As the multiverse is expanding in the MCU, more villains are being added to the roster. With Spider-Man: No Way Home giving way to make pre-Disney MCU villains canon, and Doctor Strange and Ms. Marvel hinting toward the X-Men, it’s now open season for any Marvel villain to enter the MCU. But out of all the bad guys that appeared in the comics, which one should appear in the MCU?
Phase 4 of the MCU has opened up to different stories such as the multiverse, celestials, gods, and possibly mutants. Also, Kevin Feige announced future Marvel projects, with familiar superhero teams appearing in the MCU. So while multiple stories could be explored, only a few could enter the MCU and would still make sense based on the direction that Phase 4 is going.
These are 10 Marvel villains that should join the MCU.
10. Mephisto
Mephisto was mentioned way too many times by fans since Phase 4 began with Wandavision. MCU fans believed that he was going to be the big bad of phase 4, only to be proven wrong at the end of the series. But if Kevin Feige wants to introduce this villain in the MCU, have him linger at the end of phase 4 once the Celestial arc ends. Or better yet, have him in the next Thor or Scarlet Witch movie.
9. Swarm
Swarm is another HYDRA scientist that mutated with a colony of bees. His entire body and mind are connected to the bees that are part of his new form. This Marvel villain is foes with multiple heroes such as Spider-man and Ant-Man in the comics, which pretty much makes him a perfect potential villain to be included in the MCU. While his powers are reliant on the mutated bees attached to his body, they are deadly and can attack multiple people at once.
8. Dark Phoenix
Thanks to Ms. Marvel, mutants are now slowly being introduced in the MCU. That also means a possible return for Jean Grey, aka the Dark Phoenix. Also, since the MCU likes to introduce villains the audience can sympathize with, Marvel can release a film or tv show for the audience to emphasize her coping with her abilities before she becomes the big bad who really just needs some help. Her appearance could be the final piece needed to fully introduce mutants in the MCU.
7. Midnight Man
Anton Mogart was already introduced in the Disney Plus Marvel series Moon Knight. However, we didn’t see his full potential as Midnight Man. While it was unknown what happened to him after that brawl in Cairo, he may have possibly survived the fight. If he did, that brawl could be a good motivation to get his revenge, especially since Marc and Layla caused havoc at his property.
6. Red Hulk
With more Hulk-like characters appearing in the MCU in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, then there should be more Hulk-like villains. And Red Hulk is a perfect candidate. Before Thaddeus Ross became the Marvel villain, he was a military man with a family and spent his life trying to hunt down Bruce Banner. The guy became the Red Hulk because he wanted revenge on Banner, with the two duking it out in the comics. Perhaps a slightly similar approach could happen in Phase 4, especially with the introduction of She-Hulk and Professor Hulk.
5. Venom
A tiny piece of Venom made its way to the MCU thanks to the events of Spider-Man: No Way Home. This means that this tiny piece of alien goo needs to find a new host on Earth-616. Rather than creating a cookie-cutter look-a-like in the MCU, give us an actual bad guy. Make Flash Thompson the MCU Venom considering his “rivalry” toward Peter Parker. Or some dude who hates Spider-Man for some reason. It’s open season for this alien goo to find a host to co-exist with.
4. Silver Surfer
The Silver Surfer is a mix of a hero or villain, depending on the source material. But in one of them, he’s known to be Galactus’ herald. Fun fact, in the Infinity Arc in the Marvel children’s show Super Hero Squad, Silver Surfer was the one who wielded the gauntlet and caused chaos in the multiverse. With Phase 4 hinting toward both a multiverse and celestial saga and a Fantastic Four film under development, now is the perfect time to bring back this character that we last saw in 2007. Make him an antagonist for the new Fantastic Four team. Also, Iman Vellani from Ms. Marvel wants to see the Silver Surfer in MCU, so there is already support for the idea by an MCU star.
3. Doctor Doom
Speaking of the Fantastic Four, they better bring back Doctor Doom one way or another. After all, he was close to Reed Richards and the rest of the Fantastic Four team and also got his powers the same way as our heroes. If Doctor Doom does return, he better be interesting and somewhat reimagined, especially for those who watched the older films. The last two films he was featured in gave him a similar backstory so it would be cool to see something slightly different.
2. Magneto
As X-Men is slowly making its grand reappearance in the MCU, this opens doors to bring back Magneto. There are multiple ways and opportunities to reintroduce this character to the Marvel Film Universe, whether he’s still going to be Wanda’s father or just some evil dude who’s against the Department of Damage Control or S.H.I.E.L.D. After all, he’s one of the main villains against this other Marvel hero team.
1. Galactus
If Phase 4 of the MCU is hinting toward a large battle against celestials, supernatural beings, and more powerful aliens, then including Galactus into the mix isn’t a bad idea. In the 2007 Fantastic Four sequel, Galactus appeared as an alien that feeds on life-bearing planets to survive. He may not be a celestial but he’s a force greater than them. And perhaps someone that both the Phase 4 Avengers, the Eternals, and the other heroes in the MCU could face together.
Phase 4’s villains are way beyond just hydra agents and family members, they’re now other alien species and super-powered beings out for revenge or to rule the world. And while some of the villains listed are from Earth, we’re entering a storyline where humans who thought they were normal are now dealing with brand-new superpowers that they don’t understand. And it’s up to our heroes to either help them or stop them from harming others. And with a new “big bad evil guy” brewing behind the scenes, we better hope that our heroes will be able to stop them.