What Every MCU Villain Looks Like in Movies and Comics

Jeff Bridges played the very first big bad of the MCU, Obadiah Stane — or as he’s known in the comics, Iron Monger — in “Iron Man.”

First comics appearance: “Iron Man No. 163” in October 1982 (as Stane) and “Iron Man No. 200” in November 1985 (as Iron Monger)

MCU appearances: “Iron Man” (as Bridges) and “What If…?” (voiced by Kiff VandenHeuvel)

Tim Roth took on the role of the Abomination (real name Emil Blonsky) for “The Incredible Hulk.”

First comics appearance: “Tales to Astonish No. 90” in April 1967

MCU appearances: “The Incredible Hulk,” “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings,” “She-Hulk: Attorney at Law” and the upcoming Disney+ series “Marvel Zombies”

The late William Hurt was, at least until “Shang-Chi,” the only actor from “The Incredible Hulk” who remained in the MCU. He played Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross, a perennial thorn in the side of the Avengers.

First comics appearance: “The Incredible Hulk No. 1” in May 1962

MCU appearances: “The Incredible Hulk,” “Captain America: Civil War,” “Avengers: Infinity War,” “Avengers: Endgame,” and “Black Widow” as Hurt, and voiced by Mike McGill in “What If…?”

Note: Reportedly, Harrison Ford will take over as Thunderbolt Ross after the death of William Hurt in March 2022.

The Leader (real name Dr. Samuel Sterns) was briefly hinted at in “The Incredible Hulk,” as played by Tim Blake Nelson. He’ll return in 2024 in “Captain America: New World Order” after 16 years.

First comics appearance: “Tales to Astonish No. 62” in December 1964

MCU appearances: “The Incredible Hulk” and the upcoming film “Captain America: New World Order”

Sam Rockwell played a significantly younger version of Iron Man nemesis Justin Hammer in “Iron Man 2.”

First comics appearance: “Iron Man No. 120” in March 1979

MCU appearances: “Iron Man 2”

Mickey Rourke played the other antagonist of the film, Ivan Vanko, aka Whiplash. In the comics, there have been many characters to go by the name Whiplash, the first being Mark Scarlotti.

First comics appearance: “Tales of Suspense No. 97” in January 1968

MCU appearances: “Iron Man 2”

As it currently stands in the MCU, Loki, played by Tom Hiddleston, is more of an anti-hero than an outright villain, but his journey started in “Thor” as an antagonist.

First comics appearance: “Journey Into Mystery No. 85” in October 1962

MCU appearances: “Thor,” “The Avengers,” “Thor: The Dark World,” “Thor: Ragnarok,” “Avengers: Infinity War,” “Avengers: Endgame,” “Loki,” and “What If…?”

Loki uses the Destroyer, an enchanted suit of Asgardian armor, to try and kill his brother Thor to no avail. The Destroyer has been around in comics for decades.

First comics appearance: “Journey Into Mystery No. 118” in July 1965

MCU appearances: “Thor” and “What If…?”

Laufey, the king of the Frost Giants and Loki’s birth father, was played by Colm Feore. In the movies, he just looks like a blue White Walker from “Game of Thrones.”

First comics appearance: “Journey Into Mystery No. 112” in January 1965

MCU appearances: “Thor”

Captain America’s biggest nemesis, the Red Skull (real name Johann Shmidt), was first played by Hugo Weaving. He reappeared in “Infinity War” and “Endgame” played by Ross Marquand.

First comics appearance: “Captain America Comics No. 7” in October 1941 (as Johann Shmidt)

MCU appearances: “Captain America: The First Avenger” (Weaving) and “Avengers: Infinity War,” “Avengers: Endgame,” and “What If…?” (Marquand)

Arnim Zola, played by Toby Jones, has a more subdued look in both of the “Captain America” films he’s in, compared to his comics design.

First comics appearance: “Captain America No. 208” in April 1977

MCU appearances: “Captain America: The First Avenger,” “Captain America: The Winter Soldier,” “Agent Carter,” and “What If…?”

