Marvel Cinematic Universe after Thanos: Who should be the next big bad?

Marvel Studios’ AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR..Thanos (Josh Brolin)..Photo: Film Frame..©Marvel Studios 2018

After Thanos, who can take over as Marvel’s next big bad in its cinematic universe?

With Avengers: Infinity War less than two months away, all eyes are on Thanos. He’s poised to wreak havoc beyond anything we’ve ever seen in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

But he’s ultimately going to lose — a shocking prediction. That means the MCU’s Phase 4, starting on July 5, 2019 with the release of the Spider-Man: Homecoming sequel, will need a new big bad.

That’s no small order. Marvel Studios has built to Thanos ever since Avengers six years ago, and he stands tall in Marvel’s pantheon of villains for both his power and popularity. Few other villains could plausibly challenge all the MCU’s heroes at once while offering a compelling, multi-film arc.

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Fortunately for you, true believers, I’ve found some top contenders. I’ve gone through my Rolodex of evil and to find my top five candidates. (Who still uses a Rolodex, you ask? Shut up, that’s who.)

The obligatory disclaimer: I know rankings are subjective. Here are the factors I considered. For simplicity’s sake, I also assume that Marvel Studios will have access to all its characters, even those shared with Sony and those pending in the Disney-21^st Century Fox deal.

Popularity: Do people know the villain and enjoy stories involving them? It’s hard to build hype for an obscure or boring villain.

Threat Level: Let me clearly define this. It’s not really feasible for Marvel to find a villain that can match an Infinity Gauntlet-wielding Thanos in terms of raw power. Instead, we need to consider if the villain, whether through power and/or guile, can become a major threat.

MCU Compatibility: For as sweeping as the MCU has become, it pales in comparison to all the characters, stories and concepts in the comics. Some characters will simply mesh better than others with what’s in the MCU now, and the direction it seems to be going. (Feige seems to thinking cosmic Marvel more than supernatural Marvel.)

With all that said, let’s begin!