Top 5 Most Villainous Moments In the MCU
The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) delivers gripping action sequences. Close quarters scrapes like the highway brawl between the Winter Soldier and Captain America, Black Widow, and Falcon hit hard. On a larger scale, massive battles like the clash between Thor and Vela's forces in Asgard or the Avenger's defense of New York City from the Chitauri offer visually stunning spectacles.
Before these confrontations, MCU villains often reveal their terrifying nature. Casual murders like Klaue shooting a security guard in Black Panther or Baron Zemo drowning Vasily Kaprov in Captain America: Civil War chill viewers to the bone.
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However, the most compelling MCU villainous moments do not always involve stunning fights or cold-blooded kills. The following list breaks down five times when the villain sets back the heroes in a significant, satisfying, and irreversible way.
5. Red Skull Reveals The Soul Stone's Secret
As one of the MCU's original baddies, Red Skull has committed many dastardly deeds since his introduction in Phase One. These atrocities include leading the Nazi-affiliated Hydra group and offing a loyal soldier as punishment for incompetence.
Yet the most challenging incident involving Red Skull comes long after Red Skull's fall from power. During Avengers: Endgame, Red Skull, the new keeper of the Soul Stone, reveals to Black Widow and Hawkeye that they can only acquire the Soul Stone by sacrificing a loved one.
The Soul Stone serves as a fantastic twist because it forces the heroes into a no-win situation. To beat Thanos and save humanity, one member of this pair of Avengers must die for the other. Ultimately, the audience must watch in agony as Black Widow sacrifices herself, allowing Hawkeye to obtain the Soul Stone and return to his wife and children.
4. Erik Killmonger Destroys The Heart-Shaped Herb
The Heart-Shaped Herb plays a significant role in Wakanda's culture and political structure. Heirs to the Black Panther mantle consume the herb to commune with their ancestors and receive enhanced physical abilities.
When Erik Killmonger destroys the herb, he does more than gain power. This act of devastation represents a rejection of Wakanda's history and collective wisdom. It also cuts off the line of succession for future leaders to step up (at least until Nakia manages to save part of the herb from being burned).
3. Kang Traps Loki And Sylvie
The monologue remains a classic marker of a good villain. Kang's speech revealing his plans to Loki and Sylvie is one for the ages.
When Loki and Sylvie finally reach the leader behind the Time Variance Authority (TVA), they learn that Kang set them up like pawns in a chess game. Kang explains that he created the TVA to prevent a previous version of himself from bringing a multiversal war to his timeline. Loki and Sylvie can either take over for Kang as leaders of the TVA or kill Kang and risk spreading a multiversal war.
As far as lose-lose scenarios go, this one is as bad as it gets. Kang looks on with smug satisfaction, knowing that he has placed Loki and Sylvie in checkmate. No matter what this pair chooses, he comes out ahead.
2. Wanda Maximoff Defeats The Illuminati
If viewers ever questioned Wanda Maximoff's status as a villain, Wanda's encounter with the Illuminati in Doctor Strange: Multiverse of Madness puts all doubt to rest. While trying to reunite with her children, Wanda enters an alternate universe and meets a council of heroes who stand in her way.
Wanda crushes the Illuminati with ease. During the massacre, Black Bolt's head explodes, Agent Carter's torso rips in half, and Reed Richards' stretchy body splits like spaghetti. No other MCU scene tops this bloodbath for its horrifying level of carnage.
The demise of the Illuminati spells long-term disaster. The absence of this group could result in chaos spreading across multiple dimensions and harm coming to countless people.
1. Thanos Snaps His Fingers
The infamous Snap shapes the MCU universe more than any other action. In an instant, Thanos uses the Infinity Gauntlet to eliminate half of all life in the universe.
The immediate aftermath of the Snap leaves Earth devastated. World governments scramble to adjust, crime rises, and many children lose their parents and live as orphans.
There are lasting consequences even after the Blip reverses the Snap and resurrects the lost population. Characters like Stephen Strange must cope with the trauma of losing five years of their life and watching the world move on without them.
Honorable Mention: Agatha Harkness Kills Sparky
Villainy does not need global stakes. Sometimes villainy can just be entertaining and petty. Agatha Harkness dominates in this category. She dazzles the audience with her charisma, over-the-top cackling, and the use of a musical number to reveal her wicked schemes. Agatha killing Wanda's dog, Sparky, out of sheer spite is the delightfully evil cherry on top of the cake.
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Source(s): MCU Fandom