4 Best Marvel Villains Introduced on Disney+

Marvel Studios’ expansion onto Disney+ led to a period of ambitious, if uneven, experimentation. Since Avengers: Endgame, the steady stream of television series has delivered a wide spectrum of quality, from the celebrated creativity of shows like WandaVision and Loki to the widely criticized execution of Secret Invasion. Despite this inconsistency, the platform has successfully introduced a new generation of fan-favorite heroes who have enriched the Marvel Cinematic Universe, including the sharp-witted Kate Bishop (Hailee Steinfeld), the charismatic Kamala Khan (Iman Vellani), and the conflicted John Walker (Wyatt Russell). The track record for MCU villains on Disney+, however, has been far more fraught.

For every compelling antagonist Marvel Studios introduced through Disney+, there have been several who were underdeveloped, misused, or relegated to forgettable one-off appearances. Furthermore, the promise of complex series-long threats has often given way to last-minute reveals or antagonists who fail to leave a lasting impression. Yet, amidst the missteps, a handful of villains have broken through, using the episodic format to establish themselves as truly memorable figures.

4) Mephisto

After years of fan theories and speculation, the demonic entity Mephisto finally made his official debut in the Disney+ series Ironheart. Portrayed by Sacha Baron Cohen, this version of the character is introduced as a charming and manipulative deal-maker, the sinister force behind the powers of the series’ main villain, The Hood (Anthony Ramos). Ironheart establishes Mephisto as a being who preys on desperation, offering power and wealth in exchange for a person’s soul, a classic Faustian bargain that perfectly captures his comic book essence.

What makes Mephisto’s introduction so effective is how Ironheart showcases the sheer scale of his power in an almost effortless manner. In his few scenes, Mephisto is depicted as a reality-bending force, an ability demonstrated when he freezes a family in time with a simple hand wave or teleports his acolytes across the city. His true might is revealed in his attempt to corrupt Riri Williams (Dominique Thorne), where he resurrects her deceased friend as a show of his reach. This act proves Mephisto operates on a fundamental cosmic level, with dominion over life and death, establishing him as a terrifyingly patient and insidious threat.

3) He Who Remains

While Kang the Conqueror’s appearance in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania was met with a mixed reception, his initial introduction in the Season 1 finale of Loki remains a high point of the entire Disney+ slate. The variant known as He Who Remains, played with unsettling charm by Jonathan Majors, was an eccentric, weary, and lonely god sitting at the end of time. 

After winning a multiversal war against his own variants, He Who Remains created the Time Variance Authority to prune the timeline and prevent their return. His lengthy monologue in Loki‘s Season 1 finale, delivered with a mix of casual humor and profound exhaustion, completely re-contextualized the MCU by explaining the true nature of the Sacred Timeline and the terrifying consequences of free will. Instead of fighting against Loki (Tom Hiddleston) and Sylvie (Sophia Di Martino), He who Remains presents the duo of protagonists with an impossible choice: kill him and unleash infinite chaos, or work with him as the universe’s benevolent dictators. As such, the villain also stands apart from the classic MCU foe, offering a moral conundrum instead of a fistfight.

2) Agatha Harkness

Initially introduced as the nosy neighbor Agnes in WandaVision, Agatha Harkness (Kathryn Hahn) was revealed to be an ancient witch whose quest for the Scarlet Witch’s (Elizabeth Olsen) power made her a formidable foe. However, the follow-up series, Agatha All Along, transforms her from a straightforward villain into a more nuanced character. For starters, the series reveals Agatha’s tragic backstory, which led her to forge an uneasy alliance with the cosmic entity Lady Death (Aubrey Plaza).

Agatha All Along also expands on the titular witch’s goals. Stripped of her magic by Wanda, Agatha is forced to assemble a new coven of young witches to navigate the mythical Witches’ Road and reclaim her lost abilities. This journey redefines her motivations, shifting them from a simple power grab to a desperate fight for survival and relevance in a magical world that has forgotten her. Furthermore, Hahn’s performance remains a highlight, perfectly balancing theatrical camp with moments of genuine vulnerability. As a result, by turning Agatha into the protagonist of her own dark fairy tale, Agatha All Along has solidified her as one of the best antagonists in the entire MCU.

1) Doctor Strange Supreme

Among all the antagonists introduced on Disney+, none have carried the same tragic weight and narrative impact as Doctor Strange Supreme from What If…?. Voiced by Benedict Cumberbatch, this dark variant of Stephen Strange begins as a man broken by grief after losing Christine Palmer (voiced by Rachel McAdams). Unlike the Strange of the main MCU timeline, this version becomes consumed by obsession, turning to forbidden sorcery and absorbing countless mystical beings in a desperate attempt to undo her death. What follows is a steady descent into corruption, where his genius and determination become the very engines of his undoing.

What elevates Strange Supreme above most MCU villains is the way What If…? allows his story to unfold as a full character tragedy. His quest to change an “absolute point” in time not only destroys his world but leaves him alone inside a self-created prison of guilt and isolation. Still, the fact that he’s motivated by love turns him into a terrifingly relatable character. Still, across the next two seasons, the character evolves from tragic monster to multiversal endgame, cementing his role as a villain. Because of that, as both a cautionary tale and a complex threat, Doctor Strange Supreme remains the most haunting villain to emerge from Marvel’s Disney+ era.

Which other Marvel villains from the Disney+ shows do you think deserve a spot on this list? Let us know in the comments!

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