With the Joker’s (Heath Ledger) reign of terror on Gotham City inThe Dark Knightand Thanos’ (Josh Brolin) galaxy-spanning quest for the infinity stones unfolding over years of MCU movies, superhero fans have been spoiled rotten in recent times with great villains being fully realized as they make their way to the big screen. However, for all the great villains we’ve been blessed with, there have been plenty who haven’t reached their full potential.
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It might be because they failed to be an accurate portrayal of their comic-book counterpart, were used in the wrong movie, or it could be as simple as we weren’t granted enough time with them on screen to really grapple with what the character represented. It’s important to distinguish, this list is focusing on villains who were under-used rather than poor villains in general. Having said that, there might be some overlap.
Proxima Midnight – ‘Avengers: Infinity War’ (2018)
When you’re an underling to Thanos in arguably the biggest cinematic spectacle of all time, it stands to reason there won’t be an abundance of screen time for you. Still, it was disappointing for fans of the comics to see Proxima Midnight (Carrie Coon) used in such a disposable way.
Fans of the MCU who don’t read the comics would be forgiven for failing to even recall her name based on her appearance inAvengers: Infinity War. What we did get to see of her though was pretty impressive, with the imposing member of the Black Order going toe-to-toe with Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) and Okoye (Danai Gurira) to give fans a glimpse of what she is capable of.
Carmine Falcone – ‘Batman Begins’ (2005)
One of the very few flaws amidChristopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy was how it used Gotham gangster Carmine Falcone (Tom Wilkinson).Batman Beginssought to ground the caped crusader in a dark and crime-riddled Gotham City, so having arguably Batman’s biggest criminal nemesis play a vital role made perfect sense.
Upon reflection though, fans could be forgiven for forgetting he was ever a part of the trilogy. Maybe the character was simply overshadowed by the many extraordinary villains Nolan’s trilogy did use flawlessly, but having Falcone reduced to a screaming wreck halfway through the first installment never to be seen again still feels like a missed opportunity.
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Taskmaster – ‘Black Widow’ (2019)
Taskmaster, aka Tony Masters, may not be the biggest or baddest villain in the Marvel Comics, but he is a fan favorite with his interesting ability and his big-mouthed cockiness. Re-imagined as Antonia Dreykov (Olga Kurylenko) inBlack Widow, the character’s charismatic flair was replaced by perennial silence.
However, it’s the fact that she didn’t even function as the film’s main antagonist that truly annoyed the fans. While there were some interesting elements to the character, it was ultimately a letdown to fans as she became one of the biggest missed opportunities in the MCU.Hopefully her return inThe Thunderboltswill build upon the interesting introduction to the character.
It seems a long time since the trailer toSuicide Squaddropped, leaving comic book fanatics and casual moviegoers alike waiting on edge for the film to drop. Sadly, it didn’t live up to expectation, with one of the most disappointing aspects coming in the form ofJared Leto’s Joker, though to criticize Leto alone for that would be harsh.
In a film already stacked with eye-catching bad guys, Joker simply wasn’t able to become a meaningful figure with the few minutes of screen time he got. It seems 2021’sThe Suicide Squadmay have had the right idea, allowing the members of the Suicide Squad to strut their stuff without a figure as polarizing as the Joker interfering with things.
Erik Killmonger – ‘Black Panther’ (2018)
Possibly a contentious entry, Killmonger (Michael B. Jordan) isn’t just one of the MCU’s best villains, he was one of the sagas most compelling characters. Within the confines ofBlack Pantherthe character was used flawlessly, but questions can be raised whether more could have been done with him beyond being a great one-off villain.
Thanos got years of build-up ahead of two massive films while the likes of Loki (Tom Hiddleston) and Baron Zemo (Daniel Brühl) have had interesting arcs throughout multiple MCU projects, and we would have loved to see how Killmonger could continue to evolve. That being said, his enduring reputation as one of the best movie villains in recent years could be sufficient evidence to say Marvel got it right, but one does wonder what could have been.
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Lady Deathstrike – ‘X2: X-Men United’ (2003)
With cyber-genetic enhancements and adamantium bonded to her skeleton, Lady Deathstrike is one of the X-Men’s fiercest foes, and the hate she has for Wolverine in particular elevates her standing as a villain who should excel on the big screen. That proved not to be the case with the character’s appearance inX2: X-Men Unitedwhere she merely existed as one of William Stryker’s (Brian Cox) henchmen.
Kelly Huwas far from terrible in the role, but her limited screen time hardly extended beyond a brief fight with Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) in which she died. To date, the film marks the character’s only appearance in live-action media and, stripped of almost every element of her backstory, it was far from satisfying.
Gorr the God-Butcher – ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’ (2022)
Gorr the God Butcher is one of Thor’s most compelling adversaries from the comics with his self-destructive quest for vengeance consuming him entirely.Thor: Love and Thunderscales down the villain’s intensity, which was a smart decision given the tone of the movie, but the character still didn’t quite work in the overall film.
The darkness and moral ambiguity of Gorr’s (Christian Bale) story felt mismatched against the comedic backdrop of Thor’s (Chris Hemsworth) journey. Only appearing in a handful of scenes, Gorr was both an eerie presence and a sympathetic villain who could have been among the MCU’s very best but, in the end, he didn’t reach his full potential withmuch of what was shot being left on the cutting room floor.
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Galactus – ‘Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer’ (2007)
There have been plenty of big threats to Earth throughout superhero stories, but few pose as great a threat as Galactus, a cosmic entity who devours entire planets in order to sustain his life force. Admittedly, Galactus would be a challenging villain to depict well on screen, not only because of his almighty size but also because he isn’t inherently evil or malicious.
Having said that, the manner in whichFantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfertried to depict him was particularly bad. After being hyped up, Galactus loomed as the one villain who could save the movie. It’s safe to say he didn’t, with his appearance resembling a giant storm cloud in outer space the final nail in the coffin for Fox’s firstFantastic Fourfranchise.
Dormammu – ‘Doctor Strange’ (2016)
There are under-used villains in superhero movies, then there’s Dormammu inDoctor Strange. Arguably the biggest villain in the sorcerer’s rogues gallery, Dormammu is a pretty big deal, even being dubbed ‘The Ruler of the Dark Dimension’.
The movie has no problem talking up Dormammu as a great and terrible foe only for him to get stuck in a time loop with Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) who bores him to the point of peace negotiations. Putting Dormammu in the first Doctor Strange MCU film was an ambitious yet justifiable decision, but with the benefit of hindsight, it probably would have been better to introduce him at a later point when Strange was more established in his own right.
Doctor Doom – Every ‘Fantastic Four’ Film
Forget about Thanos, when it comes to Marvel’s best villains there is only one possible answer anyone could come up with. The ruler of Latveria, Doctor Doom is arguably Marvel’s greatest character with his intelligence and his blending of science and magic making him a formidable foe for all who cross him.
The character has never been well executed on the big screen though despite 20th Century Fox having two cracks at it withJulian McMahonandToby Kebbell. Both quality actors in their own right, it’s not their fault the legendary character hasn’t been properly realized. Hopefully the MCU can find a way to bring the character to the big screen in all his glory.
