The Marvel Cinematic Universe continues to expand with each phase. Interestingly enough, none of the core heroes have turned evil — at least not yet. The beauty of comic books is that they tend to explore every nook and cranny of popular characters. Plenty of multiverse stories have tackled some of the darker sides of characters, such as The Hulk and Thor. In order for the MCU to truly expand, it should explore different versions of all of its characters. One interesting angle would be the possibility of turning one of them into big-time villains.
Some of the most fascinating stories from the comics dive into the transition from hero to villain. Their morals become fascinating because rarely does it change who they were as human beings. Often times it’s the world that’s changed. Or, in the case of a multiverse story, the darker version uses their logic by nefarious means. Either way, these five heroes in the MCU would make great onscreen villains.
1. The Punisher
The Punisher has never been a true hero. In fact, the character has blurred the lines between heroism and villainy ever since he made his debut in The Amazing Spider-Man #129 (February 1974). However, The Punisher Kills the Marvel Universe is what helped the character gain massive popularity when it was released back in 1995. The Punisher’s origin story involves his family being murdered. Needless to say, it’s generally the same, but this time, it’s because of a battle between the Avengers, X-Men, and Brood.
The Punisher remains in canon with the Netflix series, so there’s no point in replaying the incident of Frank Castle’s family being murdered. However, having a superhero commit a crime that Castle views as an injustice is a compelling story to dive into. Challenging the morality of both sides is a compelling light that could add depth to the MCU. It could equally add a unique spin on heroes killing heroes. The MCU needs a strong and notable big bad, and The Punisher would be perfect for that. He may not be Thanos or Kang, but his elite training from the Marine Corps still makes him a formable foe.
2. Captain America
This avenue was somewhat explored with John Walker in The Falcon & Winter Solider. But the narrative would be great with Chris Evans‘s Steve Rogers. Though his story was wrapped up quite neatly, forcing him to return for sinister reasons could take the story down interesting avenues. Captain America already had a taste of the dark side by fighting Ironman in Civil War. The ideologies behind characters like Deadpool, The Punisher, and The Thunderbolts could easily clash with Steve Rogers’s worldview. Needless to say, he doesn’t have to return to the MCU. However, if he did, he can’t be the same boy scout.
3. Daredevil
Daredevil takes an interesting turn in Wastelanders: Hawkeye #1. Matt Murdock is actually sentenced to prison, and Elektra takes over as Daredevil. Slowly but surely, she develops into a major villain within the MCU. Elektra was actually a love interest in the Netflix series, though she mysteriously disappeared without much explanation.
In Daredevil’s case, he’s in the same camp as The Punisher. While he’s not as prone to killing as the anti-hero, that doesn’t mean the character is against violence. The idea of Daredevil’s regression as a hero is another sound arc that could be a fresh exploration of heroism. Daredevil isn’t an elite or supernatural character like Hulk or Doctor Strange, so this type of story would work perfectly with his character.
4. Doctor Strange
Evil Doctor Strange was teased In The Multiverse of Madness. So, it’s safe to say that it would be great to expand on his alternate character. Strange isn’t an outright anti-hero, but he dances along the grey lines as well. It would be fascinating to see how the alternate Strange views the universe and the stark contrast that each version has with the other.
5. Thor
An evil God who fights alongside criminals would be ten times better than the current goofy Thor that’s in the MCU. Chris Hemsworth is right about one thing, the character Taika Waititi introduced in Thor: Ragnarok was fun. But now is the time to change Thor’s character. That doesn’t necessarily mean he has to become a villain, but it would be great to see Thor use his powers on the wrong side of the tracks.
Thor is an incredibly powerful hero, so logically, he would make an equally great enemy. They could even sweeten the deal and have him and Loki team up. Bottom line, Evil Thor could be really fun. Regardless of the direction they go in, it’d be interesting to see more layers added to the character.
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