Who Could Replace Thanos as the Next Big Bad Villain of the Universe

[SirStrangefolk]

There's plenty of possible villains, big bads and storylines possible for future films.

- Kang: Kang Dynasty/Avengers Forever
- Doctor Doom: Secret Wars/Emperor Doom
- Galactus: Galactus: The Devourer/Cataclysm: The Ultimates' Last Stand
- Ultron (reprise): Ultron Unlimited/Rage of Ultron/Annihilation: Conquest
- Zemo (reprise) and the Masters of Evil: Under Siege
- Michael Korvac: Korvac Saga
- Skrull Empire: Secret Invasion
- Chthon (and Scarlet Witch): Nights of Wundagore (and possibly Disassembled/House of M)
- Beyonder & Molecule Man: Secret Wars (Any of them)
- Norman Osborn: Dark Reign
- Namor/Attuma/Atlantis: Atlantis Attacks/Assault on Atlantis
- Dormammu (reprise): Avengers-Defenders War
- Red Skull (reprise): Red Zone/AXIS
- Count Nefaria: The Nefaria Protocols
- Hulk: World War Hulk
- Maker: Ultimate Comics: The Ultimates/Secret Wars (2015)/New Avengers
- High Evolutionary: Evolutionary War
- Grandmaster (reprise): Contest of Champions
- Magus: Infinity War
- Scorpio: Defenders: Who Remembers Scorpio?
- Moondragon/Dragon of the Moon: Defenders: End of all Songs
- Mikaboshi: Chaos War
- Cul Borson the Serpent: Fear Itself
- Onslaught: Onslaught Saga
- Shuma-Gorath: Invaders Now/Thanos Imperative

Take your pick.

 

[DrCosmic]

Not that those aren't good storylines, but most are the kind that are handled in one film, and many of these characters feel 'cheap' as man behind the man behind the curtain or culmination for others on this list.

 

[SirStrangefolk]

Not that those aren't good storylines, but most are the kind that are handled in one film, and many of these characters feel 'cheap' as man behind the man behind the curtain or culmination for others on this list.

Do you really need that though? I mean, what has Thanos done really? Sent the Chitauri to Earth and sent Ronan after the orb. That's 2 out of 18 films he was involved in. Out of the ones I listed there are plenty that could be set up for multiple movies.

Doom is the most obvious one. He'd likely be introduced in a Fantastic Four film and get multiple appearances like Loki, but with him it would build up to a plan or confrontation more like with Thanos in Infinity War than Loki in Avengers 1.

Skrull infiltration of earth could be set up in Captain Marvel and could start several solo films before a crossover film that is the culmination of it all.

Something similar to Doom would apply to Osborn to a lesser extent, so that he would start out as the Goblin before coming into the public eye with HAMMER.

For Zemo we've already had setup in Civil War, which could be expanded upon with the Thunderbolts and Masters of Evil throughout multiple films.

Ultron, Dormammu, Red Skull or Grandmaster would all have had some extent of setup already.

And given how Scarlet Witch/Chthon, Hulk, Mr. Fantastic/Maker, Adam Warlock/Magus and Moondragon/Dragon of the Moon would all involve characters who are or have been Avengers or Guardians, that should be easy to set up earlier as well.

 

[jane21august]

Pretty sure Galactus and Dr. Doom van easily replace Thanos.

 

[Yowza]

Hello2016: I'm bored with villains being thwarted in every single movie.

What would you guys do if Marvel had the villain win in every movie instead of the hero?

I actually wonder if they would then be called the hero and the villain would be the one trying to reign in on the status quo...

This is why I think Osborn or Doom taking a more backseat approach that somehow makes them untouchable is the best way to go.

A mastermind creating problems that often succeed, with our heroes only able to mitigate some of the damage of their actions. Or one plan is thwarted but another succeeds, and it all builds up to the ultimate confrontation when the heroes are finally able to discover or approach the big bad.

