As the Marvel Cinematic Universe continues to recover from the events of Avengers: Infinity War, fans and studio bosses alike are looking to the future of the franchise. While next year’s Avengers 4 will see the inevitable topping of Josh Brolin as the Mad Titan Thanos, it leaves a large hole for whoever takes over his villainous plotting.
From Emperor Palpatine to Hannibal Lecter, Freddy Krueger to Sauron, every good series needs an overarching villain. So, as the MCU stands on the cusp of some serious change and a brand new slate of heroes and villains in Phase 4, here are six potential evildoers who could become the franchise’s next big bad.
1. Adam Warlock/Magus
Hoping to hatch from his cocoon for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, Adam Warlock could become more than just a member of the cosmic crusaders if he embraces his villainous side as well.
Although Adam Warlock is confirmed to sit out Avengers 4, the golden-haired hero’s tease at the end of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 confirms he’s out there somewhere. While the character’s comic-book history puts him largely as a hero of Marvel’s world, Warlock’s ties to the Soul Stone sees his future self transform into the devious Magus.
When (not if) Warlock makes his MCU debut, Feige and co would be wise to set him up as a major ally alongside the likes of Captain Marvel, only to have him fall from grace and become Magus. Everyone knows how the franchise loves a tragic villain at the moment, meaning Warlock/Magus would settle in nicely with recent sinners like Killmonger and Thanos.
2. The Mandarin
With Robert Downey Jr hopefully set to continue his part as Tony Stark/Iron Man, Iron Man 4 could right the wrongs of its predecessor. The threequel’s ‘twist’ that Iron Man heavyweight the Mandarin was just an out-of-work actor (played by Ben Kingsley) rattled more than a few cages.
The Mandarin fiasco was somewhat retconned in MCU One-Shot All Hail the King, where it turned out that Kingsley’s Trevor Slattery was about to meet the real man behind the Ten Rings.
Imagine a jaw-dropping Phase 4 twist where the Mandarin is revealed to be someone we’ve already met. How about Sam Rockwell’s triumphant return as Justin Hammer and the nerdy warmonger’s inadequacy being a ruse to cover his role as the actual Mandarin?
3. Red Skull
One of the earliest MCU villains was Hugo Weaving’s turn as the crimson-faced Red Skull. Easily dispatched by the end of Captain America: The First Avenger, Steve Rogers’ arch-nemesis made a surprise return for Infinity War.
No one noticed that Weaving was replaced by The Walking Dead’s Ross Marquand, and Phase 4 hints at the character’s return to the roster of Avengers adversaries.
The Russo Brothers confirmed that Red Skull is free from his imprisonment on Vormir, leaving a question mark over where the vengeful Nazi goes next. Considering it looks like Chris Evans is on his way out as Captain America, Red Skull could step out of the hero’s shadow and take on the rest of the Avengers.
4. Galactus
As fandom patiently waits for the arrival of the Fantastic Four and the X-Men, Reed Richards’ superhero team should definitely bring Galactus into the mix. The MCU was moving towards a more cosmic slate of movies before James Gunn’s firing, but the Devourer of Worlds could still mean big trouble for our little third rock from the Sun.
The gassy giant previously appeared in Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, however, as a rumoured favourite of Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige, Galactus is primed for an MCU revival.
Someone only recently linked James Gunn’s missing Easter egg to Galactus, and with Thanos’ deep space adventures surely coming to an end, the Fantastic Four enemy remains a likely candidate for Phase 4 villainy.
5. Doctor Doom
Keeping with the quartet of super geniuses, Doctor Doom could be one way to redeem the maligned history of Fantastic Four movies. The comic-book powerhouse has crossed paths with everyone from Black Panther to Spider-Man to make himself much more than a Fantastic Four foe.
Remember that Victor Von Doom has something of an anti-hero status after claiming the honour of being the third Iron Man – he also joined the Avengers as well.
With Noah Hawley’s Doctor Doom movie on hold indefinitely, let’s give the MCU a crack at reinventing the masked monster.
6. Red Hulk
While Louis Leterrier’s The Incredible Hulk has been all but erased from MCU existence, William Hurt’s portrayal of Thaddeus E. ‘Thunderbolt’ Ross survived the casting cull. Although Ross has had sporadic appearances since, his comic book history teases not only a Hulk standalone, but a whole branch of MCU movies.
For those who don’t know, Ross has his own team known as the Thunderbolts and also adopts the villainous persona of Red Hulk.
Mark Ruffalo continues to be a favourite of the MCU and it doesn’t look like Hulk is going anywhere. The past three phases have set Hulk up as a dangerous member of the Avengers, so why not see Earth’s Mightiest Heroes go up against the antithesis of the Emerald Giant?
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