10 Animated Marvel Villains Perfect for the MCU

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The live-action Marvel Cinematic Universe may be the biggest adaption of the Marvel Comics world out there, but there have been plenty of other iterations of the universe brought to life through animation. With Marvel’s first animated project debuting in 1966, there have been decades upon decades of heroes and villains brought to the screen — some adapted to the MCU, some that have yet to be but are actually perfect for it.

Whether they’re a Spider-Man, Iron Man, X-Men villain, or another, the animated iterations of the Marvel world across the decades have featured villains that would be incredible additions to the MCU. With the major motion picture universe consistently growing and heading into new territory with each new franchise entry, there are plenty of opportunities to introduce these wonderful baddies. This list will rank the best animated villains who would make perfect additions to the MCU. There won’t be a ranking; instead, the list will celebrate those animated characters who deserve to jump over to live-action.

10

Grim Reaper (Eric Williams)

Not the Grim Reaper you’re thinking of…

While the Grim Reaper isn’t much of a villain worth noting in the comic books, he was brought to television screens in the ever-famous and beloved animated series, Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, in a way that made him a lot more interesting. This deadly agent of HYDRA, Eric Williams, is equipped with a costume that resembles the Grim Reaper and a deadly scythe to fit the bill.

What makes him perfect for the MCU isn’t just the fact that his aesthetic is frightening but because he is essential to the origin of Wonder Man, who’s getting a highly anticipated Disney+ miniseries in 2025. Thus, not only is the Grim Reaper perfect for the live-action medium, but there’s also a good chance that he will be making an appearance in Wonder Man, anyway.

9

The Living Laser (Arthur Parks)

Talk about an energetic villain!

The Living Laser has made numerous appearances all across the Marvel animated board over the years. This Iron Man villain has appeared in shows directly related to the hero, like Iron Man: Armored Adventures and others, including Ultimate Spider-Man. With how much of a powerful foe the Living Laser is, it’s a shock that he hasn’t made his live-action debut yet.

While he may be primarily an Iron Man villain, the hero’s death in the MCU doesn’t keep the Living Laser from being a great choice to make an appearance. He could easily become a villain for Riri Williams (Dominique Thorne), War Machine (Don Cheadle), and the Avengers as a whole. With how genuinely powerful he is, the Living Laser is a perfect choice to bring immense conflict to the heroes of the MCU next, especially because there are multiple Iron Man-like heroes left in the franchise post-his death.

8

Nimrod

The new X-Men are going to need some good villains!

Marvel Studios will want to set themselves apart from the two 20th Century Studios iterations of the X-Men and their plots to avoid feeling unnecessary. While the X-Men facing the Sentinels is nothing new for motion picture audiences, they’ve yet to see a true adaption of the iconic Sentinel known as Nimrod. While by technicality, Nimrod may have appeared in X-Men: Days of Future Past — it served as inspiration for the Mark X Sentinels — they’ve yet to see a genuine iteration of the character on screen.

Best adapted in X-Men: The Animated Series/X-Men ’97, Nimrod is an advanced Sentinel, highly adaptable that quickly became one of the mightiest X-Men foes ever created. It would be so easy for Marvel Studios to just bring the Sentinels into the new franchise, but if they jumped to a character like Nimrod, their iteration of the X-Men would have to prove themselves in a whole new way.

7

The Spider Slayer (Alistair Smythe)/The Spider Slayers

The world always has it out for Spider-Man… Smythe is next.

The Spider Slayers and the Ultimate Spider Slayer himself, Alistair Smythe, are such great Spider-Man villains that they’ve appeared in a few adaptions of the character. The Spider Slayers were created by Smythe as a way of combating Spider-Man’s many powers to a tee. The world still thinks that the Wall-Crawler killed Mysterio (Jake Gyllenhaal) in the MCU, meaning he’s still Public Enemy #1.

If Marvel wanted to throw a profoundly powerful foe for Peter Parker (Tom Holland) to face in Spider-Man 4, this comic/animated villain would be perfect. He gave up the world of Peter Parker to be exclusively Spider-Man, so what better way to bring him down than a villain aimed at Spider-Man only? It would also invite many thrilling sequences, making Spider-Man 4 an even hotter ticket.

6

Hobgoblin (Rodrick Kingsley + 8 others)

He’s already faced the Green Goblin. Who’s next?

