States government sees an opportunity. The powers that be hand the iconic weapon over to John Walker, a decorated soldier. It doesn’t take long for the pressure to get to Walker, and he brutally kills a man in public. Despite becoming a New Avenger, Walker still has a lot to make up for.
1) Scarlet Witch
The most tragic hero-to-villain story in the MCU is easily Wanda Maximoff. After losing her brother, Pietro, and Vision, she cracks and takes over an entire town. Having that fall apart pushes Wanda to the edge, and she seeks a way to get everything she wants. Trying to kill America Chavez is enough to get the Scarlet Witch to the top spot of this list, and it’s possible that she isn’t done terrorizing the MCU, if rumors are to be believed.
What do you think? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!
Most Viewed
-
image courtesy of 20th Century Studios -
Image courtesy of 2th Century Studios
