Most Evil Antagonists Of The MCU’s Infinity Saga

Key Takeaways

• Villains like Loki, Hela, and Thanos bring depth with tragic backstories and motivations.
• Thanos’ radical ideals make for a compelling antagonist despite the extreme measures taken.
• MCU villains such as Mysterio and Red Skull exhibit selfishness and ruthless behavior.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is known for its incredible mythos, which is built upon the backs of charismatic superheroes who drive the plot, the most notable of whom include Iron Man and Captain America. However, the universe would be incomplete without a bunch of charismatic and villainous antagonists to oppose them, creating interesting and exciting dynamics between the two forces.

Just as heroes have different backstories, motivations, and personalities, so do their enemies. Some of them have a tragic, traumatic pasts or an understandable cause worth fighting for, while others are complete monsters with little to no redeeming qualities to be found in them. Many of these evil Infinity Saga villains make for incredibly terrifying characters with consistently intimidating presences on-screen.

9 Loki

A Treacherous God

• First MCU Appearance: Thor
• Titles: God of Mischief, Prince of Asgard, King of Asgard
• Status: Deceased

Loki is one of the few recurring villains in the MCU and a character who has taken on both a villain and an antihero role during the Infinity Saga. He is a villain in Thor and The Avengers but changes to become a more heroic figure in later installments. While he is not as evil as some villains of the MCU, he is incredibly selfish and willing to go far for his own benefit.

Feeling betrayed by his father, who hid his origin from him, Loki sets out on a crusade against Asgard. He fought against his adoptive brother, Thor, which worsened the relationship between the two, and assaulted New York with Thanos’s guidance. However, he redeems himself by helping save Asgard.

8 Hela

The Vengeful Wraith

• First MCU Appearance: Thor: Ragnarok
• Titles: Goddess of Death, Princess of Asgard, Executioner of Asgard, Queen of Asgard, Commander of the Legions of Asgard
• Status: Deceased

Another member of Odin’s family is Hela, Thor’s older sister. She is the antagonist of Thor: Ragnarok, a vengeful daughter who wants to destroy Asgard and claim what she believes belongs to her. Due to her bloodthirstiness and endless desire to conquer, she was once imprisoned by Odin, and it is up to Thor and Loki to deal with her.

Hela is a ruthless and spiteful enemy who does not hesitate to kill anyone in her way. Her vengefulness is understandable to an extent, as she was imprisoned for many eras. Still, it doesn’t justify her callous actions, and Hela is still a threat that must be stopped no matter what, which is what happens in the movie.

7 Mysterio

A Jealous Inventor

• First MCU Appearance: Spider-Man: Far From Home
• Status: Deceased

Mysterio is the main antagonist of Far From Home. He presents himself as a heroic figure who came from another world but is, in reality, an illusionist and an engineer who feels mistreated by Tony Stark and wants to get back at him by claiming his inheritance in Edith, which pits him directly against Peter Parker.

While Mysterio has faced some mistreatment, it is not nearly enough to justify his atrocities and the psychological abuse he committed against Peter, as well as harming innocents with his illusory tricks. He is an incredibly selfish person who goes as far as to reveal Peter’s identity just before his death, setting the plot of the next movie into motion.

6 Obadiah Stane

A Ruthless Warmonger

• First MCU Appearance: Iron Man
• Titles: CEO of Stark Industries, COO of Stark Industries
• Status: Deceased

Obadiah, also known as Iron Monger, is the first villain in the MCU and is among the most realistic ones. He is a businessman who enjoys profiting from the war and weapon construction that Stark Industries does. As a result, he is very dissatisfied when Tony claims he will not produce weapons and instead seeks peace.

He is a realistic villain, and countless people like him exist in the real world. Obadiah is very cynical and only cares for profit, being ready to sacrifice human lives for his own gain, which makes him a greedy and self-serving villain. He represents everything Tony was, but unlike him, he was never able to grow as a person.

5 Thanos

A Radical Idealist

• First MCU Appearance: The Avengers
• Titles: Prince of Titan, Lord
• Status: Deceased

Undoubtedly, the most famous and built-up villain of the MCU is Thanos. He is the main antagonist of the entire Infinity Saga. He is a powerful titan who collects infinity stones throughout the galaxy, and he plans to use them to commit a giant act of mass murder. He erases half of all living beings in the universe with them, annihilating many of those who would dare to stand in his way.

However, despite his importance and atrocities, he is not purely evil. Thanos genuinely believes that his goal is good, and that, in the long term, it will help life to thrive. He is capable of self-restraint and destroys the stones after he does the deed, but despite those positive qualities, the number of lives sacrificed and the abuse he inflicts on his daughter are too extreme to ignore.

4 Red Skull

A Nazi Leader

• First MCU Appearance: Captain America: The First Avenger
• Title: Obergruppenfuhrer
• Status: Alive

Red Skull is the antagonist of the First Avenger, and not only is he a Nazi, but he is also a part of a secret organization, Hydra, planning a gradual takeover of the world. He is a callous and cunning villain who has nothing but selfish goals of domination in his mind, making him the complete opposite of the hero, Captain America.

When Red Skull has his skin erode, his face finally becomes an accurate representation of his own soul. He seeks one of the infinity stones to help him achieve control, but this plan backfires as Red Skull is consumed by its energy and is sent to guard another stone, which serves as a version of hell for him.

3 Ronan

A Ruthless Warlord

• First MCU Appearance: Guardians of the Galaxy
• Title: The Accuser
• Status: Deceased

Ronan is the main antagonist of the first Guardians of the Galaxy movie. He is a merciless yet not particularly cunning conqueror who attempts to conquer Xander and is the enemy of Peter Quill, and his team is pitted against him. He also dealt with Thanos before breaking their agreement and going on to act independently.

Ronan’s crimes include mass murder and genocide, as he attempts to annihilate an entire planet after gaining the power of an Infinity Stone. He brought untold devastation to Xander and was only stopped by Quill’s trick and the Guardian’s shared efforts, resulting in his demise.

2 Malekith

An Ancient Conqueror

• First MCU Appearance: Thor: The Dark World
• Title: Lord of the Dark Elves
• Status: Deceased

Malekith is an ancient warlord whom Odin’s father battled many years before. He is a warlord of the dark elves who seeks to avenge his defeat and destroy the realms, including Asgard and Midgard. He becomes the main antagonist in the movie Thor: The Dark World and opposes both Thor and Loki.

He is an evil individual reminiscent of many dark lords from the fantasy genre. He commands an army and is already a devastating force, but he wants to become even more destructive by using an infinity stone, the aether, becoming one of the most powerful beings in the universe.

1 Ego Quill

A Sociopathic Father

• First MCU Appearance: Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
• Title: The Living Planet
• Status: Deceased

Ego Quill is the main antagonist of the second Guardians of the Galaxy movie. He is Peter Quill’s father. At first, he is presented as a relatively benevolent figure who is happy to reunite with his son, but eventually, a very dark truth about the character is revealed. He is a sentient planet that cannot form relationships traditionally.

Ego had many children across the galaxy, all of which were experiments on him. Similarly, Peter was just a project for him, a successor that Ego wanted to see by his side. Eventually, it is revealed that he killed Peter’s mother and feels no shame about it, making him a truly monstrous character.