Superhero movies run Hollywood these days, and Marvel Studios is still, damn near ten years later, producing the best the genre has to offer. In this Phase 4 world though, the market is borderline over-saturated with Marvel films—both MCU and other. Marvel's challenge now lies in making movies that feel fresh and original instead of identical, while furthering their agenda to create one sprawling, continuing connected universe. And while there are many various aspects that go into making a great or at least memorable superhero movie, we can all agree that creating an A1 villain is a top three concern.
The right foe can tie a movie together or, at the very least, save it from being otherwise mediocre. Truth be told, this has been an on-going chink in the MCU's otherwise impregnable Vibranium armor. With Marvel's culture-shifting crossover event Avengers: Infinity War finally in theaters, we thought we'd look back on the MCU's ever-expanding films and TV series—including broadcast fare like Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and Runaways plus the Netflix Defenders solo shows—and rank the top 15 bad guys thus far. Consider this the best of the worst.