10 Great Movie Villains With Really Dumb Motivations

Quentin Beck's motivation made some fans want to B.A.R.F.

Mysterio Motivation
Marvel Studios

It’s nearly impossible to make the perfect villain and only a few genuinely excellent examples exist in movies. Unfortunately, there’s also a lot of ways for a villain to be bad. Even the great ones can come with caveats that ruin them when you look a little closer.

There are several antagonists out there that get half the formula right. They might be an imposing force that seems like an actual threat, the hero will struggle to defeat them, and the audience may invest in the clash. But what about the substance behind it all? That matters too.

Nothing deflates that bad guy hype balloon faster than a weak reason for being evil. One note motivations for brilliant villains is the bane of any filmgoer's existence. And unfortunately, some truly great cinematic villains have been based on some really poor motivations...

10. Quentin Beck - Spider-Man: Far From Home

Mysterio Motivation
Marvel Studios

Mysterio turned into a great headlining villain and while many fans were skeptical at first, but Marvel showed us that he is worthy of the leading man spot.

Spider-Man: Far From Home's storyline gave Mysterio a modern concept while still sticking to his comic roots. He is still a liar in the film, but the lies are way more complicated this time and it's the core motivation behind his plan that feels a bit silly.

Tony Stark’s legacy is one of misdeeds and redemption. He treated a lot of people poorly on his way to the top and he spent the rest of his life making up for that mistake.

But was the fact that he called Beck's most genius invention B.A.R.F. REALLY enough of a justification for him to create widespread carnage? It seems a bit of an over-reaction.

Contributor
Contributor

I'm a freelance journalist and documentary filmmaker based in Atlanta, Georgia. I write and film on a number of topics. Currently, you can find my work at Dissecting the Director YouTube page, The Binger YouTube page, and WhatCulture.com