Summary
After five phases, over thirty movies, and over a dozen shows, many supervillains have been introduced to go up against the heroes in theMarvel Cinematic Universe. Even though villains are supposed to be different from the heroes, there is a common trend in theMCUwhere villains are oddly similar to heroes.
Whether it’s their powers, costumes, or even personality traits, some villains are designed to be the dark reflection of the hero. In certain movies, it is even an intentional part of the story for the character development of both the hero and the villain, showing what the hero could have been if they went dark.
9Justin Hammer
Billionaire, Playboy, Philanthropist, And Nowhere Near A Genius
Iron Man 2introducedJustin Hammer, who is a rich philanthropist with a famous weapons manufacturing company. That sounds a lot like Tony Stark, which is likely intentional, as Justin Hammer is essentially who Tony was before his fateful attack by terrorists. He’s rude, crude, and has a money-grubbing attitude but without the brains of Stark.
Justin Hammer is also the continuation of a pattern with Iron Man villains. They are people who use their money, power, and intelligence for the worst purposes. Justin Hammer is no different,wanting to create Iron Man suitsso that he and his company can get rich, showcasing how much damage greed can cause.
8Jigsaw
Frank Castle’s Brother In Arms Became His Worst Enemy
In stark contrast to the comics,the live-actionThe PunisherserieschangedJigsawto Frank Castle’s best friend who served with him. They are both trained to be the best spec ops agents in the field and use those skills back on the homefront, but where Frank uses it to vanquish evil from the world, Billy Russo uses his skills to be a murderous assassin.
To make things worse, Jigsaw is the one who betrayed Frank, leading to the death of his family, thus incidentally creating the Punisher. Billy is pompous and vain, which leads to the ultimate payback because Punisher creates the moniker of Jigsaw as well by grinding Billy’s face against sharp glass. It’s a toxic relationship where they are two sides of the same coin.
7Kaecilius
Could Have Been A Magical Avenger If He Didn’t Fall From Grace
Part of the reason why the Ancient One is hesitant to take on Doctor Strange as her apprentice is because ofKaecilius. It’s a pattern where she takes in broken individuals and gives them a new life as a sorcerer in hopes of turning them away from a bleak future, but Kaecilius fell, whereas Stephen Strange overcame his darkness and arrogance to be a hero.
In a way, Kaecilius’ corruption helped Doctor Strange become the Avenger that he is now. As shown byDoctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madnessand other MCU projects, Strange could have turned out just like Kaecilius, but it was his experience fighting the fallen sorcerer that led to him using his magic for good.
6Red Skull
The Leader Of H.Y.D.R.A. Is A Megalomaniacal Super Soldier
Like his comic book counterpart, theRed Skullwas created using a prototype version of the same super soldier serum that laterturned Steve Roger into Captain America. As a result, Johann Schmidt became envious of the superhero, even if he would never admit it. This is why he orders the assassination of Abraham Erskine, to prevent more super soldiers.
Unlike Steve Rogers, Red Skull lets the power of being H.Y.D.R.A.’s first super soldier corrupt him completely, believing himself to be evolved beyond humanity. This display of hubris is ultimately his downfall as Captain America maintains his kind heart and humanity, leading to his defeat inCaptain America: The First Avenger.
5Killmonger
A Monster Usurper Of Wakanda’s Own Making
The concept of Killmonger as an evil counterpart to Black Panther is fully intentional. In the Marvel Cinematic Universe, N’Jadaka is T’Challa’s cousin, and he does everything in his power to undermine the ideals that Black Panther represents. Fueled by resentment over his father’s death, he wants the world to suffer, particularly targeting the royal family of Wakanda. His pursuit of vengeance drives him to usurp the throne, even if it means obtaining his own panther suit.
The Black Pantherends its action-packed third actwith a battle for Wakanda between two Black Panthers. Despite being a zealous terrorist, Killmonger is a tragic figure who represents the flaws of Wakanda. Their lies and deception created the very thing that they feared and Killmonger himself became the monster she claimed to be fighting.
4Iron Monger
Jealousy Leads To The First Marvel Cinematic Universe Villain
Obadiah Stane is an important part of the MCU’s history asIron Mongerbecause he was thefirst supervillain in Phase Oneand the entire long-running franchise. In 2008’sIron Man, he began as Tony Stark’s mentor and surrogate uncle, but secretly, he orchestrated the attack on Tony’s life, which led to his evolution into Iron Man.
Even before he even thinks of having his own suit of armor, Stane is a cold and intimidating villain. It’s a new level of petty to want to murder the man whom you mentored and raised after his father passed away. Then with the Iron Monger armor, he is meant to be a distortion of everything that Tony is as Iron Man: scarier, darker, and bigger to be more like a living weapon.
3Yellowjacket
If Ant-Man Was Designed To Be A Weapon
Spite is what drives Darren Cross to create the Yellowjacket suit. His hate and jealousy for Hank Pym makes him obsessed with trying to recreate the legend that is Ant-Man, but twisting it into his own image to sell to the highest bidder. Yellowjacket is intended to be Ant-Man’s opposite, which is a reference to the comics when Hank Pym wore the suit during a darker time in life.
In Ant-Man, Darren Cross becomes Yellowjacket when Hank Pym, Hope Pym, and the new Ant-Man, Scott Lang, work together to destroy his facility. Rather than a suit meant to help people a la Ant-Man, his suit was meant for combat and destruction, creating a more horrific version of Hank Pym’s technology, which became the ideal first villain for Scott Lang.
2Abomination
The True Monster That Bruce Banner Feared
Abomination is exactly what Bruce Banner was worried about when he first became afflicted with his alternate personality, the Hulk. In his relentless pursuit of catching him, Thaddeus Ross gave an arrogant soldier, Emil Blonksy, a super soldier serum to fight the Hulk. However, Blonsky became obsessed with power and strength, wanting to be stronger than Hulk.
When Blonsky compelled Samuel Sterns to inject Banner’s blood into him, it combined with the already unstable super soldier serum. This resulted in a deformed transformation into one of Hulk’s greatest foes,alongside characters like the Red Hulk. He became a Hulk-like entity with a desire for destruction, making him the ultimate rival to Marvel’s angry green giant.
1The Winter Soldier
Captain America’s Best Friend Was Forced To Be His Worst Enemy
Sadly, the creation of Captain America led to evil forces trying to replicate that same result. The most successful attempt was when H.Y.D.R.A. used Steve Rogers’ own best friend to turn him into a brainwashed assassin known as The Winter Soldier. He became Steve’s dark reflection, which was likely an intention by scientists like Arnim Zola.
Though Bucky has since become an Avenger anda founding member of the Thunderbolts, he will always have that memory of being The Winter Soldier. A reminder that despite his friendship with Steve, he was reconstructed to be his opposite: cruel, uncaring, and cold.
