Bam Smack Pow
Fansided

Marvel: 17 MCU villains ranked from worst to best

By Camila Domingues

(L-R): Will Poulter as Adam Warlock and Elizabeth Debicki as Ayesha in Marvel Studios' Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. Photo by Jessica Miglio. © 2023 MARVEL.
(L-R): Will Poulter as Adam Warlock and Elizabeth Debicki as Ayesha in Marvel Studios' Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. Photo by Jessica Miglio. © 2023 MARVEL. /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 13
Next
Marvel Studios’ CAPTAIN MARVEL..L to R: Bron-Char (Rune Temte) and Leader of Starforce (Jude Law)..Photo: Chuck Zlotnick..©Marvel Studios 2019
Marvel Studios’ CAPTAIN MARVEL..L to R: Bron-Char (Rune Temte) and Leader of Starforce (Jude Law)..Photo: Chuck Zlotnick..©Marvel Studios 2019 /

16. Yon-Rogg (Captan Marvel)

Let’s dive into the enigma that is Jude Law’s Yon-Rogg, a “good guy gone rogue,” a trope that the MCU seems to just adore, in Captain Marvel.

The initial setup seems promising: a mentor to our hero, Carol, who guides her via Intergalactic iPhone. Yet, the plot falters when it’s too transparent early on that he’s no white knight. The twist that Yon-Rogg isn’t the ally we hoped for is supposed to hit us in the third act, but it’s akin to a sneeze you saw coming a mile away. Instead of a villain with depth and nuance, we get a lot of space chatter and avoidable detours.

However, a silver lining to this cosmic story comes in the form of Ben Mendelsohn’s Talos. While he initially appears to be the villain of the story, the narrative curveball that makes the entire Kree race the villains is a nice twist. Plus, the revelation that the Skrulls are the good guys is a smart commentary on empathy and understanding different perspectives.

But alas, as far as villains go, Yon-Rogg doesn’t quite measure up, putting him in the league of “could’ve been great” MCU baddies. Marvelous in theory, but misses the mark.

15. Kaecilius (Doctor Strange)

Mads Mikkelsen certainly put a spell on us as the rogue sorcerer Kaecilius in Doctor Strange. Co-writer/director Scott Derrickson admits that his villain was, well, less villainous than some of his cosmic counterparts.

Kaecilius, though a wizard with a wicked punch, ended up as more of a mystical mischief-maker than a grand antagonist. Granted, the masterfully maddening Mikkelsen (heh) had some spellbinding battle scenes with Doctor Strange, proving he could certainly hold his own in a magic melee.

Yet, as the end credits rolled, we weren’t left quaking in our boots over Kaecilius’ fate. He came across as more of a magical mosquito than a terrifying titan of terror. While his underwhelming presence might be excused given the movie’s complex plot and the need to balance Strange’s own arc, Kaecilius still didn’t quite make the Marvel villain hall of fame. Hey, at least he dodged the Malekith bullet from Thor: The Dark World!

Every cloud has a silver lining, right?

Home/Marvel Cinematic Universe