Summary
- Anti-heroes in the MCU exhibit complex traits, making questionable decisions with good intentions.
- Some anti-heroes, like Ghost and Yondu, are flawed but ultimately change and become integral members of teams.
- Characters like The Punisher and John Walker exemplify anti-heroes with darker, murderous tendencies.
The Marvel Cinematic Universe is filled with a diverse array of heroes, but not all of them embody the ideals of justice like Steve Rogers and Peter Parker. Some are darker characters known as anti-heroes, who blur the lines of morality and do not fit the typical hero mold. These anti-heroes possess more complex traits, often exhibiting both good and bad qualities simultaneously.
Marvel Cinematic Universe: Oldest Avengers, Ranked
The MCU features a number of Avengers and many of them are older than fans might realise.
From Phase One to Phase Six, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has introduced a variety of anti-heroes over almost two decades. Some characters have always been recognized as anti-heroes, while others have transitioned from being villains to more heroic figures. These characters frequently make questionable decisions, even with good intentions.
10 Ghost
Being Spared Turned Her Into A Better Person
- Played By: Hannah John-Kamen
- First MCU Appearance: Ant-Man and the Wasp
When Ghost was first introduced in Ant-Man and the Wasp, she was far from the worst villain in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, as all she wanted was not to be killed by her own powers. Ava Starr was willing to rob and murder for a chance at a cure, even sacrificing other innocent lives to do so, but rather than be killed off, Janet Pym used her quantum powers to cure her and give her a second chance.
Ava being spared affects her, as shown by her big return to the MCU in Thunderbolts* as a powerful team member, where she’s still a flawed person, but she’s willing to fight the Void to save the world. Throughout the film, there is a pattern with Ghost, showcasing that she is unwilling to leave people behind, especially her new friends with whom she has a lot of fun and snarky banter.
9 Moon Knight
Marc And Steven Are The Result Of Abuse And Trauma
- Played By: Oscar Isaac
- First MCU Appearance: Moon Knight
Marc Spector showcases how childhood trauma can affect a person, which the god Khonshu took full advantage of, using an emotionally troubled person to transform into his Moon Knight. He is diagnosed with Dissociative Identity Disorder, with Steven Grant being a wholesome, quiet, and shy personality who lives a good life, while Marc gets to spend his nights being a mercenary and Khonshu’s agent of vengeance.
It all stems from the loss of his brother, which turned his mother into an abusive drunk. It led to Marc becoming a caped hero with qualms about killing criminals, especially when Khonshu gives him immortality and other abilities to get the job done. This conflicts with Steven's more innocent and less-violent nature.
8 Yondu Udonta
From Lead Ravager To Guardian Of The Galaxy
- Played By: Michael Rooker
- First MCU Appearance: Guardians of the Galaxy
Being pirates like the Ravagers, who steal from anyone they come across, it’s hard to remain a good person. However, Yondu Udonta was different from the moment he picked up Peter Quill, aka. Star-Lord, on Earth, showing a soft spot that led to him thinking of the young human like a son, even if it took him over thirty years to admit as much.
Marvel Comics: 10 Strongest Guardians Of The Galaxy Members, Ranked
The Guardians of the Galaxy has had a lot of powerful members over the years, including some that have crossed over from other teams.
Yondu spent years bringing the evil Ego the Living Planet’s offspring to him, leading them to their demise, but he hid Peter to protect him. Little did he know that this planted the seed for him, later blooming into an official Guardian of the Galaxy. It was also his good heart that would lead him to make up for his criminal acts by sacrificing his life to save his adopted son.
7 John Walker
Being On A Team Made Him Better
- Played By: Wyatt Russell
- First MCU Appearance: The Falcon and the Winter Soldier
John Walker is the perfect example of what Dr. Abraham Erskine warned against if the wrong person got the super soldier in their system: power taking what was already flawed and making it worse. John Walker was never a bad person, but his inflated ego and need to prove himself caused him to react to the super soldier serum poorly, almost like a superhero version of roid rage.
Between murdering an innocent person and fighting two Avengers, John Walker’s actions earned him a dishonorable discharge, which was the beginning of his turnaround. In Thunderbolts*, he’s far from a great hero, but being part of a team of anti-heroes allows him to live up to his original goal of being a superhero.
6 The Punisher
Frank Castle Fully Embraces His Murderous Ways
- Played By: Jon Bernthal
- First MCU Appearance: Daredevil
Many anti-heroes are still driven by a sense of justice, even if it's a warped version. T hat is not the case with The Punisher,played by Jon Bernthal, who hates the ideals of costumed heroes like Daredevil. Instead, Frank Castle is blunt about who and what he is: a revenge-driven vigilante who doesn’t care about what is right or wrong; he just wants all criminals to meet an early grave.
