Future recurring villains

[MasterCat]

The MCU has a problem with "one and done" villains. Loki was adapted with multiple appearances in mind because he was the first villain the comics Avengers faced. Thanos was teased for six years... beyond those two there isn't much.
So what villains should be set up for the future besides the usual one-and-dones?
The Brotherhood of Mutants, Doom and Kang are all threats too big for any one superhero, but can't be written into a script until Fall 2019. The MCU Spider-Man scripts have yet to set up Norman Osborne.
Any ideas?

 

[Protar]

Doom, Magneto, Kang and Galactus are all big villains which will likely be introduced within the next several years if/and when the Fox rights return.

Osborne is the other big bad guy. In terms of Spiderman villains, I feel like most of his rogue's gallery will be recurring villains to set up a Sinister Six film featuring Vulture, Shocker, Scorpion, Mysterio, Kraven and Doctor Octopus. Then we'll get a second trilogy focusing on Spiderman fighting Osborne and Venom.

Namor could make for a good anti-hero. The Eternals seem like a very likely new franchise, and their nemesis is Kro the Warlord. I quite like the idea of a Captain Britain/Excalibur movie, so Jamie Braddock has strong potential as a recurring villain. He's an insane reality warper who is the brother of Captain Britain and Psylocke. Lot's of potential for twisted family drama there.

What about keeping Thanos around? He was so compelling in Infinity War. Why not take the less obvious route and have him survive the events of Avengers 4.

 

[psylockolussus]

Apocalypse, Doom, Sinister, Galactus, and Emma Frost.

 

[MasterCat]

Doom, Magneto, Kang and Galactus are all big villains which will likely be introduced within the next several years if/and when the Fox rights return.

Osborne is the other big bad guy. In terms of Spiderman villains, I feel like most of his rogue's gallery will be recurring villains to set up a Sinister Six film featuring Vulture, Shocker, Scorpion, Mysterio, Kraven and Doctor Octopus. Then we'll get a second trilogy focusing on Spiderman fighting Osborne and Venom.

The thing about the Sinister Six is that they're all contained in the Spider-Man setting, unless the Green Goblin is one of them. They're beneath the Avengers's notice, and even New York's other street-level heroes don't fight Spidey villains, the Kingpin excepted. Comics are weird like that.

Namor could make for a good anti-hero. The Eternals seem like a very likely new franchise, and their nemesis is Kro the Warlord.

So far as we know, it's illegal to use Namor. The rights are more restrictive than the Hulk's. Kro as a crossover villain doesn't have comics precedent, but it could work.

What about keeping Thanos around? He was so compelling in Infinity War. Why not take the less obvious route and have him survive the events of Avengers 4.

He could survive, but where is there for him to go as a villain? His comics arc was "Rawr gimme the Cosmic Cube" -> replaces the god Kronos -> dies fighting over the Soul Gem -> Infinity Gauntlet -> becomes a farmer -> joins the Infinity Watch
Any villainy he could do after wielding the Infinity Gauntlet would have to be deeply anti-climactic.

Apocalypse, Doom, Sinister, Galactus, and Emma Frost.

So, nobody at all unless the FOX rights are secured?

 

[Protar]

I didn't realise you were talking only about recurring Avengers villains, just recurring villains in general. In that case, the big names generally are with Fox. I am confident that the deal will go through and the rights will return, but Fox characters aside the main ones are Osborne, the Celestials and the Skrulls.

If Thanos does stick around, I could see him trying his hand at being a hero (after all, he does believe that he is saving the universe), but his warped view on reality prevents him from ever becoming good.

 

[Protar]

On the topic of Namor, so far as I am aware the rights issue is the same as with the Hulk. Universal has the distribution rights, but there is no reason he can not appear as a villain or supporting character in other films.

I'd guess the additional wrinkle in his rights usage is that he is half mutant. So like Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver, any usage of him could not mention that. I've no idea of much Namor being a mutant is important to his lore in the comics, so maybe they want to hold fire on him until the MCU can use mutants.

 

[CaptainWagner]

Without the Fox deal, I think Norman Osborne is the big one they've got. They could theoretically do the Cancerverse without the Fox properties, but it wouldn't be as fun.

WITH Fox, though, there are SO many options: Doom, Vulcan, Mr. Sinister & Apocalypse, Kang, Galactus, Annhillius, Blastarr, etc...

 

[MasterCat]

I didn't realise you were talking only about recurring Avengers villains, just recurring villains in general.

No, sorry I was unclear. I mean villains who can jump between franchises. The only villains we've had like that have, in fact, been Avengers villains (Loki and Thanos), but Doctor Doom wouldn't have to be the villain of an Avengers movie to be bigger than the Fantastic 4. He'd just have to, like, carry a Black Panther sequel or something.
That's what I meant by Norman Osborne being the biggest Spider-Man villain.

 

[SirStrangefolk]

Zemo could return with Masters of Evil/Thunderbolts
Red Skull could return with a new plot (like Avengers: Red Zone or AXIS or something)
Grandmaster as a main villain with a new Contest of Champions is a possibility
Ultron could make a return. With the Avengers in an Ultron Unlimited/Rage of Ultron type story or in space with Annihilation: Conquest
Dormammu could reappear in a Doctor Strange Sequel, but could also work in something like a loose adaptation of the Avengers/Defenders War
The Skrulls don't need to be gone forever after Captain Marvel, as we'll likely see a Secret Invasion at some point.

But Doom, Osborn, Kang and Galactus all make a lot of sense too.

So that's a few options. I think out of all of them Doom definitely has the most potential.

 

[Willie Lumpkin]

Once Doom is in the MCU, I’d seriously expect him to be featured in one film or another every couple years at a minimum.

 

[Web-Head]

I'd like to see Doc Ock be a recurring villain as well as Kraven. I don't see why Kraven couldn't appear in a Black Panther sequel as well

 

[2kt09]

I assumed with the Accords in place, less villains would be off'd. The ones going forward all end up in some villain prison.

 

[Loki882]

Dr. Doom, Magneto, Galactus, Annihilus, Mr. Sinister, Apocalypse, etc (if/when the FOX deal is finalized). As for right now:

-Dr. Octopus.
-The return of Ultron.
-Mephisto.
-The return of Hela.
-Dormammu.
-Mordo.
-Kraven the Hunter.
-Kang the Conqueror.
-The Hobgoblin.
-Moonstone.

 

[Protar]

Mephisto could be a pretty great recurring villain. A supernatural foe for the Avengers would be a good way to distinguish things from Thanos. You could introduce Mephisto as the bigger bad in Doctor Strange 2, tie him into BP2, with the villain Achebe (a BP villain who sold his soul to Mephisto). Loki was the only Avenger's villain with major development prior to an Avengers outing. It's time to return to that model.

 

[Boom]

Doctor Doom
Magneto
Norman Osborn

 

[Spiderine]

Doom should span over several films like Loki.

 

[Shoppy]

How about...

THE HIGH EVOLUTIONARY?

...he'd be a good addition as a character who can cross between the Avengers, Fantastic Four and X-Men franchises with comic-book precedent and have a longer game plan that crosses paths with stories featuring other enemies both domestic and cosmic.

 

[MasterCat]

How about...

THE HIGH EVOLUTIONARY?

...he'd be a good addition as a character who can cross between the Avengers, Fantastic Four and X-Men franchises with comic-book precewadent and have a longer game plan that crosses paths with stories featuring other enemies both domestic and cosmic.

Good news: he's rumored to be in GotG 3, possibly as the character Gunn is giving to Mark Hamill.
I'm just hoping they don't change him so much that his "human scientist at Wundagore" background is unusable.