Guy Pearce played Aldrich Killian, creator of Extremis and criminal mastermind, in “Iron Man 3.”

First comics appearance: “Iron Man Vol. 4, No. 1” in January 2005

MCU appearances: “Iron Man 3”

Rebecca Hall played scientist Maya Hansen, who worked with Killian to create Extremis before having a change of heart, in “Iron Man 3.”

First comics appearance: “Iron Man Vol. 4, No. 1” in January 2005

MCU appearances: “Iron Man 3”

Stéphanie Szostak played Ellen Brandt, a veteran injected with Extremis. In the comics, she’s involved with Man-Thing.

First comics appearance: “Savage Tales No. 1” in May 1971

MCU appearances: “Iron Man 3”

James Badge Dale played another veteran injected with Extremis named Eric Savin. In the comics, he’s a cyborg known as Coldblood.

First comics appearance: “Marvel Comics Presents No. 26” in August 1989

MCU appearances: “Iron Man 3”

Christopher Eccleston played Malekith, king of the Dark Elves, in “Thor: The Dark World.”

First comics appearance: “Thor No. 344” in June 1984

MCU appearances: “Thor: The Dark World”

His sidekick, Kurse, was played by Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje.

First comics appearance: “Thor No. 347” in September 1984

MCU appearances: “Thor: The Dark World”

Instead of dying at the end of the first “Captain America,” Bucky Barnes was turned into the Winter Soldier — an assassin for Hydra — for 90 years, before getting control of his mind back. He’s played by Sebastian Stan.

First comics appearance: “Captain America No. 1” in January 2005 (as the Winter Soldier)

MCU appearances (as the Winter Soldier): “Captain America: The Winter Soldier,” “Captain America: Civil War,” “Avengers: Infinity War,” “Avengers: Endgame,” “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier,” “What If…?,” and the upcoming film “Thunderbolts”

Post-credit cameos: “Ant-Man” and “Black Panther”

Note: Stan also appears in “Captain America: The First Avenger,” but only as Bucky Barnes, pre-mind control.

In the MCU, Brock Rumlow was a secret Hydra agent inside S.H.I.E.L.D. before getting turned into his more recognizable persona, Crossbones, due to a building collapsing on him. He’s played by Frank Grillo.

First comics appearance: “Captain America No. 360” in November 1989

MCU appearances: “Captain America: The Winter Soldier,” “Captain America: Civil War,” “Avengers: Endgame,” and “What If…?”

The legendary Robert Redford played the head of Hydra, Alexander Pierce, in “Captain America: The Winter Soldier.” In the comics, he’s just a run-of-the-mill secret agent (and sometimes Hydra spy).

First comics appearance: “Nick Fury vs. S.H.I.E.L.D. No. 3” in August 1988

MCU appearances: “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” and “Avengers: Endgame”

In the comics, Jasper Sitwell is a heroic S.H.I.E.L.D. agent. In the MCU, as played by Maximiliano Hernández, he’s revealed to be a secret Hydra agent.

First comics appearance: “Strange Tales No. 144” in May 1966

MCU appearances: “Thor,” “The Avengers,” “Captain America: The Winter Soldier,” “Avengers: Endgame,” and “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.”

Batroc the Leaper, played by Georges St-Pierre in the MCU, wears a muted purple and yellow outfit as a nod to his flamboyant comics costume.

First comics appearance: “Tales of Suspense No. 75” in March 1966

MCU appearances: “Captain America: The Winter Soldier,” “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier,” and “What If…?”

Lee Pace played Ronan the Accuser, a radicalized Kree soldier, for the first time in “Guardians of the Galaxy.”

First comics appearance: “Fantastic Four No. 65” in August 1967

MCU appearances: “Guardians of the Galaxy” and “Captain Marvel”

His enforcer, Korath the Pursuer, was played by Djimon Hounsou.

First comics appearance: “Quasar No. 32” in March 1992

MCU appearances: “Guardians of the Galaxy,” “Captain Marvel,” and “What If…?”

