MCU: Every Phase 3 Main Villain Ranked From Worst To Best

Throughout the entire MCU there has been a real mixed bag of villains. Towards the beginning of the franchise, the bad guys that our heroes faced were not exactly the most compelling of characters. Obidiah Stane was a good villain, but was followed by Abomination, Whiplash, and Laufey. This theme continued in Phase Two, with forgettable antagonists like Ronan the Accuser and Malekith appearing in Guardians of the Galaxy and Thor: The Dark World respectively.

Part of the problem is that there aren't many heroes that have appeared in only one movie, but still, there aren't many villains who have appeared in more than one movie. So much time is dedicated to the good guys, the villains often feel under-developed.

Phase Three, for the most part, was different. The villains suddenly became complex characters with real motivations that the audience could empathise with, and actually posed a real threat to the heroes. Instead of antagonists devoid of any personality, Phase Three became a lot more personal with its villains.

Of course, not every single one was a home run, but with the exception of Loki, the very best of the MCU's bad guys come from Phase Three.

Following Darren Cross as the next villain in the Ant-Man franchise, Ghost did not exactly have the biggest shoes to fill. Named for her ability to phase through solid objects, Ava Starr was the victim of a quantum explosion that killed her parents when she was very young.

Her story in Ant-Man and the Wasp is not one of world domination or revenge, it is simply to get her hands on Hank and Hope's work to cure herself - to stop the pain. Audiences are able to empathise with her, however as a villain she is rather one dimensional.

With Bill Foster trying, and failing, to keep the pain at bay, Ava decides to take matters into her own hands. Defying the closest thing she has to father figure since the passing of Elihas Starr, and the way in which she does so, is more reminiscent of a teenager acting out than a straight-up villain.

Aesthetically speaking, the design of the character is completely unique. Although despite being clearly very skilled in hand-to-hand combat and martial arts, she ultimately proves to be little more than a nuisance for Scott, Hope, and Hank. She is just another obstacle for Ant-Man and the Wasp along with Sonny Burch, Jimmy Woo, and the police.