I think the Infinity War comic storyline provides the opportunity to kill everyone off then sort of undo it while actually having done it (also perfect opportunity for a Stan Lee cameo where while hanging out with the Watchers says "Hey, the villain can't do that!" or something to that extent would be sort of funny). Actors who can't return remain dead and one's who can then this is a slightly alternate reality they'll continue in.

 

[Silvermoth]

No way could anyone make a character called count nefaria work.

Doom is different because he’s more well known and a great actor could embrace it. Whoever plays nefaria would have to play him as a moustache twirling tie your girlfriend to the train tracks type character

 

[Spiderine]

He would be like a lot of other characters thus far. Updated and reworked to be adapted for the big screen. If they were to ever use him which I doubt he would be used as a main threat in an Avengers film. Maybe a side/supporting villain.

 

[Tg11]

I could go for Red Skull with the return of Johann Schmidt with Cap's archnemesis being brought back but even if he is brought back then I wonder if Hugo Weaving would be open to returning as Johann Schmidt? From what I heard Hugo hated playing Red Skull or he didn't really like being a part of the MCU

 

[Venom 1988]

I could go for Red Skull with the return of Johann Schmidt with Cap's archnemesis being brought back but even if he is brought back then I wonder if Hugo Weaving would be open to returning as Johann Schmidt? From what I heard Hugo hated playing Red Skull or he didn't really like being a part of the MCU

As of 2016, he seems to have changed his tune on the subject...

https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment...o-the-matrix-to-the-dressmaker-130831224.html

 

[ernesth100]

As of 2016, he seems to have changed his tune on the subject...

https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment...o-the-matrix-to-the-dressmaker-130831224.html

well the MCU is a multi-billion dollar franchise perhaps he simply sees a money opputunity

 

[Tg11]

So if Hugo is open to come back then I would definitely want him back as Johann Schmidt but then again wasn't his character absorbed by The Tesseract?

 

[Spider-Fan]

So if Hugo is open to come back then I would definitely want him back as Johann Schmidt but then again wasn't his character absorbed by The Tesseract?

The Tesseract is a gateway to the other side of space. He was transported.

 

[Tg11]

So then if he is in space it would make sense for him to come back to Earth after the whole Infinity War starting yet another War on Earth

 

[Tg11]

Count Nefaria he is also another Big Bad that the Marvel universe could build around or build towards much like how they used many movies to build towards Thanos they can do the same with Nefaria as well so that way we can be better acquainted

 

[ComicBookNerd]

With the Fox merger, it has to be Galactus. I would probably be disappointed if it ended up being someone else.

 

[Frodo]

I tend to think the big four will be Galactus, Doom, Osborn, and Magneto, though it will be a few years off before we get to that status quo.

 

[Mandon Knight]

If merger & access go ahead to have a MCU F4, then Doom, without hesitation. If not, the direction, given Captain Marvel seems to be Skrulls.

 

[DrCosmic]

Do you really need that though? I mean, what has Thanos done really? Sent the Chitauri to Earth and sent Ronan after the orb. That's 2 out of 18 films he was involved in. Out of the ones I listed there are plenty that could be set up for multiple movies.

Not only do we not need it, we may not have it, and they may go with the sort of solo then crossover movie villain as your suggestions indicate. If that's true, then none of those people would be a replacement for Thanos, not just because of what he's done personally, but because almost every MacGuffin in the series connects back to his quest. That means CATFA's Tesseract, and thus Iron Man 2 (if not 1) via Howard's research on the new element, Thor 2, Dr. Strange, Vision and as you mentioned, the Guardians. The only franchises not tied back to Thanos' actions this way are Ant-Man and Spider-Man. That's the thing that most of these other villains can't replace.

These great Marvel villains can be big bads for an Avengers movie, and be set up in a solo movie, sure. They can all be Loki if Marvel intends to go that way, setup in one movie, paid off in a crossover, but not killed so he sticks around. They can also all be Grandmaster with a one off comedic subplot take on their story before being implied killed off screen. But Thanos' storyline is too big to be a subplot in a Hela movie, and it can spread across ten movies without feeling too tired. This is why even Doom and Galactus cannot replace Thanos, not for lack of scale, but for lack of breadth.