The Collector isn’t strictly a villain, but he’s also definitely not a hero. He’s played by Benicio del Toro.

First comics appearance: “The Avengers No. 28” in May 1966

MCU appearances: “Guardians of the Galaxy,” “Avengers: Infinity War,” and “What If…?”

Post-credit cameos: “Thor: The Dark World”

The version of Thanos we all know and love today, as played by Josh Brolin, made his debut in “Guardians of the Galaxy.” He was briefly played by Damion Poitier for a post-credits stinger in “The Avengers.”

First comics appearance: “The Invincible Iron Man No. 55” in February 1973

MCU appearances: “Guardians of the Galaxy,” “Avengers: Infinity War,” “Avengers: Endgame,” and “What If…?” (Brolin)

Post-credit cameos: “The Avengers” (Poitier) and “Avengers: Age of Ultron” (Brolin)

Another side villain, Ulysses Klaue, made his debut in “Age of Ultron,” though he’d return later. Klaue was played by Andy Serkis. In the comics, he’s called Klaw, and he has a more in-your-face arm weapon.

First comics appearance: “Fantastic Four No. 53” in August 1966

MCU appearances: “Avengers: Age of Ultron” “Black Panther,” and “What If…?”

In the MCU, Baron Strucker is responsible for creating the Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver as part of Hydra. He was played by Thomas Kretschmann in “Age of Ultron.” A young version of him was also in “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” played by Joey Defore.

First comics appearance: “Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos No. 5” in January 1964

MCU appearances: “Avengers: Age of Ultron” (Kretschmann) and “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” (Defore)

Post-credit cameos: “Captain America: The Winter Soldier”

The main villain of “Ant-Man” was Corey Stoll as Darren Cross, who, in the comics, was just a rival of Scott Lang. After the film, Cross’ turn as Yellowjacket was integrated into the comics.

First comics appearance: “Marvel Premiere No. 47” in April 1979 (as Cross), “The Astonishing Ant-Man No. 12” in September 2016 (as Yellowjacket)

MCU appearances: “Ant-Man” and (reportedly) the upcoming film “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania”

Note: A version of Yellowjacket appears in an episode of “What If…?,” but it’s someone else under the mask.

Daniel Brühl’s Helmut Zemo (aka Baron Zemo) first appeared in “Captain America: Civil War,” but he got to don his famous mask from the comics in “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.”

First comics appearance: “Captain America No. 168” in December 1973 (as Phoenix), “Captain America No. 276” in December 1982 (as Baron Zemo)

MCU appearances: “Captain America: Civil War” and “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier”

Kaecilius, played by Mads Mikkelsen, was dragged into the Dark Dimension by the film’s end, meaning we could see him again.

First comics appearance: “Strange Tales No. 130” in March 1965

MCU appearances: “Doctor Strange”

But the film’s true big bad was the all-powerful ruler of the Dark Dimension, Dormammu. He was voiced by Benedict Cumberbatch — we never see his whole body in the film, just a floating head.

First comics appearance: “Strange Tales No. 126” in November 1964

MCU appearances: “Doctor Strange”

Elizabeth Debicki’s character Ayesha set up the origin of one of Marvel’s most iconic characters, Adam Warlock. In the comics, she’s also known as Paragon, Kismet, and Her.

First comics appearance: “The Incredible Hulk Annual No. 6” in 1977 (as Paragon), “Fantastic Four Vol. 3, No. 11” in 1998 (as Ayesha)

MCU appearances: “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2” and the upcoming film “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3”

Moving back to Earth … Michael Keaton played Adrian Toomes, aka Vulture, in “Spider-Man: Homecoming.” His costume was a far cry from his traditional comics look.

First comics appearance: “The Amazing Spider-Man No. 2” in May 1963

MCU appearances: “Spider-Man: Homecoming”

Note: Keaton was also in the Sony film “Morbius,” but that’s not technically part of the MCU (as we understand it).

