Summary
With so many iconic characters yet to make theirMCUdebut, there are plenty of villain designs that we can’t wait to see. Though it is not impervious to error, Marvel’s track record when it comes to adapting character designs from the comics into live-action is impressive, withcomic-faithful adaptationsfar outweighing thebad villain designs in the MCU. At the very least, it has a far better track record than other franchises whose creative liberties have warped some iconic characters beyond recognition.
Marvel villain designs are often outlandish, which can provide a substantial obstacle for Marvel to overcome in its attempts to bring them believably to the big screen. Yet, with CGI looking more convincing than ever, the MCU is in a prime position to debut some of the comics' most striking costumes. Additionally, a handful of Marvel villains who have been done a disservice by other cinematic franchises are ready for a glow-up that Marvel is now under added pressure to provide. With that in mind, these are the Marvel villains whoseupcoming MCU adaptationsare most exciting.
Every MCU Main Villain & Whether They’re Alive, Dead, Or Unknown
The Marvel Cinematic Universe has adapted a number of Marvel Comics villains, but what became of each of them in their MCU appearances?
10The MCU Can Capture The Scale Of Galactus
Set To Debut In The Fantastic Four
Ralph Ineson’s Galactus has been confirmed as thearch-villain ofThe Fantastic Four. It is hard to predict how well Galactus will land in the MCU. On the one hand, adapting a villain of such a vast scale and with such an outlandish outfit is no mean feat and poses a significant precedent for Marvel to set. On the other hand, the bar for a live-action adaptation of Galactus has been set so low by his ill-fated debut inFantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surferthat the MCU’s version can only look superior by comparison.
Thankfully,the MCU has already proven its ability to portray an entity as incomprehensibly vast as Galactus. The Celestials have made fleeting appearances throughout the MCU’s history, butEternalsproved just how proficiently Marvel can convey their size, with Arishem and Tiamut providing some of the largely underappreciated movie’s most memorable scenes. It isn’t hard, therefore, to see Marvel depicting Galactus in a similar way while remaining entirely faithful to his garish yet iconic appearance.
9Annihilus' Annihilation Wave Would Be An Awesome Sight
Could Appear In MCU Phase 7
While the villains of the Multiverse Saga are pretty much catered for (the precarious future of Kang notwithstanding), Marvel fans have been clamoring for the arrival of the iconic Marvel villain, Annihilus, for years. The Annihilation Wave event of Marvel Comics could be catered to by MCU Phases 7 and beyond, especially afterAnnihilus' MCU arrival was teasedby Hank Pym’s technologically advanced society of ants in the Quantum Realm inAnt-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. If this happens, Annihilus is an exciting visual prospect when adapting him to live-action.
Annihilus would be a CGI-heavy villainwhose chitinous appearance is probably best served by ample visual effects. In terms of how Marvel pulls this off, his look isn’t too dissimilar from Iron Man’s helmet, which is a promising prospect considering how well the hero was rendered in the past. The individual spectacle of Annihilus is one thing, however, but the prospect of seeing his annihilation wave - a swarm of bug-like warriors - rendered in live action would be a formidable sight to behold.
8Doctor Doom’s Iconic Mask Provides A Significant Stumbling Block
Could Appear In The Fantastic Four
Like Galactus, Doctor Doom’s live-action appearances have cemented an unfortunate truth about migrating him from the page to the silver screen. In this case, his iconic iron mask is inconducive to conveying emotions, which is a significant hurdle for the theatrical arch-villain to overcome. After two live-action appearances in official releases (and one in theunreleased Fantastic Four movie of the 1990s),this is now a well-established stumbling block that it will be interesting to see Marvel overcomewhen Doctor Doom invariably debuts in the Multiverse Saga.
With that being said, it isn’t as if this is a new struggle for the MCU. Its flagship hero, Iron Man, is privy to the exact same issue, and it did not preclude him from becoming theMCU’s most charismatic hero. The difference, of course, is that Tony spent more time outside of his suit than he did inside, which is not a privilege typically afforded to Doom. It is equally hard to see Marvel re-hashing its tactic of depicting a close-up of the face within the mask - though that is not beyond the realm of possibility.
