The Best Marvel Villains Who Haven’t Been in Live-Action Adaptations

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With so many Marvel Comics stories being adapted into live-action on the big screen in theaters and on the small screen at home, it comes as a major surprise to many fans just how many iconic villains from the comics giant have yet to be adapted into live-action. So many X-Men, Spider-Man, and Avengers films have used endless numbers of iconic villains — but there are still so many that deserve their time in the spotlight.

Magneto, Green Goblin, and Thanos have all become major household names because of their incredible live-action adaptations, but some villains from the pantheon of Marvel Comics are considered even more iconic and beloved than even those. Though characters like Doctor Doom and Galactus have technically been introduced in live-action before, they have never been done the justice they deserve. Additionally, there are so many other villains on the same level as Doom or Magneto that deserve a chance at an iconic adaptation.

6

Mr. Sinister Is an Incredibly Compelling X-Men Villain

The Genetics-Obsessed X-Men Foe Has Only Been Teased In Live-Action Previously

Nathaniel Essex, aka Mr. Sinister, is one of the X-Men’s most compelling foes. With such a long history and an even longer list of excellent villains, the X-Men’s rogues gallery is packed with all-star foes. Mr. Sinister is one of the most interesting in the entire pack, with a turbulent relationship with most mutants in the Marvel Universe and a penchant for betrayal and only doing things for his own interest. Having lived far longer than many other characters in the Marvel Universe, Sinister has remained a schemer and major player in the world of mutantkind for decades.

His incredible character design, his terrifying presence, and his complicated history with so many X-Men characters are all absolutely screaming for a live-action adaptation in a brand-new X-Men film or series. With characters like Magneto, Mystique, Apocalypse, and more having already been adapted numerous times, it seems that Mr. Sinister would be the obvious choice for a new direction for live-action X-Men foes. Having recently appeared in the incredibly popular Disney Plus series X-Men ’97, Mr. Sinister is at a point in popularity with general audiences and casual fans that would allow a live-action appearance to really connect with audiences.

5

The Maker Is an Evil Variant of One of Marvel’s Greatest Heroes

The Ultimate Version of Reed Richards Is Also One of Marvel’s Most Terrifying Villains

The Reed Richards from the Ultimate Universe of Earth-1610 started out as a character much closer to his mainline counterpart. He formed The Fantastic Four with his closest friends and allies, Ben Grimm, Johnny Storm, and Susan Storm, and the group went on to be one of the Earth’s premiere superhero teams. But, after a series of tragic incidents on his home Earth, the Ultimate Reed began to go mad. He became obsessed with saving his planet and his universe, and it drove him to become the villainous Maker—a super-genius who would stop at nothing to gain power and ultimate control.

Recently serving as the spearhead for the brand-new Ultimate Universe, the Maker is one of the most dangerous beings in the Marvel Universe. With the intellect and superpowers of Mr. Fantastic and none of the morality, the Maker has become one of the most engaging and beloved villains to be introduced in the last twenty years. Though different versions of Reed Richards have all previously appeared in live-action, the villainous counterpart has yet to rear his terrifying head, and that is something that the MCU could very easily fix in the coming years. With The Fantastic Four: First Steps coming to theaters soon, villains connected to Marvel’s first family will certainly become more in-demand, and the Maker is at the top of that list.

4

Magus Is the Evil Mirror of Adam Warlock

The Ultra-Powerful Version of Warlock Has None of the Original’s Goodness

Adam Warlock is one of the most compelling and complex characters from Marvel’s roster of heroes, and his dedication to protecting the galaxy from major threats like Thanos has made him a formidable hero against some of the Marvel Universe’s most deadly cosmic threats. An evil version of Adam Warlock from a potential future, the Magus is equally powerful to the cosmic hero and even more deadly. Magus has constantly tried to push Adam Warlock toward the path of becoming him, and many of his stories have surrounded his fight to take control of the Infinity Gauntlet, one of the most powerful items in the Marvel Universe.