In more of an Easter egg than anything else, Michael Mando played Mac Gargan who, in the comics, goes on to become the Scorpion. In “Homecoming,” the character had a scorpion tattoo on his neck, in a nod to his comics origin.

First comics appearance: “The Amazing Spider-Man No. 19” in December 1964 (as Gargan), “The Amazing Spider-Man No. 20” in January 1965 (as Scorpion)

MCU appearances: “Spider-Man: Homecoming”

Another comics nod was Donald Glover’s small role as Aaron Davis, who’s known as the Prowler in Spider-Man lore. He also mentions his nephew during a scene, who any comics reader knows is Miles Morales, an alternate universe version of Spider-Man.

First comics appearance: “Ultimate Comics: Spider-Man No. 1” in November 2011 (as Davis)

MCU appearances: “Spider-Man: Homecoming”

Logan Marshall-Green briefly played a character named Jackson Brice in “Homecoming.” In the comics, he’s known as Montana, but in the film, he was the first Shocker.

First comics appearance: “The Amazing Spider-Man No. 10” in March 1964

MCU appearances: “Spider-Man: Homecoming”

She enlists Skurge, an Asgardian with an affinity for machine guns, played by Karl Urban, to help her. He’s also known as the Executioner in the comics, a title Hela bestows upon him in the film.

First comics appearance: “Journey Into Mystery No. 103” in April 1964

MCU appearances: “Thor: Ragnarok” and “What If…?”

Jeff Goldblum also pops in to play the dictatorial leader of Sakaar, the Grandmaster.

First comics appearance: “The Avengers No. 69” in October 1969

MCU appearances: “Thor: Ragnarok” and “What If…?”

Post-credit cameos: Technically not post-credits, but Goldblum can be seen during the credits of “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2.”

Note: Goldblum was supposed to appear in “Thor: Love and Thunder,” but his scenes were cut.

Four members of the Black Order, aliens who work for Thanos, are introduced in “Infinity War.” First up, Proxima Midnight, played by Carrie Coon.

First comics appearance: “Infinity No. 1” in October 2013

MCU appearances: “Avengers: Infinity War,” “Avengers: Endgame,” and “What If…?”

And finally, Cull Obsidian, who’s based on the comics character Black Dwarf, played Terry Notary.

First comics appearance: “Infinity No. 1” in October 2013

MCU appearances: “Avengers: Infinity War,” “Avengers: Endgame,” and “What If…?”

“Ant-Man and the Wasp” doesn’t really have a super-villain. Ghost (real name Ava Starr), played by Hannah John-Kamen, is the closest thing — and she’s markedly different than her male comics counterpart.

First comics appearance: “Iron Man No. 219” in June 1987

MCU appearances: “Ant-Man and the Wasp,” the upcoming Disney+ series “Marvel Zombies,” and the upcoming film “Thunderbolts”

She’s working with Bill Foster, aka Goliath — also not a villain, more of a foil — played by Laurence Fishburne. In the comics, Goliath is actually an Avenger.

First comics appearance: “The Avengers No. 32” in September 1966

MCU appearances: “Ant-Man and the Wasp”

Gemma Chan’s first character in the MCU was Minn-Erva, based on Doctor Minerva. However, Chan is now in the MCU again as a different character, Sersi, in “Eternals.”

First comics appearance: “Captain Marvel No. 50” in May 1977

MCU appearances: “Captain Marvel”

While the real obstacle in “WandaVision” was grief, Kathryn Hahn’s Agatha Harkness was also a formidable foe. In the comics, she’s much older and more of an ally to Wanda. Hahn was nominated for an Emmy for her performance.

First comics appearance: “Fantastic Four No. 94” in January 1970

MCU appearances: “WandaVision” and the upcoming Disney+ series “Agatha: Coven of Chaos

In the comics Flag Smasher is one person, named Karl Morgenthau. In “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier,” it’s a terrorist group led by Karli Morgenthau, played by Erin Kellyman.

