Every Netflix Marvel Villain Ranked Worst To Best

8. John McIver/Bushmaster (Luke Cage Season 2)

Jessica Jones Kilgrave
Netflix

Season 2's John McIver/Bushmaster, played by Mustafa Shakir, proved to be a more compelling villain that Luke Cage's Season 1 foe, Diamondback. It is always interesting to see a bad guy team up with the hero to face an even bigger foe, and while Bushmaster certainly posed a real threat to Cage but he wasn't the season's ultimate big bad.

Bushmaster developed similar enhanced traits to Cage after being treated with Nightshade. The Defenders aside, Bushmaster provided us with the opportunity to see Cage fight a fellow enhanced person one-on-one which made for some gripping set-pieces.

The best villains are complex and Bushmaster was just that. After Mama Mabel massacred his family, his attention turned to Mariah Dillard. Likewise, his eventual team-up with Cage showed he understood what the bigger fight was.

This does also hinder his ranking however. Bushmaster was an interesting foe but his threat against Cage was temporary and fleeting. After escaping to Jamaica at the end of the season, it would've been interesting to see if Bushmaster would surface in Harlem again. With Luke Cage's cancellation, it's a question that will go unanswered.

Contributor
Contributor

Experienced journalist bringing you ALL the content on everything gaming, film & tv. Popular opinion: We need Jon Bernthal back as The Punisher in the MCU. Unpopular opinion: Abby > Ellie in The Last of Us.