10 Greatest MCU Villains With No Powers
Who needs Infinity Stones or a super soldier serum?
The heroes of the Marvel Cinematic Universe are so larger than life that you'd assume their villains would need to be equally as powerful to ever compete with them. Fans always know that the heroes will ultimately win (usually), but there still has to be a reason to believe that they're in real danger.
Consequently, a lot of MCU antagonists have abilities and powers in the same way the heroes do. In fact, all too often they have exactly the same powers, making their final battle something of a fight against a mirror image. However, not every antagonist in the franchise can boast such superpowers.
WhatCulture has already explored the greatest ever heroes in the Marvel Cinematic Universe without any powers, and things are no different on the side of the villains. Some of the best bad guys in the history of the franchise have earned such a title without having any special powers, which in itself almost makes them more impressive.
If matching their rival pound for pound in a physical fight isn't an option, why not use their brains, their money, or even their influence to level the playing field?
10. Justin Hammer
You don’t have to be particularly threatening or intimidating to make a great villain, and there is no better example of that in the MCU than Justin Hammer. The guy was barely even a blip on Iron Man’s radar throughout Iron Man 2, but that doesn’t mean he wasn’t a strong character.
There’s a phrase in the wrestling world that translates perfectly to Justin Hammer, and that is the "chickensh*t heel". Essentially a villain who talks a big game, but is deep down something of a coward, never likely to actually back up anything they are saying.
This is Hammer in a nutshell. He so badly wanted to be Tony Stark, and though his plan ultimately turned into a comedy of errors, he was still detestable. And yet, thanks to Sam Rockwell’s incredible portrayal of the annoying wannabe, fans can’t wait to see more of him.
In a story about Stark Tech being stolen and misused, Armor Wars seems the perfect place to bring Hammer back, though not necessarily in a main antagonist role. Hammer's comfort zone, as he was in his first appearance, is as a secondary, more comedic villain alongside the bigger bad. Use him well and Hammer could be a huge asset when and if he returns.