The Best Marvel Villains in the MCU, Ranked

Here are the best of the Marvel TV and movie villains in the MCU, ranked from wackest to realest. It's an all out battle for supremacy for the top spot, and a few weak links clawing at a spot in the top 15.

Killmonger, Thanos, and Cottonmouth
Marvel

Image via Marvel

Killmonger, Thanos, and Cottonmouth

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. 

43. The Mandarin

42. The Meachums

meachums iron fist

41. Helmut Zemo

zemo captain america civil war

40. Baron von Strucker

Baron Von Strucker

39. Justin Hammer

38. Malekith

37. Diamondback

diamondback

36. Yellowjacket

35. Kaecilius

mads mikkelsen doctor strange

34. Emil Blonsky / Abomination

33. Jiaying

32. Aida

aida

31. Whiplash

30. Nobu

29. Obadiah Stane/Iron Monger

28. Ronan the Accuser

27. John Garrett

26. Dottie Underwood

25. Armin Zola

24. The Absorbing Man

23. Aldrich Killian

22. The Destroyer

21. Red Skull

20. Johann Fennhoff

19. The Chitauri

18. Alexander Pierce

17. Calvin Zabo

16. Ego

Ego in 'Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2'

15. Jonah

Jonah from 'Marvel's Runaways'

14. Madame Gao

Madame Gao

13. Ultron

Ultron

12. Black Mariah

black mariah

11. Grant Ward

Grant Ward

10. Cottonmouth

cottonmouth luke cage

9. Wilson Fisk

Wilson Fisk

8. Vulture

Vulture in 'Spider Man: Homecoming'

7. Winter Soldier

Winter Soldier

6. Hela

Hela in 'Thor: Ragnarok'

5. Kilgrave

Kilgrave

4. Loki

Loki

3. Killmonger

Killmonger in 'Black Panther'

2. Thanos

Thanos in 'Avengers: Infinity War'

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