That's why I think the Skrull, in terms of Veranke is probably the best 'big bad' for the universe, as there can be Skrulls as a minor subplot in any and every franchise without getting too tired if done well. Kang could as well, because there's just so much that can be done with time. The Masters of Evil could have a similar effect as you simply pull villains from every franchise so that the team can seem like a culmination of something. Doom, or Osborn or Nefaria personally interfering in everyone's lives, however, would get super-repetitive over the course of 10 years.

 

[Tg11]

Kang without a doubt

 

[NHawk19]

IMHO you have the view Marvel villains in 3 levels.

Level 1 - Standard one on one villian (Ronan, Killmonger, Vulture, etc.)
Level 2 - Team up required (Loki, Ultron, Hela)
Level 3 - Everything you've got (Thanos)

Assuming the Fox acquisition goes smoothly. Galactus is your next huge scale big bad.

They can seed him in GotG 3 and several other cosmic based films. We already know Celestials exist. Guardians and a few of the other cosmic franchises would serve as a great place to explore Celestial mythology, and Galactus.

They can note damage he's done. Then focus the movie on the team's quest to stop him.

 

[Brutikus]

Doctor Doom
Galactus
Kang the Conqueror

 

[Yowza]

The Dragon of the Moon is an interesting one to include in some future movie.

The sole survivor of an ancient race of demons, the Dragon of the Moon seeks to gain power by corrupting the human race. The Dragon once allied with Mordred who was trying to overthrow King Arthur of Britain, but it was defeated and imprisoned within Saturn's moon Titan by the Eternals.
http://marvel.wikia.com/wiki/Dragon_of_the_Moon_(Earth-616)

The Dragon of the Moon is a malevolent entity that has been a foe of both the Defenders and the Eternals. The Dragon of the Moon first appeared in Defenders #138–139 (December 1984 – January 1985), and was created by Peter B. Gillis and Don Perlin. The Dragon of the Moon's exact origins are unrevealed, however he does claim to know some of the Elders of the Universe. He has claimed to kill the inhabitants of Titan before the Eternals inhabited it. He has also claimed that the Lords of Light once took away his freedom. It has visited the Earth several times, the first time, he tried to take over the Earth, but was apparently repulsed by the Eternal known as Interloper. The Dragon of the Moon possesses control over massive amounts of cosmic and mystical forces, presumably on at least a global scale. It is immortal. Its strength is increased on the mortal plane as the host of the Dragon of the Moon succumbs further and further to the Dragon's influence. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Marvel_Comics_characters:_D

As far as host's go:

The Dragon has claimed responsibility for corrupting Thanos, who murdered most of the population of Titan and, a generation earlier, for the civil war amongst Uranos's followers that decimated Titan before Mentor and Sui-San repopulated it. The Dragon is a liar, however, and its claims have not been supported otherwise.[2]

The Dragon of the Moon began to corrupt Heather Douglas, an Earth girl living and studying on Titan. The Dragon allowed Heather to believe she had defeated it in spiritual combat, while secretly taking up residence in her mind. This allowed the Dragon to subtly cultivate Heather's arrogance and corruption for many years, even as she took the name Moondragon.[3]

More info. on Eternals history as well as civilization on Titan I put on thread here: http://forums.superherohype.com/showthread.php?t=540965




Also, this villain was used in the last defenders comic talked about here: http://forums.superherohype.com/showthread.php?t=534035&highlight=



The following is the cover to the last issue of Defenders vol.1 where The Dragon of the Moon was the main villain:

 

[Tg11]

Kang The Conqueror

 

[Frankeh]

The Dark Phoenix

 

[Rorschach2012]

The Dragon of the Moon is an interesting one to include in some future movie.






As far as host's go: More info. on Eternals history as well as civilization on Titan I put on thread here: http://forums.superherohype.com/showthread.php?t=540965




Also, this villain was used in the last defenders comic talked about here: http://forums.superherohype.com/showthread.php?t=534035&highlight=



The following is the cover to the last issue of Defenders vol.1 where The Dragon of the Moon was the main villain:

Damn that artwork is sick