With Adam Warlock having recently appeared in live-action in James Gunn’s Guardians of The Galaxy: Vol. 3, it’s safe to say that the appearance of Magus is on the table. If Marvel wanted to tackle more stories with the characters from the Guardians of The Galaxy films, they would need to look no further than the battles between Adam Warlock and his evil counterpart. It’s a classic comic book story, and it would bring Adam Warlock to the forefront of the MCU’s cosmic side.

3

Arcade Is One of The X-Men’s Most Fun Foes

The Game-Obsessed X-Men Foe Is a Murderous Showman

Though so many of the X-Men’s best foes are focused on the battle against mutantkind as a whole, wanting to eradicate the species from the Earth, the character of Arcade is much more simple in his machinations. Most often, in the fight against the X-Men for monetary gain or plain old-fashioned revenge, the character is a satisfyingly classic foe for Marvel’s favorite mutants to face off against. A mastermind of games and puzzles, Arcade’s Murderworld traps were often the highlights of some of the X-Men’s earliest adventures.

Arcade is certainly not the kind of character that would warrant being the main villain of a live-action X-Men film, but his place as a supporting foe for the team to square off with would be a wonderful change of pace from the sometimes dire and intense narratives of the X-Men’s previous big screen outings. The goofy entertainer is almost as interested in having a good time while fighting the X-Men as he is with actually killing them, and that is something that more comic book adaptations need to take advantage of. Arcade is silly, but that’s one of the most engaging aspects of comic books—sometimes, they’re a little silly.

2

The Beyonder Is a Cosmic Powerhouse

The God-Like Being Is Integral to the Events of Secret Wars

With the Marvel Cinematic Universe clearly currently making its way towards an adaptation of the numerous versions of the iconic Secret Wars event from the comics, the arrival of an on-screen version of the Beyonder is only a matter of time. The Beyonder is one of the most powerful beings in the Marvel Universe, and his connection to many of the universe’s most powerful cosmic characters makes him an obvious choice to be adapted in live-action.

In the original Secret Wars story, the Beyonder brought many of Earth’s most powerful heroes and villains together on Battleworld to fight for his amusement and research. Seeking to understand and experience existence and humanity, the Beyonder is a child-like being with god-like powers, and that makes him incredibly dangerous to the heroes and villains of the Marvel Universe. Having actually had his powers stolen by the infamous Doctor Doom during the events of Secret Wars, the Beyonder’s connection to the villain is hugely important. This could very easily be adapted in the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars, and it would serve to connect many separate aspects of the current Marvel Universe into one cohesive story.

1

Annihilus Is a Fantastic Threat to the Marvel Universe

The Ruler of The Negative Zone Has Risen In Strength In Recent Years

One of the earliest enemies of the Fantastic Four, Annihilus is an interdimensional insectoid from the Negative Zone—a realm discovered by the Fantastic Four that consists of negatively charged anti-matter. Having fought The Fantastic Four many times in attempts to invade the Earth from the Negative Zone, Annihilus has proven to be a fearsome foe for Marvel’s first family. Leading an army of powerful insect-like creatures, Annihilus has faced off against some of the Marvel Universe’s most powerful heroes.

After repeatedly falling at the hands of The Fantastic Four, Annihilus chose to instead send his Annihilation Wave into deep space, where he fought against characters like Nova, Ronan The Accuser, Super-Skrull, and the Silver Surfer during the events of Annihilation and Annihilation: Conquest. Those events established Annihilus as much more than just another throwaway foe for The Fantastic Four, and instead made him one of the most terrifying and intense threats the universe had ever seen. The character is primed for a live-action appearance, and with The Fantastic Four joining the MCU soon, Annihilus could be right behind them.

“}]] With years worth of live-action Marvel content, fans are often surprised by how many iconic villains have still yet to appear on the big screen.  Read More