Many of the characters in the Marvel Cinematic Universe are often depicted in ways that are relatable. Not every character is morally just, brave, or an upstanding citizen. Some of the MCU's heroes are criminals or have done things that make them seem more like villains at times.
They have committed a numerous amount of sins, but have also made a positive impact on the world or people around them. In typical anti-hero fashion, however, these characters usually end up doing the right thing because it benefits them in some way. They follow their own moral code, which others may not always agree with.
10 Iron Man Had Good Intentions But Bad Methods
After being kidnapped in Afghanistan and discovering that the weapons he created were being sold to terrorists, Tony decided to turn his life around. He donned a suit and became a superhero.
After facing otherworldly threats, he decided to create Ultron, utilizing the power of an Infinity Stone without thinking about the consequences. Although he had the best intentions, Tony Stark nearly killed humanity in his attempt to protect it.
9 The Hulk Was The Greatest Ally & The Biggest Threat To The Avengers
The Hulk was easily one of the strongest Avengers, and the group only utilized his powers when they felt that it was absolutely necessary. Overall, the Hulk was portrayed more as an anti-hero who caved in easily to his emotions.
The Avengers came up with the Lullaby to calm him down. However, when he became angry enough, he was much more of a villain. He lost sight of who was friend or foe, and hit anyone foolish enough to get too close to him.
8 Black Widow Had A Checkered Past That She Tried To Make Up For
Black Widow was trained to be a spy and assassin from a young age. She made choices that she would regret for the rest of her life. Some of these choices were shockingly dark, as revealed in her recent film.
Being a part of the Avengers was her way of repenting for the things that she did in the past. Her willingness to change made her less of a villain, and she became a world-renowned hero after she sacrificed herself to get an Infinity Stone.
7 Hawkeye Was A Good Family Man Until The Snap
Hawkeye was portrayed as a loving father from the moment his family was introduced. They were hidden in an effort to protect them, and he clearly cared a lot for them. Like many superheroes, however, he lost his family, although in his case, it was only for a few years.
After Thanos wiped out half of all life in the universe, Hawkeye decided to hunt down all of the criminals who survived. Black Widow found him in Tokyo after he killed a large number of yakuza members.
6 Wanda Maximoff Put Her Family First, Sometimes At The Expense Of Others
Wanda has lost so much that it makes sense for her to be selfish from time to time. After losing her parents to the Stark Industries' bomb, she and her brother joined HYDRA, and even joined Ultron in order to get revenge.
Although she worked with the Avengers after discovering Ultron's motives, the events of WandaVision made her more of a villain. Not wanting to give up the family and life she created, she tormented and manipulated the inhabitants of Westview.
5 Loki Often Bounced Between Being A Hero & Being A Villain
Loki always had a difficult time deciding whether he wanted to be a hero or a villain. Even when he did something heroic, he usually did it for his own gain.
The attack on New York showed a brutal side to him that desired to conquer, although it was later established that all Loki ever really wanted was attention. His recent character development in Loki made him more of an anti-hero than a villain.
4 Peter Quill Liked To Help Others For Profit
Peter Quill was raised by the Ravagers and learned how to make a living for himself through dishonest means. He put profit before most other things, resorting to lying, cheating, and stealing to get what he wanted.
After joining the Guardians of the Galaxy, he fought intergalactic threats, albeit at a price. He and his group never truly became classic heroes, and Peter did less than heroic things when he became emotional, such as when he punched Thanos in the face.
3 Scott Lang Was An Ex-Convict Hoping To Turn His Life Around
Scott Lang went to prison after using his skills to commit a robbery. After finally being released, he decided that he wanted to live an honest life. However, after failing to hold down a job, he decided to go on another heist.
He stole the Ant-Man suit from Hank Pym's residence but was arrested after trying to do the right thing by returning it. Becoming Ant-Man didn't mean that he always made the right decisions, but he had a positive impact on the world.
2 Nick Fury Tried To Act For The Good Of Humanity Even If It Was Through Shady Means
When Nick Fury was the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D., he made it his personal goal to protect the world from extraterrestrial threats. He was responsible for assembling people to become Avengers, and even pressured some of them into joining.
He even tried to secretly use the Tesseract to create weapons, despite this being such a huge risk. Although Nick Fury remains mostly hidden, he sometimes appears to provide the Avengers with support.
1 Valkyrie Captured People In Order To Survive
After a devastating defeat at the hands of Hela, Valkyrie spent years on Sakaar as a bounty hunter. She captured and sold people who would be forced to fight in an arena. She wasn't above killing those who got in her way, nor was she above selling Thor to the Grandmaster.
Although it took a lot to convince her to leave Sakaar, she agreed to help Thor save the Asgardians from Hela, and eventually inherited leadership over the remaining people from Thor.