MCU: 5 Heroes Who Would Make Amazing Villains (& 5 Vice Versa)
The Marvel Cinematic Universe started off with six core heroes, but over the last decade, it has begun to bring some of the lesser-known comic book heroes to the big screen, such as Echo from Hawkeye. It has also provided fans with a cacophony of amazing villains to secretly fall in love with as well.
Sometimes, though, some of the best storylines in movies occur when a hero has had enough and turns evil. Additionally, redemption arcs, where villains slowly become more and more heroic, are incredibly popular and the MCU could benefit from putting its own spin on these plot points.
Tony Stark is the original MCU hero, with Iron Man launching the iconic franchise. Tony was a good choice for this role because he wasn't perfect; he was a flawed individual with a good heart and a fantastic sense of humor.
Imagine, then, how amazing it would be to see Tony act as the villain of the piece. Not only is Iron Man actually incredibly powerful, but Tony would also be a really well-written antagonist. His one-liners would have an edge to them, and he would be extremely good at convincing others to join his plight.
Although this intriguing plot point has already been done in the comics (Captain Hydra), so far it has only been teased in the MCU. Captain America is the pinnacle of patriotism and is keen to do whatever is right, no matter what the cost, which has been his downfall on more than one occasion.
However, if he became a villain, his naivety and passion could provide an extraordinary take on a Marvel villain. Not to mention his fighting ability and his super-strength would be more than a match for most heroes trying to take him down.
Carol Danvers is one of the most powerful heroes within the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Ironically, she used to be allied with the Kree, a well-known Marvel villain, until she realized their true nature and sided with the Skrulls.
If Carol hadn't defected, it would have affected so many events. Her unlimited powers would have aided the Kree in their efforts to destroy the Skrulls, not to mention the poor Guardians of the Galaxy. She might have even replaced Thanos as the Big Bad of the MCU.
This idea is slightly on the nose because fans have already seen a version of Doctor Strange who could be considered slightly villainous in What If...? Additionally, the upcoming film Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness has already teased an evil Doctor Strange variant.
These incarnations of Doctor Strange have already proved themselves to be extraordinarily powerful. Plus, the original Sorcerer Supreme was pivotal in the Avengers' defeat of Thanos. Imagine that level of power directed against all the heroes of the MCU. There would be no survivors.
Wanda Maximoff has been through so much tragedy in her life, it's a miracle that she's come through the other side as well-adjusted as she is. However, her experiences still left a lasting impression, which indirectly led her to holding a whole town hostage as a way to process her grief in WandaVision.
Technically, this portrays Scarlet Witch as a villain, but fans were shown Wanda's pain and loss, so they felt for her. If Wanda truly became a villain, her powers would be nigh unmatched. She can alter the fabric of reality itself, which means it would be extraordinarily difficult to defeat her.
Baron Zemo is an already fairly sympathetic character in the MCU, despite having only appeared in two projects (for now). His backstory was explored well in The Winter Soldier and made viewers understand why he was on a mission to destroy the Avengers.
Arguably, his role in The Falcon And The Winter Soldier further propelled him towards redemption, but it would still be immensely satisfying to see how he could use his vast intelligence and manipulative abilities to fight alongside the MCU heroes instead of against them.
Xu Wenwu is one of the MCU's more recent villains and a surprisingly sympathetic one. He had a wife and a family and swore to give up the ten rings that gave him power until his beloved wife was killed. He then reverted back to who he was and became a ruthless killer once again.
His character had a lot of depth however and he gave his power to his son with his last breath. If Wenwu hadn't died though, his redemption arc would have been great drama. He could have used his immense power to assist other heroes in the MCU and formed a better relationship with both children. Wenwu is an MCU villain who deserves another appearance in the future.
The Vulture, aka Adrian Toomes, was the first villain in the Spider-Man trilogy and he absolutely knocked it out of the park. Thankfully, he will be returning in the Morbius movie later this year. He provided an amazing, cynical foil for Tom Holland's naive and innocent Peter Parker.
Part of the Vulture's appeal was that he represented the everyman, those who don't have lots of money or any powers. It would be great to see him bring that realism to the Avengers, who definitely need a staunch reality check at times.
One of the newest villains to make this list, Agatha Harkness proved herself to be a Marvel icon when she made her debut in WandaVision. She wreaked chaos in Wanda's Hex and then held her sons hostage, not to mention forcing Wanda to revisit all of the traumatic moments in her past.
However, she proved such a hit with fans that her own television series, Agatha: House of Harkness, has just been commissioned. Agatha would be absolutely iconic as a hero. Her personality and flair would be irresistible and watching her fight alongside Wanda and Doctor Strange would be divine.
Erik Killmonger is one of the most nuanced and sympathetic foes in the franchise, with one of the saddest MCU villain origin stories. His methods were extreme but his motivations were not only understandable but extremely relevant, even in the real world. It was hard to remember that he was the main antagonist.
If only Killmonger had chosen a less murderous route, he would have become probably the most grounded superhero that the Marvel Cinematic Universe had ever produced. He would have been instrumental in opening Wakanda's and the Avengers' eyes to the racism and discrimination faced by people of color all over the world.