7Mephisto’s Design Is Simple Enough For Marvel To Embrace
Set To Appear In Ironheart
Mephisto’s MCU debutholds up as one of the most anticipated MCU moments in recent memory, thanks in no small part to the perceived clues peppered throughoutWandaVisionthat ultimately came to naught. Instead,Mephisto has been heavily rumored to debut inIronheart, possibly portrayed by Sacha Baron Cohen. The build-up to the villain is such that Marvel is now under added pressure to make it count with a character design that sticks in the memory as much as the comic book panels in which he appears.
With that being said,his design isn’t particularly difficult to adapt. Coloring an actor from head to toe in crimson is achievable through digital aid, but this might be one of the occasions where the MCU’s practical effects will win the day. With that in mind, the precedent set by Gamora and Nebula stands out, as Mephisto doesn’t require doubling the size of the already rather tall actor portraying him. In any case, Marvel should think twice before making Mephisto - a character analogous to the devil himself - resemble an average human, like withJessica Jones' Kilgrave.
6Hobgoblin Might Require Creative Liberties
Could Appear In Spider-Man 4
With Ned Leeds being a mainstay of the MCU’s Spider-Man story from day one, his transformation into Hobgoblin has been long-awaited. Adapting a convincing Hobgoblin that resembles the character from the comics as closely as possible might be one of Marvel’s biggest challenges yet. Sam Raimi’sSpider-Mansidestepped the issue of convincingly conveying the exaggerated features of Goblin by having Norman Osborne don a helmet. While this was a creative and well-received solution, it wasn’t exactly a comic-accurate rendition of the character. Furthermore, that particular workaround means that Marvel is now obstructed from following suit.
Now that Green Goblin has technically already appeared in the MCU, Hobgoblin could be the franchise’s answer to the villain, with Ned Leeds' presence already hinting at this debut.
Instead, Hobgoblin will likely be better suited to a healthy dose of motion-capture CGI. The lambasted second attempt at adapting Hobgoblin’s green counterpart inThe Amazing Spider-Man 2sets a low bar for the MCU to clear, butit is also difficult to see how Marvel could convincingly turn Jacob Batalon into a comic-accurate Hobgoblin without deploying some creative libertiesas it did with Christian Bale’s Gorr the God Butcher. The fact that the MCU has yet to faithfully adapt a villain with such distinctive features makes Hobgoblin’s potential debut a particularly intriguing prospect.
5The MCU Can Bring A Unique Spin On Venom
While Venom is basically the figurehead of Sony’s Spider-Man Universe at this point, his fleeting foray into the MCU inSpider-Man: No Way Homemade it clear that the symbiote will feature in some capacity as a small part of the symbiote was left in Earth-616. The prevailing theory is that this will manifest as Spider-Man’s symbiote suit ahead ofAvengers: Secret Wars- paying homage to its comic book debut in 1984. In the wake of that debut, however, an MCU adaptation of Venom is still a possibility.
The symbiote left in the MCU is a topic shrouded in mystery as the distribution rights for Spider-Man and surrounding characters still belong to Sony.
Venom’s ill-fated introduction in 2007’sSpider-Man 3set a low bar for a second big-screen outing, but it was one that 2018’sVenomalready cleared. Tom Hardy’s rendition of the character is difficult for Marvel to improve upon, but it makes the prospect of his MCU genesis more intriguing as a result. Alternatively, with Flash Thompson being another MCU mainstay (complete with his own clandestine sub-plot),Marvel might decide to lead straight into the arrival of Anti-Venom, whose predominantly white symbiote suit will provide a more unique visual for audiences to enjoy.
