After his one, main appearance in the MCU, Thanos has become arguably the best villain in the franchise. Not only was he easily the strongest the Avengers have ever faced, but he was also the focal point of Avengers: Infinity War. He believed that only he had the gall to do what was necessary to save the rest of the universe. Admittedly, he was psychotic, but there was still motive and determination behind his actions that most of the MCU villains didn't have. With Avengers 4 on the horizon, the Mad Titan will be appearing once again and possibly for the final time. Whether he meets his end at the hands of the Avengers or lives as a farmer the rest of his days, the MCU will have to move on from for Phase Four. With exciting prospects like new teams appearing, the X-Men possibly finally making their debut, and a potential embracing of weirder stories, the door is wide open for all kinds of villains to appear in the MCU.
There are so many characters to choose from, but the fans have already spoken on which ones they'd like to see. If Marvel is going to keep their fans around, they may want to consider bringing many of these iconic faces to the MCU. Now that they have the opportunity to use these characters, there's no reason for them not to. The future of the MCU looks like it could bring even stronger villains and with that in mind, here are 25 of the most powerful Marvel villains fans demand to see on screen.
25 KANG THE CONQUEROR
Kang was a character powerful because he knew how to properly use time travel. Bringing all sorts of equipment to his side, he became a serious threat for the present-day Avengers. Featuring armies from different time periods and technology that surpassed anything Tony Stark could create, it took Earth's Mightiest Heroes working together to bring him down.
Kang led to some of the most iconic moments in comics, and that could translate well to the MCU. The rights were caught up with FOX, but that doesn't seem to be an issue now with the impending merger.
24 GALACTUS
Perhaps the one cosmic villain who is more famous than Thanos is Galactus. This Celestial has the power to consume entire planets and empower minions that are some of the strongest characters in the Marvel Universe.
Galactus is one of the most powerful beings in comics, and his arrival to Earth practically necessitates that the world's heroes team up to take him down. His presence would be a great excuse for a future Avengers film, and could possibly serve as a way of integrating the Fantastic Four, who are primarily associated with the character.
23 DOCTOR DOOM
Doctor Doom is often regarded as one of the greatest comic book villains ever created. Despite having the rights to such a character, FOX has never fully capitalized on it, having two separate cinematic interpretations, none of which were very good.
Many believe that with Marvel at the reigns, Doctor Doom could finally get the on-screen presence that he deserves. It would be a prime opportunity to introduce yet another complex villain who has good ideas that he uses for his own personal gain. There has yet to be a villain as cerebral as him in the MCU.
22 REQUIEM
Requiem is one of the newest Marvel villains in comics. After she defeated Thanos in one fell swoop, she went on a quest to gather the Infinity Stones to control the universe. After a few battles, it was revealed that Requiem was actually Gamora, who had enough of people who have wronged her.
With Gamora's fate in Avengers: Infinity War somewhat decided, it's possible that her speculated return could come with some changes to her personality and lead to her becoming the Guardians' next big foe.
21 MAGUS
One character that we know is going to be in the MCU at some point is Adam Warlock. This powerful character has a desire to protect the universe, though he does so in some of the weirdest ways. By splitting his personality, he became a neutral being of pure order.
Unfortunately, this led to his evil side manifesting as the villain Magus. While Warlock's and Magus' connection to the Infinity Stones will be different in the films, seeing this new bad guy threaten the MCU would be as wacky and exciting as we want.
20 ANNIHILUS
While the ruler of the Negative Zone primarily takes on the Fantastic Four, there is a lot of room for Annihilus to come to the big screen and serve as a threat for all the Avengers. There have been rumors that Annihilus could make a surprise appearance in Avengers 4, though it's speculation at this point.
If not in that movie, Annihilus is a prime candidate for the MCU going forward. The Negative Zone has yet to be included in the films, and having a harrowing villain from another dimension would be a striking sight.
19 MAGNETO
Despite how lackluster some of the X-Men films have been, FOX has managed to get Magneto right. Both Ian McKellen and Michael Fassbender have done justice to the character, bringing a sense of drama and relatable emotions to the character.
With the X-Men making their way to the MCU at some point, it would seem like a waste to suddenly be rid of FOX's Magneto. Not only would he blend well with the rest of the MCU cast, but seeing him go up against other Marvel heroes would be a cinematic treat.
18 ONSLAUGHT
With Marvel slowly gaining rights to all their characters again, they have the potential to bring Onslaught to the big screen. While the villain's design is a bit dated, the concept of the character remains impressive.
After getting too decisive with his mind powers, Professor X accidentally combines himself with Magneto to become Onslaught. This being was so powerful that many believed there was no way he could be stopped. A villain this big would be a perfect antagonist for a future Avengers film.
17 MEPHISTO
Mephisto is a demon with a lot of power and free time on his hands. As a result, he has messed with all kinds of characters, being the one who deals with soul contracts and even created the Ghost Rider entity. He was even responsible for destroying the entire Spider-Man continuity during "One More Day".
