Ranking Every Major MCU Villain From Worst To Best
Who is the best of the baddies?
From the time Iron Man hit theaters in 2008, it was clear that Marvel Studios had a specific mission - they were determined to focus on characterization and storytelling just as much as action and big-budget special effects. Not only was the movie a wild success, but it drew near-unanimous praise, thanks in no small part to Robert Downey, Jr.'s portrayal of Tony Stark.
He humanized the two-dimensional character, making fans fall for the obnoxious billionaire with a heart. As Marvel continued its box office domination, it was clear that the studio wanted to keeping making its heroes into real people, playing with audiences' emotions as they dazzled their senses.
The studio took the same path in casting its villains, for the most part - Jeff Bridges's turn as Obadiah Stane in the movie was equal parts endearing, shocking, and terrifying, and it set the stage for some very original baddies in the films. Not all of Marvel's attempts hit the mark, but the greats have been great.
From the worst to the best, this list counts down all of the MAJOR Marvel Cinematic Universe villains - so underlings like Nebula, Baron von Strucker, and Raza of the Ten Rings, as well as cameo players like Thanos, won't be found here.
Also, there are HEAVY SPOILERS for all of the films, so proceed with caution.
14. Malekith The Dark Elf (Thor: The Dark World)
Genre fans were beyond excited when it was announced that Christopher Eccleston - best known as the Ninth Doctor in legendary British sci-fi show Doctor Who - would be playing Malekith the Accursed in Thor sequel The Dark World. Surely, the actor would bring his hard-nosed charm and tough sensitivity to the role, introducing another nuanced, fascinating villain to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
The truth was the exact opposite. Malekith had almost no lines in the entire movie and was played more as destructive force than a fully-realized character. While such a portrayal might have worked for, say, Galactus, taking this path did Thor: The Dark World no favors. Malekith was simply a backdrop to Thor and Loki repairing their fractured relationship - and to be fair, that was a compelling plotline that saved the film from being a failure.
Even Malekith's demise - where his giant ship falls on him - left a lot to be desired. After all, when there's no body, it's hard to buy a villain as dead. Hopefully, that means Malekith will return down the line and show some more personality.