Theres nothing like the anticipation of seeing an iconic villain in an upcoming blockbuster movie. You already know what they are capable of and are bracing for the ride. Imagining the brilliant and twisted schemes of the Joker or the ruthlessness of Lex Luthor is all you need to buy your ticket well in advance. Unfortunately, failed expectations are too common. Ghostface turns out to be a teenage heart throb or Sweeney Toddan effeminate singer. Its a shame, especially when the character is rewritten into a lesser version of themselves. Here is a list of 10 legendary villains who completely failed to deliver on our big screens. Please note - there will be spoilers ahead;
10. The Mandarin - Iron Man 3
The Legend: Okay, so the Mandarin isnt exactly Ultron in terms of his legendary villain status. Still, he makes the cut, because we had a villain that was completely different from anything Iron Man had faced previously. After the Avengers, tech guru Tony Stark becomes fully aware of a larger world of other dimensions, alien technology, and magical weapons. Maybe everything couldnt be solved with a montage of scattered blueprints, determined power drilling, and equations showing the next suit holographically floating in space. Here we had a villain who could use his magic, something Stark would never understand, to nullify his powers instantly.
The Failure: Much has been written about the controversial Mandarin hoax reveal halfway through Iron Man 3. Even though it was fun to see Ben Kingsley switch on a dime, and it was a twist nobody saw coming, I have to reject it on the premise of what couldve been. After facing a technological rival from his own company that he manages to out tech in the first movie, and two technological rivals from competitors that he manages to out tech in the second movie, I was ready for something different. But no! I guess Marvel thought this horse wasnt quite dead yet, and we get a movie where Iron Man faces off against a tech based villain that he has to out tech.