Such an important character is a prime fit for the MCU. While portraying a demon might rub some viewers the wrong way, seeing such a dark character go against Doctor Strange would be a nice challenge for the Sorcerer Supreme.
16 TASKMASTER
If there's one person who can be a thorn in the Avengers' side for a long time, it's Taskmaster. This powerful individual can learn to perform an opponent's moves just by watching them.
By familiarizing himself with the tactics of Thor, Spider-Man, and Captain America, Taskmaster proved to be a constant threat who wouldn't go down easily. He would open up his own school where he taught his own students how to do the same thing and to top it all off, he has a great design.
15 SUPER SKRULL
While the Skrulls are known for mimicking the appearances and powers of other characters, the Super Skrull takes it to the next level. This alien has the power of every member of the Fantastic Four at once, making him a serious foe for them to face.
The Skrulls are already on their way to the MCU in Captain Marvel, and it would be easy for them to have a lasting impact in the universe. Super Skrull's rights were shaky between FOX and Marvel, but the deal with Disney opens up this character's entrance to the MCU.
14 MAESTRO
There's a lot of potential regarding the Hulk. While never quite appearing in his own movie, the Hulk has a lot of villains that would make for interesting threats in the MCU. One such threat is Maestro.
Being a future version of the Hulk, Maestro became a tyrannical overlord with a bit more destruction on his mind than his present-day counterpart. Bringing him to the films could offer some nice character progression for Hulk and Banner, who would both be worried about a future they couldn't avoid.
13 BEYONDER
The Beyonder is essentially an entire universe, and that gives him a crazy amount of powers. He can shift reality itself whenever he wants to and that makes him one of the most stylish and dangerous characters in the Marvel Universe.
While the Beyonder would definitely need a wardrobe change for the films, his impact could easily remain the same. Being responsible for the entire "Secret Wars" event, that whole arc would translate well onto the big screen and Marvel fans would love a Secret Wars movie.
12 GREEN GOBLIN
There is so much untapped potential for Green Goblin that movie versions have yet to fully embrace. Willem Dafoe was a great start, but he only appeared in one film. Dane Dehaan's version was a bit lacking, but had the potential to grow into a stronger character.
While Marvel doesn't seem interested in using the Green Goblin yet, they could do a lot with the character. He could be a much larger foe, responsible for starting the Dark Avengers, a team which has a movie on the way.
11 MASTERS OF EVIL
If there's one thing we have yet to see the Avengers do, it's go against a team of villains. Because that seems like such a no-brainer, fans have been wanting to see Earth's Mightiest Heroes tackle the Masters of Evil for some time.
While the lineup could definitely change and only include characters that made more sense, the name would stay the same. The Avengers could tackle a team of villains who appeared in prior films and have to face their pasts while working together to save the present.
10 RED HULK
One of Hulk's greatest foes is the father of the woman he loves. Thunderbolt Ross already exists in the MCU, and he's every bit as irritating and close-minded as his comic book version. While he has yet to make his transformation into the Red Hulk, that could still happen.
Apart from the Abomination in The Incredible Hulk, there haven't been any serious Hulk bad guys in the MCU. Giving Ross this change would not only give nice representation to Hulk, but be a perfect reason for the Avengers to spring into action.
9 HIGH EVOLUTIONARY
It's crazy to think that a massive villain like High Evolutionary was once a regular man. One of the smartest people in the world, he would unlock the secret to genetic code and eventually use his experiments to give him all sorts of powers and armor.
With the use of the Evolutionary Accelerator, High Evolutionary can change his form. He can either have no tangible body or have a physical form with super strength and a healing factor. This crazy villain would be a perfect foe for the Guardians of the Galaxy to face.
8 KRAVEN THE HUNTER
If there is one Spider-Man villain that has yet to appear on the big screen but needs to, it's Kraven the Hunter. While being a bit of a ridiculous character when he was first introduced, Kraven became one of the most threatening during "Kraven's Last Hunt".
By having the villain appear in the MCU, it would allow for a primal confrontation between him and Spider-Man, leading to a more mature Spidey film. He could later be a part of the Sinister Six if Marvel chooses to go that route (if they're even legally allowed to).
7 VULCAN
While the Summers family is mostly known for Cyclops and Havok, there was another who was stronger than both of them: Vulcan. The Summers family were birthed by people on a distant planet. While Cyclops and Havok made it to Earth, Vulcan was stuck in his mother's womb when their parents were captured.
As such, he was raised on a different planet, but had a host of new powers to boot. He had even greater control than his brothers, and could manipulate their energies as well. This character could make for an interesting foe to the cosmic MCU heroes.
6 PROTEUS
There are a lot of mutants who get stronger powers than others and Proteus is no exception. This is a man who was born with the ability to warp and travel through different realities. Not having a totally physical form, he is immune to a majority of attacks from other heroes, including mental ones.
The X-Men films have yet to portray any of their crazier villains, and Proteus would be a great candidate for the MCU. His appearance could lead to some excellent special effects and fight scenes.