First comics appearance: “Captain America No. 312” in December 1985

MCU appearances: “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier”

Karli was given her powers by the Power Broker. In the comics, there have been two Power Brokers, the first being Curtiss Jackson and the second an unknown figure. Emily VanCamp’s Sharon Carter seems more influenced by the second in “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.”

First comics appearance: “Avengers: The Initiative Annual No. 1” in January 2008

MCU appearances: “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier”

Julia Louis-Dreyfus made an instant splash playing Contessa Valentina Allegra de Fontaine.

First comics appearance: “Strange Tales No. 159” in August 1967

MCU appearances: “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier,” “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” and the upcoming film “Thunderbolts”

Post-credit cameos: “Black Widow”

John Walker, or US Agent, is played by Wyatt Russell.

First comics appearance: “Captain America No. 323” in November 1986 (as Super-Patriot), “Captain America No. 354” in June 1989 (as US Agent)

MCU appearances: “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier” and the upcoming film “Thunderbolts”

Sylvie, or Lady Loki, isn’t a true villain, but she’s not exactly a hero either. She shares qualities with both Lady Loki and Enchantress from the comics, and she is played by Sophia DiMartino.

First comics appearance: “Thor Vol. 3, No. 5” in January 2008 (Lady Loki) and “Dark Reign: Young Avengers No. 1” in July 2009 (Sylvie/Enchantress)

MCU appearances: “Loki”

In the “Loki” finale, the mastermind behind the TVA was revealed as He Who Remains, played by Jonathan Majors.

First comics appearance: “Thor No. 245” in March 1976 and “The Avengers No. 8” in September 1964 (Kang)

MCU appearances: “Loki”

A variant of He Who Remains known as Kang the Conqueror will appear in future MCU installments, also played by Majors. In the comics, they are unrelated.

First comics appearance: “The Avengers No. 8” in September 1964

MCU appearances: The upcoming films “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania” and “Avengers: The Kang Dynasty”

He Who Remains was protected by the smoke monster known as Alioth in “Loki.” The entity is also called Alioth the Usurper in the comics.

First comics appearance: “Avengers: The Terminatrix Objective No. 1” in September 1993

MCU appearances: “Loki”

Legendary actor Tony Leung played Wenwu, aka the Mandarin and the leader of the Ten Rings in “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.”

First comics appearance: “Tales of Suspense No. 50” in February 1964

MCU appearances: “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings”

Note: A version of the Mandarin, played by Ben Kingsley, was introduced in “Iron Man 3,” but he was revealed to actually be an actor named Trevor Slattery playing a part on behalf of Aldrich Killian.

Andy Le played a version of Death Dealer, an enemy of Shang-Chi in the comics. In the film, he’s a member of the Ten Rings who trained Shang-Chi as a kid.

First comics appearance: “Master of Kung Fu No. 115” in August 1982

MCU appearances: “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” and the upcoming Disney+ series “Marvel Zombies”

The main antagonist of “Eternals” was a Celestial named Arishem, based on the comics character Arishem the Judge. He promised he’d be back at the end of the film. He was voiced by David Kaye.

First comics appearance: “The Eternals No. 2” in August 1976

MCU appearances: “Eternals” and (briefly) “Thor: Love and Thunder”

Wilson Fisk, aka Kingpin, as played by Vincent D’Onofrio, made his anticipated debut in the “Hawkeye” finale.

First comics appearance: “The Amazing Spider-Man No. 50” in July 1967

MCU appearances: “Daredevil,” “Hawkeye,” and the upcoming Disney+ series “Echo” and “Daredevil: Born Again”

In “Spider-Man: No Way Home,” Alfred Molina returned from “Spider-Man 2” in 2004 to reprise his role as Dr. Otto Octavius, aka Doctor Octopus or Doc Ock.

First comics appearance: “The Amazing Spider-Man No. 3” in July 1963

MCU appearances: “Spider-Man: No Way Home”

Note: Molina originally played Octavius in “Spider-Man 2,” which is not in the MCU.

