Does Marvel have a problem with their villains?

[Abudefduf]

Are MCU villains bad compared to your average movie villain? Not by a long shot.
But are they bad compared to their own antagonists, the charismatic and ridiculously likable MCU superheroes? Hell yeah.

They almost (almost!) make Cap & Co. look less cool because of their mediocrity. I really wish Marvel Studios would step up their game in this department, because... I'm definitely not looking forward to the day they get their damn dirty hands on Norman Osborn.

 

[Flint Marko]

Whatever they do with Norman Osborn, or any of Spider-man's villains, will be head and shoulders above anything Sony has done with them since 2004.

 

[Silvermoth]

I wonder who will be the best villain of phase 3? Will thanos walk away with the prize? I'm not so sure.

For some reason I think black panther might. I reckon their version of killmonger will be fasinating if they choose to go with him as a villain

 

[Abudefduf]

Whatever they do with Norman Osborn, or any of Spider-man's villains, will be head and shoulders above anything Sony has done with them since 2004.

Well but that's not saying much though, now is it.

I'm still keeping my expectations low, just in case.

 

[Mike Murdock]

I wonder who will be the best villain of phase 3? Will thanos walk away with the prize? I'm not so sure.

For some reason I think black panther might. I reckon their version of killmonger will be fasinating if they choose to go with him as a villain

Assuming he's in Phase Three

 

[venom892]

I have faith in Thanos and Zemo because they are being written by the best wrting team Marvel has. Red Skull was a good villain and everyone in WS was well handled. I also thought Ultron worked as a dark reflection of Tony Stark.

 

[metaphysician]

Whatever they do with Norman Osborn, or any of Spider-man's villains, will be head and shoulders above anything Sony has done with them since 2004.

Would that include "not using Norman Osborne, using someone else instead"? *eg*

 

[Flint Marko]

Would that include "not using Norman Osborne, using someone else instead"? *eg*

Yup.
This includes turning Electro into Edward Nigma from Batman Forever, Sandman (my name sake!) into Uncle Ben's killer, Venom into Topher Grace, Harry Osborn into the dumbest looking thing I've seen on the big screen (both iterations), and the lizard into....
Well, the lizard was fine I guess. I don't think he looked or sounded right, but I didn't hate it near as much as everything else.

 

[KINGTHANOS]

If the Russos write Thanos similar to Starlin, he'll be head and shoulders better than any villain the MCU has ever introduced.

 

[Hypestyle]

Now that DC has Suicide Squad coming, Marvel needs to do an analog film. But so far you have had several villains of note who were killed or "vaporized" or whatever.
Among the few who haven't been are: Abomination, Loki, and Crossbones.
There needs to be a lot more super-criminals out there.

 

[Mike Murdock]

If the point is to copy DC (which I'm not necessarily sure is a necessity) why do they need to use established villains? DC's Suicide Squad consists entirely of villains established for that movie. Why couldn't they just do that?

 

[kedrell]

Frankly I don't want to see Osborn. I hate the Green Goblin. Him along with characters like the Joker and the Trickster...I just can't stand these cackling, lowest common denominator-type villains. They do nothing but annoy me. There are far better villains out there to focus on.

 

[KINGTHANOS]

Now that DC has Suicide Squad coming, Marvel needs to do an analog film. But so far you have had several villains of note who were killed or "vaporized" or whatever.
Among the few who haven't been are: Abomination, Loki, and Crossbones.
There needs to be a lot more super-criminals out there.

A Dr. Doom film would be pretty incredible, imo. A Thunderbolts film could be awesome to but it would feel like Marvel copying DC to the filmgoers.

 

[Spooderman]

If the point is to copy DC (which I'm not necessarily sure is a necessity) why do they need to use established villains? DC's Suicide Squad consists entirely of villains established for that movie. Why couldn't they just do that?

Because using characters the audience knows about could help bring in more cash.

Well good characters anyhow

 

[R_Hythlodeus]

Now that DC has Suicide Squad coming, Marvel needs to do an analog film.

huh? they are the ones ahead of the curve and all the competitors. they are the market leaders. they absolutely do not NEED to copy the Distinguished Competition which are currently the one trying to copy them.

 

[CaptainWagner]

Frankly I don't want to see Osborn. I hate the Green Goblin. Him along with characters like the Joker and the Trickster...I just can't stand these cackling, lowest common denominator-type villains. They do nothing but annoy me. There are far better villains out there to focus on.

But Osborn is so much more than that these days. He has huge potential for the MCU as a whole, imagine Dark Reign as the theme for Phase 4!

 

[kedrell]

I'm not into all these new story lines much. I stopped reading comics 20 years ago. To me the silver and especially the bronze ages are the best and what I have a lot of nostalgia for. So to me Osborn will always be Green Goblin.

 

[Flint Marko]

Osborn is in my top 5 villains in all of comics. I think they got the Norman Osborn part right in Sam Raimis Spider-man, but not the Green Goblin. I'm excited to see what Marvel can do with the villain.
You know it's funny to hear certain people complain about Marvels Villains and then say, "Id hate to see them ruin any of Spider-mans villains like they ruined Malekith or Mandarin!"
...as if any of Spider-mans villains are on the same level as Malekith or Mandarin.

 

[Zarex]

Modern day Osborn is in many ways Marvel's version of Luthor. And since DC's not using Lex........

 

[kedrell]

But Marvel doesn't need a Luthor any more than it needs a Superman. Marvel has Dr. Doom for that.

 

[MadVillainy]

I dont think it's strictly a Marvel problem as it is a blockbuster problem. I can't remember the last time I saw a really cool, memorable, or threatening villain in a big Hollywood blockbuster

There definetly been some decent ones, but nothing of note to me.

EDIT: you know thinking about it I can say the same thing about love interests. I think Marvel, outside of Pepper/Tony, has a problem with them but also I would say in general blockbuster filming has that problem too

 

[kedrell]

I'd say Steve and Peggy were as good as Tony/Pepper. Thor/Jane and Bruce/Betty haven't been as good though. Not that they're terrible but they sure aren't in the upper echelon of love stories. Peter and Gwen in TASM1 at least were solid as well. Scott and Hope have barely begun so I'll wait to see Ant-Man & Wasp to make that call.

 

[MadVillainy]

I actually forgot about Steve and Peggy. That was a pretty good one too

I actually did not think that Peter and Gwen were good at all. Scott and Hope was, imo, exactly what is wrong with the love interest in blockbusters. I liked the movie but the whole arc was bad.

I actually dont mind love interests. I see in other threads a train of thought that we should just get rid of them. I dont think that's necessary, I just think they need to step the game up.
Bringing back to this thread I say the same thing about villains.

 

[kedrell]

With Scott and Hope there really wasn't much of a love angle to it. Maybe they get there but right now it's just small potatoes.

 

[Mike Murdock]

But Marvel doesn't need a Luthor any more than it needs a Superman. Marvel has Dr. Doom for that.

The MCU does not, though.

Although I think there's a difference between the two. Dr. Doom is clearly far superior, but Osbourn works because he pulls off a bit of legitimacy (for movie purposes, it would obviously work better to do this pre-Green Goblin). The 90s Spider-Man cartoon helps show an example of how.

It's one thing to say they don't "need" a character. But you seem to be doing more and saying they shouldn't have him. I think that's unfair since it seems limited by nostalgia (if it wasn't in my childhood or before, it isn't worthwhile). I think they should consider whatever would make for an interesting story. Dark Reign isn't a bad concept to consider.