10 Potentially Great Marvel Movie Villains (That Were Grossly Underused)

10. Malekith And Algrim

Though often ranking lowest on most Marvel villain lists, Malekith and Algrim from Thor: The Dark World had a lot going for them, design and backstory-wise, making their wasted potential all the more egregious.

In what little time audiences got to spend with the Dark Elves, Algrim's loyalty and Malekith's heartfelt appreciation of his sacrifice (rather than the cold entitlement of an uncaring leader) added some much-needed humanity and emotional depth to their inexpressive, prosthesis-laden features. If more screentime had been dedicated to their history and Malekith's devotion to making his people a home, as well as his war with Asgard and other realms, instead of Thor and Jane's inevitably failed relationship, fans could have gotten a more nuanced and interesting villain and right hand, instead of a one-note world-ender and slightly more interesting grunt.

What little of the Dark Elves audiences saw hinted at a much bigger, more interesting plot than Dark World cared about showing, with the kind of fantasy-film potential seen in films like Lord of the Rings. Despite the lacking final product, the Dark Elves are one of the most visually stunning races in the MCU, and deserve more depth to match their evocative creative design.