10 Greatest MCU Villains Of 2021

The MCU loves pitting its superheroes against their own family members. Peter Quill had to defeat Ego, his own Celestial father, Thor has fought his siblings multiple times, and even Obadiah Stane was something of a surrogate father to Tony Stark before they battled in Iron Man.

In 2021, the franchise added to this list by bringing Shang-Chi into the path of his villainous father, Wenwu. Despite being power hungry over the last thousand years since discovering the Ten Rings however, his motivations in the movie were much more personal and relatable.

For years, Wenwu struggled to get over the loss of his wife, and was finally called to her from beyond the gate at Ta Lo. Of course, this wasn’t actually what was happening, but Shang-Chi’s father was so blinded by grief that he was willing to risk everything, even the entire magical village itself, if there was a chance of seeing his love again.

Tony Leung’s performance was simply spellbinding, as he cut both an intimidating figure, as well as bringing the more emotional, empathetic aspect of the character who just wanted his wife back. This pain, and the resources and power that came with the Ten Rings themselves, made for one of the most compelling villains of the entire year.