At times, The Punisher can come across as downright villainous in his approach to crime-fighting, which puts him at odds with Daredevil, but he does have some honor in him. While he may not agree with him, Frank was willing to help Daredevil when he needed it, and he has a firm stance against people trying to be like him, especially the corrupt police force that looked to him as an inspiration.
5 Winter Soldier
Life Has Not Been Kind To Bucky Barnes
- Played By: Sebastian Stan
- First MCU Appearance: Captain America: The First Avenger
Bucky Barnes originally wanted to serve his country during World War 2, but he never anticipated that his desire would lead to him being experimented on and transformed into Hydra's personal assassin, the Winter Soldier. Instead, he became an evil counterpart to Captain America. However, thanks to Steve Rogers' loyalty and kindhearted nature, Bucky regained his mind and gradually evolved into a hero.
Although his decades as a mindless assassin resulted in a darker disposition, the Winter Soldier still retains a sense of justice and fearlessness that he utilized during the battles against Thanos as an Avenger. He even became the most experienced member of the Thunderbolts, helping the team save the world from the Void's rampage in New York City.
4 Loki
The Multiverse Blessed Him With Glorious Purpose
- Played By: Tom Hiddleston
- First MCU Appearance: Thor
Loki, like Bucky, has been a part of every single phase of the MCU, and fans have witnessed him transform from a devilish but enjoyable villain who fought the Avengers to a smarmy anti-hero not once, but twice. Not only did the main Loki of the MCU slowly redeem himself across multiple films, but a multiverse variant in the Loki Disney+ series did the same thing across two seasons.
That Loki variant would even go as far as to become the God of Stories and save the multiverse from collapsing in on itself, and now he is set to become an Avenger in Avengers: Doomsday. It’s one of many examples of how much a character can change when given enough time to spread their wings across multiple chapters of a story.
3 Yelena Belova
Florence Pugh Has Defined A New Era Of The MCU
- Played By: Florence Pugh
- First MCU Appearance: Black Widow
In Black Widow and Hawkeye, fans got to meet Yelena Belova and get to know her as a young ex-Black Widow rediscovering her true self, which is not easy for someone who has been a slave to the Red Room almost their whole life. This results in her being a darker hero, dealing with a lot of inner turmoil that she doesn’t know how to process.
Marvel: 9 Biggest Surprises In Thunderbolts*, Ranked
Thunderbolts* features many surprises for the audience, such as much darker subject matter for an MCU movie and its shocking post-credits scene.
Yelena’s trauma and good heart are exemplified in Thunderbolts*, where her sins and past mistakes constantly haunt her, but that helps in the battle against the Void. Florence Pugh has become a beloved part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, giving Yelena so much depth while also making her as charming and lovable as possible, even when she is at her darkest.
2 Nebula
She Overcame An Evil Father To Be A True Guardian And Avenger
- Played By: Karen Gollan
- First MCU Appearance: Guardians of the Galaxy
When audiences first met Nebula in Guardians of the Galaxy, she was portrayed as nothing more than a bloodthirsty assassin with a hatred for her sister, Gamora. However, with each sequel and time as part of the Avengers, it became clear that she was a victim of Thanos’ cruelty, transforming her into someone willing to do anything to please him.
Nebula’s rising hatred for Thanos and acceptance of the Guardians helped reshape her into a more honorable character. She helped in the war against Thanos, became the leader of Knowhere, and, like Yondu, became one of the Guardians of the Galaxy, with audiences coming to love her for both her moody personality and her surprisingly wholesome relationships with her friends.
1 Deadpool
Wade Is A Vulgar, Childish Anti-Hero Who Saved The Multiverse
- Played By: Ryan Reynolds
- First MCU Appearance: Deadpool & Wolverine
While he did not begin in the MCU, Deadpool is one of the lucky characters to be brought over from the Fox Marvel universe thanks to the Multiverse Saga, and from the beginning of his first movie, he states that he is not a hero. Deadpool has expressed no care for the selfless and honorable qualities that define a superhero, and often acts out of his own impulsiveness and greedy desires.
At the same time, Deadpool can do good when pushed. He stops a child from becoming a villain and sacrifices everything to stop the multiverse from imploding. Across his trilogy of films, Deadpool gradually shows more humanity and becomes more than just the jester who breaks the fourth wall while brutally taking out any enemy that comes his way.
Marvel: 10 Best MCU Sequel Movies, Ranked
Some sequels set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe have become iconic modern films, such as Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3 and Avengers: Infinity War.