Why Marvel Doesn’t Actually Have a Villain Problem
By: Sam Lenz
Tags: Movies, Film, Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, Black Panther

Why Marvel Doesn’t Actually Have a Villain Problem

A good villain doesn’t have to be a well-rounded character.

When Marvel Studios released Black Panther earlier this year, it was widely acclaimed for good reason. The film is a milestone for representation in the largely white-men-centric superhero genre. However, it was also praised for another reason. Marvel had “fixed their villain problem” with Michael B. Jordan’s Erik Killmonger.

Don’t get me wrong, Killmonger is a great character, and a great villain; there’s no doubt about that. The audience can empathize with him while still recognizing that his actions are morally repugnant. Jordan’s performance is incredible, one of his best. He is one of the better MCU villains. Killmonger challenges Chadwick Boseman’s T’Challa’s views, and invokes real growth in him, the trademark of a great villain. That being said, I take issue with the viewpoint that villains can only be good if they are good characters. The Marvel Cinematic Universe doesn’t (and never had) a villain problem.

A good villain or antagonist only has to spark a change in the protagonist. They themselves do not have to be a good character. Take a look at the 1977 film Star Wars. Darth Vader is considered one of the greatest villains of all time, and is he a very fleshed out character? No. He’s evil for the sake of evil, but he makes for a menacing obstacle for our heroes to overcome. He incites change in Luke, the hero of the story. It doesn’t matter that we don’t know his backstory or his motivations. In fact, when he was given a backstory years later in George Lucas’s prequel trilogy, his villainy was greatly diminished. He was reduced to a whiny, entitled young man. The excessive explanation of character’s backstories and motivations is an issue that has plagued the Star Wars Universe since. Marvel, however, does not have this issue.

Just so it’s clear, Marvel does have a few villains that don’t do their respective film justice. Look no further back than this year’s Ant-Man and the Wasp. Ava Starr, a.k.a. Ghost, is a wonderful character brought to life by Hannah John-Kamen. Her quest to cure her life-threatening disease is easily able to be sympathized with, and the audience truly feels her pain. Unfortunately, she doesn’t do much besides mildly inconvenience our heroic duo, and no changes are made to their views or character due to her presence. In this case, the villain is weak, but the character is strong. Because of the weak villain, the stakes in Ant-Man and the Wasp seem extremely low, which doesn’t necessarily make it a bad film, just a lightweight one.

Marvel’s biggest villain misstep is undoubtedly in Thor: The Dark World with Malekith the Accursed. Malekith is not only a poor character, but a poor villain as well. He is evil just because, and doesn’t evoke any meaningful growth in Chris Hemsworth’s Thor. He isn’t particularly menacing or memorable. From the start of the movie, you know he is just an object for Thor to punch. Thor, of course, actually ends up dropping a spaceship on him, but that’s beside the point. Due to its poorly conceived antagonist (and a few other problems), Thor: The Dark World suffers, arguably being the worst installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

My examples of any “villain problem” end there, though. Perhaps the film that best illustrates my point is Iron Man, the film that kickstarted the Marvel Cinematic Universe and originated its “villain problem.” At the beginning of the film, Tony Stark is an arrogant billionaire who could care less where his money comes from. By the end of the film, Tony Stark is an arrogant billionaire who decides to be more responsible with his company. This is largely because of Obediah Stane, a.k.a. Iron Monger. Yes, he is basically just an evil Iron Man, but his actions show Tony Stark the error of his ways. Stane is a typical villain, a greedy business man who just wants more money, but in this particular story, he serves his purpose well. He is a perfect foil to Tony Stark, and Marvel has been following this template since.

One of the more baffling villains accused of being disposable is Cate Blanchett’s Hela from Thor: Ragnarok. There’s nothing disposable about the Goddess of Death, who poses a severe threat to Asgard and its people. She brings the truth of Odin’s rule to light, making Thor reassess who he is and where he comes from. In the end, he accepts that he is to be king of his people. She also pushes him physically to the brink, to the point that Thor must destroy Asgard and set Surtur upon her in order to defeat her. As if that’s not enough, Blanchett chews the scenery in a delightful way in her Hot Topic bodysuit and smudged eyeshadow. Taika Waititi’s film is zany exuberance from start to finish, and Hela is a huge part of the fun. She is anything but disposable.

Does Marvel Studios tend to give their villains the same powersets as their respective heroes? For sure. In most cases though, this makes for a compelling character foil. Each film, with very few exceptions, takes the hero on a journey in which their views and morals change, largely due to the villain. Take the villain out of the story of any MCU film (save the exceptions listed earlier), and the hero’s journey is diminished significantly.

You could accuse Marvel of sticking to a formula, and that would be a well-founded accusation. They certainly do. However, they have yet to make a movie with that green splat on Rotten Tomatoes. Their films are guaranteed to be box office successes; sometimes they are even record breakers. They are still considered the gold standard in modern superhero cinema. With growing diversity both behind and in front of the camera, future installments look to be just as successful. They have changed the face of cinema, creating a series of films that play like episodes in a television season, and people are consistently lining up for the next installment. Let’s face it, Marvel doesn’t have a villain problem. Marvel doesn’t have any problem at all.