Willem Dafoe also returned from the original “Spider-Man” trilogy as Norman Osborne, aka the Green Goblin.

First comics appearance: “The Amazing Spider-Man No. 14” in July 1964

MCU appearances: “Spider-Man: No Way Home”

Note: Dafoe originally played Osborne in “Spider-Man,” “Spider-Man 2,” and “Spider-Man 3,” which are not in the MCU.

Thomas Haden Church was the final person from the original “Spider-Man” trilogy to return. He played Flint Marko, aka Sandman.

First comics appearance: “The Amazing Spider-Man No. 6” in November 1963

MCU appearances: “Spider-Man: No Way Home”

Note: Church originally played Marko in “Spider-Man 3,” which is not in the MCU.

Spider-Man’s next foe was Lizard, or Curt Connors, played by Rhys Ifans. He first appeared in “The Amazing Spider-Man.”

First comics appearance: “The Amazing Spider-Man No. 6” in November 1963

MCU appearances: “Spider-Man: No Way Home”

Note: Ifans originally played Connors in “The Amazing Spider-Man,” which is not in the MCU.

Rounding out the villains of “No Way Home” is Jamie Foxx’s Max Dillon, better known as Electro. Foxx reprised his role from “The Amazing Spider-Man 2.”

First comics appearance: “The Amazing Spider-Man No. 9” in February 1964

MCU appearances: “Spider-Man: No Way Home”

Note: Foxx originally played Dillon in “The Amazing Spider-Man 2,” which is not in the MCU.

Tom Hardy’s version of Eddie Brock briefly appears in the mid-credits scene of “No Way Home,” although his better half, the symbiote Venom, doesn’t appear on-screen.

First comics appearance: “The Amazing Spider-Man No. 298” in March 1988 as Brock, “The Amazing Spider-Man No. 300” in May 1988 as Venom

MCU appearances: “Spider-Man: No Way Home”

Note: Hardy is part of Sony’s own Spider-Man universe and has his own movies: “Venom” and “Venom: Let There Be Carnage.” With the way the mid-credits scene of “No Way Home” played out, the MCU will most likely have its own version of Venom soon. 

The villain of “Moon Knight,” Arthur Harrow, is a minor character in the comics. He’s played by Ethan Hawke.

First comics appearance: “Moon Knight Vol. 2, No. 2” in April 1985

MCU appearances: “Moon Knight”

Wanda Maximoff, played by Elizabeth Olsen, unlocked her true villainous potential as the Scarlet Witch as “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.”

First comics appearance: “X-Men No. 4” in January 1964

Main MCU appearances: “Avengers: Age of Ultron,” “Captain America: Civil War,” “Avengers: Infinity War,” “Avengers: Endgame,” “WandaVision,” “What If…?,” “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness,” and the upcoming Disney+ series “Marvel Zombies”

Post-credit cameos: “Captain America: The Winter Soldier”

One of the monsters Wanda sends after our heroes is Gargantos. While clearly visually based on Shuma-Gorath, that name is owned by a different company, hence the combination with the classic Namor villain Gargantos.

First comics appearance: “Marvel Premiere No. 10” in September 1973 (Shuma-Gorath), “Sub-Mariner No. 13” in February 1969 (Gargantos)

MCU appearances: “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness”

His son Hercules briefly appeared in one of the film’s post-credit scenes, played by “Ted Lasso” star Brett Goldstein.

First comics appearance: “Journey into Mystery Annual No. 1” in October 1965

Post-credit cameos: “Thor: Love and Thunder”

The main antagonist of “Ms. Marvel” were the Clandestines, led by Najma (played by Nimra Bucha). They were very loosely based on the ClanDestine.

First comics appearance: “Marvel Comics Presents No. 158″ in July 1994

MCU appearances: “Ms. Marvel”

The villain of “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” if you had to pick, was Namor the Submariner, played by Tenoch Huerta. He rules over the undersea kingdom of Talokan.

First comics appearance: “Marvel Comics No. 1” in October 1939

MCU appearances: “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever”