Summary
- Villains in the MCU are designed as dark reflections of heroes, showcased through powers and character traits.
- Some villains symbolize what heroes could have become if they had succumbed to darkness.
- Iconic Marvel villains like Justin Hammer, Jigsaw, and Kaecilius highlight these dark reflections and the toxic relationships they create.
After five phases, over thirty movies, and over a dozen shows, many supervillains have been introduced to go up against the heroes in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Even though villains are supposed to be different from the heroes, there is a common trend in the MCU where villains are oddly similar to heroes.
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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.
9 Justin Hammer
Billionaire, Playboy, Philanthropist, And Nowhere Near A Genius
- Real Name: Justin Hammer
- Played By: Sam Rockwell
Iron Man 2 introduced Justin 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 suits so that he and his company can get rich, showcasing how much damage greed can cause.
8 Jigsaw
Frank Castle's Brother In Arms Became His Worst Enemy
- Real Name: Billy Russo
- Played By: Ben Barnes
In stark contrast to the comics, the live-action The Punisher series changed Jigsaw to 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.
7 Kaecilius
Could Have Been A Magical Avenger If He Didn't Fall From Grace
- Real Name:Kaecilius
- Played By: Mads Mikkelsen
Part of the reason why the Ancient One is hesitant to take on Doctor Strange as her apprentice is because of Kaecilius. 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.
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In a way, Kaecilius’ corruption helped Doctor Strange become the Avenger that he is now. As shown by Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness and 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.
6 Red Skull
The Leader Of H.Y.D.R.A. Is A Megalomaniacal Super Soldier
- Real Name: Johann Schmidt
- Played By: Hugo Weaving
Like his comic book counterpart, the Red Skull was created using a prototype version of the same super soldier serum that later turned 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 in Captain America: The First Avenger.
5 Killmonger
A Monster Usurper Of Wakanda's Own Making
- Real Name: N'Jadaka
- Played By: Michael B. Jordan
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 Panther ends its action-packed third act with 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.
4 Iron Monger
Jealousy Leads To The First Marvel Cinematic Universe Villain
- Real Name: Obadiah Stane
- Played By: Jeff Bridges
Obadiah Stane is an important part of the MCU’s history as Iron Monger because he was the first supervillain in Phase One and the entire long-running franchise. In 2008’s Iron 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.
3 Yellowjacket
If Ant-Man Was Designed To Be A Weapon
- Real Name: Darren Cross
- Played By: Corey Stoll
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.
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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.
2 Abomination
The True Monster That Bruce Banner Feared
- Real Name: Emil Blonsky
- Played By: Tim Roth
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.
1 The Winter Soldier
Captain America's Best Friend Was Forced To Be His Worst Enemy
- Real Name: James Buchanan "Bucky" Barnes
- Played By: Sebastian Stan
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 and a 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.
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