No matter what Spider-Man adaption it is, the Green Goblin is Spider-Man’s deadliest foe and arch-nemesis. Alas, this green villain isn’t Spider-Man’s only Goblin nightmare — Hobgoblin is just as deadly in many different ways. With Tom Holland already having faced Green Goblin (Willem Dafoe) in Spider-Man: No Way Home, if Marvel Studios and Sony Pictures Entertainment wanted to give Holland another Goblin (that’s not Tobey Maguire‘s), Hobgoblin is the next best choice.

Hobgoblin (depending on what iteration it is) has a plethora of other weapons and skills that set him apart from Green Goblin. People love to see a Spider-Man face off against a Goblin, and if they took inspiration from a few of the unique animated Hobgoblins across animated Spidey media, they could make him really stand apart from Dafoe’s iconic portrayal.

5

Crimson Dynamo (Dimitri Bukharin + 13 others)

Another Iron Man villain that never got his shot…

Another Iron Man villain that never got their shot in the MCU that could become a great enemy for Ironheart or War Machine in the future is none other than Crimson Dynamo—a Marvel villain mantle that has been taken up by 14 different people throughout the years. The mantle of Crimson Dynamo has always been taken up by a Russian character or Soviet agent who has it out for Iron Man in one way or another.

The idea of a villain born from the sins of the past of Tony Stark isn’t new to the MCU.While they typically have faced off with Spider-Man in the past, shifting a villain like this over to the other Iron Man-esque heroes left over in the MCU would be a great idea. There are only so many Ironheart-specific villains from the comics that the MCU can adapt due to the fact that she was only recently introduced in 2016. Thus, giving her a classic Iron Man villain, especially one that previous movies got wrong, would be the best choice.

4

Fin Fang Foom

Face it. Dragons are cool.

A decade ago, a dragon being brought into the MCU may have sounded ridiculous. Now, thanks to Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, it makes total sense, primarily because the film introduces the Great Protector in the third act. Typically facing off against the Armored Avenger, Fin Fang Foom could more than easily become a Shang-Chi (Simu Liu) villain in the next movie.

With the first Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings introducing a “good” dragon, it’d be really fun to bring in a “bad” one in the sequel. Pretty much everyone can agree that movie dragons are badass and awesome, and to see one be a big bad for the likes of Shang-Chi in the character’s second film would be a wonderful bit of added mysticism to a franchise that relies far too much on science.

3

Enchantress (Amora)

Thor 5 is coming…

One of the most popular Thor villains in the comics and animated shows is Enchantress, an extremely powerful Asgardian sorcerer. She also has the super-enhanced physiology of an Asgardian, giving her super strength, durability, reflexes, etc. With reports that Thor 5 is indeed arriving eventually, Enchantress feels like a great next villain for the character.

Not only is she a powerful sorcerer but also a master manipulator. Being such a visually electrifying villain and mind-bending villain would make Enchantress genuinely the perfect choice to antagonize Thor’s (Chris Hemsworth) next big-screen adventure, especially since he’s primarily only faced physically threatening villains in the past.

2

Mister Sinister (Nathaniel Essex)

Fans have been asking for him for decades!

Since the very first X-Men film, fans of the super team have been practically begging to bring Mister Sinister into the fold. While he may be extremely popular in the comics, he’s best represented in X-Men: The Animated Series, the show that launched him to superhero stardom. Aside from the likes of Magneto and the Sentinels, Mister Sinister may very well be one of the most popular X-Men villains.

If Marvel Studios wanted to immediately win X-Men fans with their iteration of the mutant team, then bringing Mister Sinister as one of the first villains would be the best move. This Victorian geneticist is also an incredibly compelling foe that brings a lot of conflict for the team that would fit a movie very well, embodying the blend of science and fiction that characterizes the X-Men.

1

Scorpion (Mac Gargan)

Where is he, Marvel?

Ever since he was teased at the end of Spider-Man: Homecoming, people have been clamoring to see Mac Gargan (Michael Mando) in the MCU again, as the Scorpion this time. Fans were treated to an alternate timeline in Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, in which he got the villain plot people have been asking for, but people are still begging to get him in Spider-Man 4.

Marvel Studios and Sony Pictures Entertainment have majorly missed out by not bringing this character in yet. People can only hope that he gets his live-action introduction in the fourth Tom Holland installment, especially because, while well-known in the comics, Scorpion has truly shined in animation, showing his potential as a villain for the arachnid hero. He truly is a perfect Spidey villain that has yet to be shown on the big screen, and if anything has proven this, it’s his story in Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man.

NEXT: 10 Villains Mark Ruffalo’s Hulk Needs to Face (That Aren’t Red Hulk)

“}]] 2D villains like The Spider Slayer and the X-Men: The Animated Series version of Mister Sinister would be perfect additions to the MCU.  Read More