So, ‘Far From Home’! That was fun, huh? Don’t worry, I won’t spoil a thing- but you should definitely get yourself down to the cinema if you haven’t already. The movie’s a treat.
And, technically speaking, it’s the last movie of Phase 3 of the MCU. We’ve a whole slew of movies yet to come, but we’ve seen nary a photo of any of them- Marvel are playing their cards close to the chest, and that’s great news for people like me; people who will, after a few pints, ramble for hours about Marvel Comics, the MCU, and everything inbetween. So, here’s my wishlist for some fantastic villains the MCU could use going forward. in no real order. I’m sure you get the deal.
1. Taskmaster
Taskmaster is a fantastically camp villain. Sporting a skull for a face, a big ol’ sword, and a fascinating super-power, he’d be a wonderfully light-hearted villain, perfect for an Ant-Man movie. That said, he’s also gone toe-to-toe with the likes of Thor, Captain America, Wolverine, and DareDevil in the comics- so he’s portable, adaptable, and dangerous. Could put him anywhere, really.
Taskmaster’s whole detail is copying people. If he sees a feat performed, he can copy it perfectly without the need for even a moment’s practice. Simple, yet both incredibly dangerous and fantastically malleable.
As you’d expect, he’s a master of several different martial arts, knows about eight different languages, and can easily train himself in whatever skills he needs. He’s a normal human in terms of physiology – no stronger than the average athlete – but he’s nonetheless a real threat to the right opponent.
Where could he fit in? Why, as the villain of the ‘Black Widow’ movie, of course! Black Widow’s solo movie is one of the more concrete projects to come out of Phase 4, and it’s got a perfect opportunity to tell the story of what happened in Budapest. Hawkeye and BW have both mentioned the mission a number of times, and it’s clearly a big event in their friendship. Could it be that they met on a mission in Budapest? Surely there’d be something – or someone – very important there if it requires the attention of SHIELD’s two best field agents. Clint and Nat teaming up to track down Taskmaster would create an opportunity for a fantastic martial-arts thriller, borrowing inspiration from the latter ‘Captain America’ movies to create a fun popcorn flick full of spy action.
2. Wilson Fisk
Oh lord, Wilson Fisk my favourite villain in any TV show. The major antagonist of all three seasons of the Netflix ‘DareDevil’ show, Vincent D’Onofrio’s take on Fisk is, frankly, chilling.
And that’s why he deserves to cross the threshold into the cinematic side of the MCU. At the end of the final season of ‘Daredevil’, Fisk is alive, if a little incarcerated, and ready to make his next appearance.
He is, of course, primarily a villainous foil to ‘Daredevil’. But Daredevil has historically been a good friend of another New York-based superhero; our boy Spidey! Ever since I saw DareDevil and Spider-man team up in a cartoon in the early 2000s, I’ve wanted to see the two cross paths on the big screen- and with Netflix’s MCU wrapping up, now would be the perfect time to import these two characters into theatres. Seeing the bromance of DareDevil and Spidey on-screen would be a treat- especially if (And I realise this is wishful thinking) they form a power trio with Deadpool. Think of the chemistry!
How would we weave Wilson into this world? As member of the MCU’s sinister six, perhaps? Broken out of prison along with Vulture and Scorpion, lending his skills and connections to the cause of eliminating Spider-Man, in exchange for both his freedom and assistance in killing DareDevil.
There are, of course, legal blocks in the way – Netflix own some kind of rights over the characters in their shows and aren’t exactly playing ball, but I’m sure Disney’s lawyers are on the case already. We can dream!
3. Doctor Doom
Victor Von Doom is the classic Marvel Villain. First appearing in Fantastic Four #5 in 1962, Doom predates Iron Man, Black Widow, Thor, Spider-Man, and a host of other classic Marvel staples. Doom needs no introduction.
With the Disney buyout of Fox complete (Sad state for capitalism, good news for Marvel Fans), it’s time for Doctor Doom to get his first true portrayal. No re-imaginings as a businessman, no neutering of his personality. It’s time for the king of Latveria to step out of the shadows.
Or, need he be Latverian? I honestly believe that Doom has a place waiting for him in the MCU – A place which integrates him into the history and politics of that world in a believable and natural way.
Doctor Doom should be Sokovian.