4Red Hulk’s Hot Rage Will Be Particularly Striking
Could Appear In Captain America: Brave New World
With Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross poised to play a more central role in the MCU,beginning withCaptain America: Brave New World, the arrival of Red Hulk is all but assured. The fact that several supporting characters from Hulk’s only solo outing inThe Incredible Hulkare joining Sam Wilson’s solo debut lends credence to the prospect of Harrison Ford becoming the latest rage-fueled giant to join the MCU roster. If true, then Marvel has already proven its capacity to do the character justice - but that doesn’t make his debut any less exciting.
There isn’t much to differentiate Red Hulk from Hulk apart from the obvious color switch. What will be interesting, however, is how the MCU will handle the fact that Harrison Ford is older and less likely to bring the same level of physicality as Mark Ruffalo - though it is fair to assume that the MCU would use CGI to superimpose Ford’s face onto a stunt double’s body.The fact that Red Hulk emits heat with increasing rage should make for interesting visuals nonetheless, while ample use of CGI is a certainty.
3Mr. Sinister Could Be Marvel’s Most Memorable Villain Reveal
Could Appear In The MCU’s X-Men Movie
Despite teases aplenty in the tail-end of its run,Mister Sinister’s anticipated arrival in Fox’s X-Men franchiseultimately came to naught. Appetites for the iconic X-Men villain’s live-action debut certainly haven’t dwindled, however, which his well-received depiction in the celebratedX-Men ‘97animated series helped to prove. It is, therefore, safe to assume that Marvel will eventually adapt the villain when theX-Men make their MCU debutin earnest.
With such widespread anticipation, Sinister has the potential to debut in one of the most memorable villain reveals in the MCU since Thanos reared his head in The Avengers.
Part of what makes Sinister so beloved among fans is his striking and immediately recognizable character design.It is also something that begs for practical effects, as his uniquely ribboned cloak poses an enticing challenge for any costume designer worth their salt to seize with both hands. With such widespread anticipation, Sinister has the potential to debut in one of the most memorable villain reveals in the MCU since Thanos reared his head inThe Avengers.
2Casting Is A Priority For Sabretooth
Despite being adapted in two distinct styles within Fox’s X-Men franchise, Sabretooth is yet to be satisfyingly interpreted in live-action considering how remarkable his original character design is. Liev Schreiber’s take on the character, in particular, felt like a visually boring disservice to the character’s design, while Tyler Mane was closer yet still all-too-muted compared to the comparatively flamboyant Victor Creed of Marvel Comics. Similarly to Galactus, this leaves the goal wide open for Marvel to do better.
Much of Sabretooth’s memorability lies in his iconic outfit, butpicking the right actor for the job of portraying the feral ferocity of Wolverine’s arch-rival is a priority. His hulking stature is, of course, just as integral to a live-action adaptation, as the inevitable tussle between Sabretooth and Wolverine needs to feel as heavy and visceral as possible. With the MCU poised to introduce the X-Men and their mutant nemeses in a post-Avengers: Secret Warslandscape, the third iteration of this iconic X-Men villain is practically a dead cert.
1Magneto Is Ready For More Color
With two iconic live-action depictions of Magneto enshrined as ahighlight of Fox’s X-Men franchise, improving the character in the context of the MCU will be particularly challenging for Marvel. This challenge is compounded by the fact that Magneto is so beloved, adding additional pressure for Marvel to consider. With that in mind, Marvel doesn’t need to change much from Magneto’s tenure with Fox; but there are a few things that make his MCU debut an exciting prospect.
Michael Fassbender’s tenure was a step in the right direction but still fell slightly short of Magneto’s comic book vibrancy.
The treatment of Wolverine’s vibrant yellow-and-blue costume inDeadpool & Wolverineis a promising sign.This outfit is proof of Marvel’s willingness to fully embrace the garishness of the X-Men’s comic book styles, in stark contrast to Fox’s more tentative approach. Michael Fassbender’s tenure was a step in the right direction, but it still fell slightly short of Magneto’s comic book vibrancy. The likes of Hela and Thanos prove, after all, that theMCUcan lean into flashy villain designs and still have them be some of the most iconic villains in cinema.
