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

5. Norman Osborn

I know, I know: “The Green Goblin?! Really?!” Stay with me. The comics have proven Osborn is very capable of threatening more than Spider-Man. In the arcs “Secret Invasion” and “Dark Reign,” Osborn exploited a Skrull invasion to sideline Tony Stark and earn the Earth’s trust. He ran teams of villains masquerading as heroes, seizing the Thunderbolts, twisting SHIELD into HAMMER, and forming Dark Avengers while assuming his own Iron Man-esque persona.

Osborn’s arc culminated in a failed siege of Asgard, reestablished then in the United States. That would be his logical finale in the MCU, where the Earth’s true heroes re-emerge and topple him.

Osborn is by far the weakest villain on this list, but he offers exciting narrative possibilities. He’s not been introduced in the MCU, and could enter the scene as Earth is in shambles after Thanos’ invasion, with many heroes gone or dead. The next films could explore potent political themes, including the toll that demagoguery, xenophobia and fear take on nations – sound timely?

Osborn’s rise to power would be even easier if Tony Stark – his main business rival – is out of the picture and he’s given authority to enforce the Sokovia Accords to bend super-powered individuals to his will.

Making things more fun, Osborn is never totally sane. Watching his descent into madness over multiple films could make him an unusually fascinating and layered villain. The MCU could even make the Goblin persona a result of his fall from grace, not a preexisting condition.

Osborn is fifth because he would offer some interesting stories and a change of pace after Thanos. He doesn’t rank higher because, even with lots of super-villains at his beck and call, he’s still nowhere near a galactic threat. Cosmic characters would need to sit out his story lines for him to be a true threat.