Sokovia has a storied history within the MCU – Civil unrest tied it to Tony Stark, who once sold munitions to those involved in the conflict. Wanda, of course, is Sokovian herself, and gained her powers as a direct result of the turmoil faced by her country – She even lost her beloved brother, who died trying to save Hawkeye (And therefore, helping to save the world) in Sokovia. Helmut Zemo was a Sokovian motivated by the loss of his family during ‘Avengers: Age of Ultron’.
In the Comics, Doctor Doom is the king of Latveria, another fictional Eastern-European country. He’s beloved by his people, and gained his throne through conquest rather than rite of birth. He even has a national holiday of feasting and revelry called ‘Doomsday’, which happens whenever Doom declares it so.
In the MCU, Doctor Doom could be the man who rose to power within the destroyed Sokovia, and in the years since Infinity War, he could have lead the country to rebuild. By the time the snap is undone, Doom is the king of a thriving Sokovia.
This not only fits him well into MCU canon, it also drives conflict in the lives of several Avengers – Namely, Black Panther, Wanda, and Doctor Strange.
Black Panther and Doctor Doom are both kings of thriving isolationist independent nations. At a meeting of the UN, the two have a potential for some frankly thrilling political philosophising, as T’Challa sees himself in Doom and vice versa. The two could become reflections of one another – One good, one evil, yet both kings nonetheless.
Wanda would be conflicted internally. If Doom is the villain of the story, but she sees that he’s taken her shithole of a home country and turned it into a thriving paradise, she’d be unsure of who to trust, who to side with. By her own admission in Endgame, she’s lost everything important to her – Her family, her home, and now even her lover. Could a return to Sokivia be the chance to rebuild she needs? Could she even turn to DOOM’s side entirely?
And finally, Doctor Strange – Because it’s often looked over that Doctor Doom is a sorcerer. ‘The Sorcerer’s Duel’ in Infinity War (That’s the Strange vs Thanos fight on Titan) is one of that film’s most intense and visually impressive moments, and the chance to see Strange face down against someone who is his natural equal in the use of magic would be both thrilling and a fitting callback to recent MCU history.
Just give us Dr Doom already.
4. Mangog
The Mangog is a strange one. He’s essentially a creature born from rage itself; in the comics, Odin effectively committed the genocide of an entire species, and their resultant hatred of Odin manifested in the form of a physical being; The Mangog. Because, comics!
The frightening thing about Mangog isn’t some specific ability; it’s simply how powerful and brutal he is. One of the most brutal fights between Mangog and Thor came in 2017, where the mantle of Thor was passed to Volstagg, one of the warriors three – An incarnation known as ‘War Thor’. Yet, despite being a legendary warrior and wielding Mjolnir, Volstagg was no match for Mangog, who proceeded to break Volstagg’s arms and shatter his hammer.
Mangog’s story isn’t all that deep, truth be told. And with Odin out of the picture, the MCU would have to find a new target for his vengeance – Perhaps he’s simply after Thor for being Odin’s son, or maybe his people were under the protection of Asgard and the events of Ragnarok indirectly led to their death.
One thing’s for sure, though- Mangog would be a frankly terrifying opponent. Not the deepest in terms of story and thematic exploration, but if Thor 4 (Or even GOTG 3?) wants to give us a villain that scares us to our boots, Mangog’s your guy.
5. Jacob Fury
Did you know that Nick Fury has a younger brother? Did you know he was in deep with HYDRA?
Well, that’s a thing that happened in the comics- being known as both Scorpio and Kraken, Jacob Fury is a member of ‘The Great Wheel of Zodiac’, a group of the world’s foremost espionage experts, assembled by a time-travelling Leonardo Da Vinci (Never change, Marvel) with the intent to take over the world. How beautifully pulpy.
But it’s not Jacob’s specific characteristics that interest me – Rather, it’s simply the idea of Nick Fury having an evil brother. While cheesy on paper, I have no doubt that it could contribute deeply to a movie about trickery, espionage, and not knowing who to trust. Be it during of after some secret invasion shenanigans, a storyline where Jacob abducts and impersonates Nick, or even a part of that Black Widow movie. Jacob’s presence in the MCU turns Nick Fury from one of the few people in the MCU you can trust to someone you’d need to keep an eye on at all times.
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