5 Times Marvel Villains Were Made Into Heroes in the MCU (And 1 Is Now An Avenger)

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is full of all kinds of beloved heroes and villains, and each character is undoubtedly somebody’s favorite. They all range in popularity and likability, but typically, they’re either someone you’re meant to root for or someone you’re meant to root against. However, MCU characters are often at their most interesting when they start out as villains and are made into heroes by their stories, as is the case with these five.

This list isn’t referring to heroes and villains from Marvel Comics who had their allegiances switched when being adapted to the MCU, something that has admittedly happened a few times. Instead, this will be covering characters who had iterations that debuted as villains, only for them to become heroes in later projects.

5) Jack Duquense, aka Swordsman

Swordsman is a famous Avengers villain in Marvel Comics, and many fans were excited to finally see him when he debuted in the Disney+ Hawkeye show, played by Better Call Saul‘s Tony Dalton. Like in the comics, Jack was a wealthy socialite who moonlights as a sword-wielding villain. He attends illegal auctions of stolen Avengers equipment, and Kate Bishop believes him to be the main villain of the show, only for his role to pale in comparison to that of Eleanor Bishop and Wilson Fisk.

Swordsman helps take down the Tracksuit Mafia in Hawkeye, but he isn’t turned into a full-on superhero until years later in Daredevil: Born Again. He first appears in the project in season 1, interacting with Fisk at an elite party. Later, it is revealed that he has been imprisoned by Fisk due to his vigilante actions as the Swordsman. Luckily, Jack is rescued by Daredevil in season 2, with Swordsman fighting side-by-side with the Devil of Hell’s Kitchen in order to take down the Anti-Vigilante Task Force and rescue Fisk’s other prisoners. Swordsman was a great addition to Born Again, especially because it parallels his Marvel Comics arc of changing from an enemy of Hawkeye to a superhero.

4) Trevor Slattery, aka The Mandarin

Ben Kingsley’s Trevor Slattery started out as one of the most controversial MCU characters upon his debut in Iron Man 3, where it was revealed that he was an actor hired to portray a fictional Mandarin terrorist. In reality, Trevor was hired by Aldrich Killian in order to portray the terrorist and get eyes off the true source of the explosions, AIM. While Trevor wasn’t the main villain of the film, he was definitely an antagonist.

Eventually, Trevor would be kidnapped and imprisoned by the real Mandarin, as is revealed in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. Trevor is later freed by Shang-Chi and the gang, and he helps the heroes fight against the Mandarin and the Dweller-in-Darkness. Trevor was thrown into the hero role again in Wonder Man, where he is forced by the DODC to spy on Simon Williams. During this operation, however, Trevor befriends Simon and claims responsibility for the destruction that Simon causes, saving him from the DODC. These three projects have created an interesting MCU trilogy, one that focuses on one of the best redemption arcs in the franchise.

3) John Walker, aka U.S. Agent

After the death of Steve Rogers, a new Captain America was needed. So, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier revealed the government’s new Man Out of Time: John Walker. Walker is constantly put at odds with Sam Wilson and Bucky Barnes, with him eventually turning villainous and violently killing an enemy in view of the public. Because of this, Walker is stripped of the Captain America mantle, and Sam Wilson takes up the shield.

However, Valentina Allegra de Fontaine wasn’t finished with Walker, instead giving him a new mantle: U.S. Agent. The dark-suited antihero began going on black ops missions for Valentina, with him eventually being tricked into a mission that would have ended in the deaths of all of Valentina’s soldiers. Luckily, they realize Valentina’s game, leading the characters to form the Thunderbolts (later named the New Avengers). Now, U.S. Agent is an Avenger in the upcoming Doomsday crossover event, with him going from a disgraced villain to one of the MCU’s greatest heroes.

2) Nebula

Nebula is a mainstay of the Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy, and when it comes to the series’ themes of redemption and found family, she is easily the best example. Nebula began the first film working for Thanos, only for her to betray him and work for Ronan the Accuser, another one of the MCU’s most powerful villains. Then, in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Nebula is rescued from the Sovereign by the Guardians, only for her to betray the team by turning Yondu, Rocket, and Groot over to the Ravagers. Nebula then heads out to fight Gamora, although this is where everything changes.

During this fight, Nebula and Gamora have a heart-to-heart, with the sisters realizing that the lack of love is what led them down their respective villainous paths. So, Nebula begins helping the Guardians, although she turns down the offer to join, instead hoping to kill Thanos herself. This doesn’t work out too well for Nebula, and she meets up with the Avengers and Guardians in Infinity War. She then directly works with the Avengers in Endgame in order to save the universe, only for her to officially join the Guardians ahead of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.

1) Loki

The most famous MCU character to have transitioned from villain to hero has to be Loki. Loki was the main villain of the first Thor film and The Avengers, instantly turning him into one of the MCU’s most iconic villains. However, not long after this, Loki had two redemption arcs, each in different timelines. The first began in Thor: The Dark World, where Thor and Loki team up to take down the Dark Elves. Then, the duo teams up again in Ragnarok in order to defeat their sister, Hela. Finally, Loki allies with the Asgardians in Avengers: Infinity War, with him heroically dying at the hands of Thanos while attempting to kill the Mad Titan.

Avengers: Endgame‘s time travel schenanigans gave a variant of Loki another chance to have a redemption arc, something that is explored in the Loki Disney+ series. There, Loki is able to steal the Tesseract, allowing him to teleport away from New York. However, this leads the TVA to arrest him, as it goes against the Sacred Timeline. While at the TVA, Loki learns about the horrors of what the organization is doing. So, he teams up with Sylvie and others to bring down Kang, save the multiverse, and eventually becomes the new He Who Remains. Loki’s story is easily the best redemption arc in the MCU, and we can’t wait to see how it continues in Avengers: Doomsday.

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