Who Will Be The MCU’s Next Big Villain? Best Possible Thanos Replacements

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Now that the Marvel Cinematic Universe has finally closed the book on “The Infinity Saga”, who will replace Thanos as its next major villain? The Mad Titan was first teased in The Avengers back in 2012 and comic fans knew he posed a major threat to the MCU. Played by Josh Brolin, Thanos served as the team’s greatest foe in both Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame. Whether or not Thanos is dead remains to be seen, but someone will have to step into his enormous boots as the MCU’s next Big Bad.

If Marvel’s upcoming release slate is any indication, the MCU will focus on smaller-scale stories with Phase 4, before building to another epic team-up in Phase 5. Phase 4 will prove something of a reinvention for this universe, now that several of the MCU’s most prominent and beloved heroes have hung up their proverbial capes. Phase 1 very carefully laid the groundwork, slowly introducing viewers to the original six heroes before bringing them together in The Avengers. Phase 4 will have a similar task of setting up a new group of less familiar characters, though Marvel now has the benefit of a very well-established universe for them to inhabit. Any villain powerful enough to pose a Thanos-level threat to the MCU will also require some serious preparation.

There is no Avengers 5 on the horizon and with all the exciting MCU crossovers ahead, there’s really no rush to make the next Avengers film. However, just because we’re waiting on another mission for Earth’s Mightiest Heroes doesn’t mean Marvel can’t begin setting up for a new evildoer. Plus, thanks to Disney’s acquisition of Fox, the MCU now has access not only to Fantastic Four and X-Men, but also to their collective rogues' galleries. Marvel will soon have a slew of Disney+ shows as well, which will crossover with their full slate of upcoming movies. With so many new Marvel characters, there are a great many options for the next villain to cast a long shadow over the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Doctor Doom

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Unequivocally one of Marvel’s most formidable foes, Victor Von Doom was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. He made his first appearance in Fantastic Four #5 in 1962. Although Doom has appeared in Fox’s previous Fantastic Four outings, comic fans are still waiting to see a live-action adaptation that truly realizes his potential. A scientist and sorcerer in equal measure, Doom has proven more than a match for even Marvel’s most powerful heroes. Regardless of whom he’s up against, Doom himself is a fascinating character. It is their complexities that make villains such as Loki and Killmonger stand out in a long line of mediocre MCU foes and Doom is no two-dimensional baddie. If done correctly, Doctor Doom could be one of the greatest villains yet, perhaps even becoming as vital to the MCU as the God of Mischief himself.

Fox’s failed attempts to adapt the character prove it’s almost impossible to add enough depth to Doom while introducing the Fantastic Four. This character’s story needs time to unfold, which is why it’s so heartbreaking that Noah Hawley’s Doctor Doom film has been all but abandoned. Although Doom is most closely associated with the Fantastic Four, he has squared off against just about everyone. A Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness appearance could make sense, considering his ties to both Stephen Strange and Wanda Maximoff. Namor is a popular choice for Black Panther 2’s villain, but it wouldn’t be a stretch for Doom to invade Wakanda. The film’s already established cast would leave time to give him a proper introduction. If Marvel does opt to debut the villain in a Fantastic Four film, perhaps they should introduce Victor, but save his evolution into Doctor Doom for the inevitable sequel.

Galactus

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Another major villain with strong ties to the Fantastic Four is Galactus. Created by Jack Kirby and Stan Lee, he made his debut in Fantastic Four #48 in 1966. There are many ways to bring the infamous Devourer of Worlds into the MCU, but like all of these possibilities, it will take some time. He did appear in Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, but that giant cloud monster bared little resemblance to the larger than life villain. He may be a well-known Fantastic Four Big Bad, but Marvel could begin setting him up as a major threat in the post-credit scenes of just about any upcoming MCU film. One of the most powerful entities in Marvel Comics, Galactus is definitely a problem that would take multiple heroes to solve.

Galactus is a far less complex villain than Doom, so if Marvel didn’t want to start slow, it likely wouldn’t be too much to introduce him in the same film as the Fantastic Four. It may be challenging to adapt his classic comic appearance in a live-action setting, but Marvel has proven themselves adept at such daunting tasks. Captain Marvel 2 could potentially set up the Heralds of Galactus as Carol’s main antagonists, laying the groundwork for the villain himself to show up in Phase 5. The Eternals could also prove a sensible way to introduce this awe-inspiring being if Marvel chose to make Galactus one of the Celestials.

Kang The Conquerer

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Now that time-travel has become a major plot point in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Kang the Conqueror might be the most logical choice to succeed Thanos. In fact, Avengers: Endgame may have set up Kang as the MCU’s next major villain. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in 1963, Nathanial Richards made his debut as Rama-Tut (he has gone by many names) in Fantastic Four #19 and reappeared as Kang a year later in Avengers #8. A time traveler from the 31st century armed with unimaginable technology, Kang is one of the Avengers' greatest enemies. He would be an exciting choice for many reasons, even potentially sewing seeds for the Young Avengers - core member Iron Lad is one of several alternate versions of Kang, who does not want to follow the same dark path. This could intersect with Disney+'s Hawkeye, which will be developing around another member, Kate Bishop.

As with most of these villains, one of the more effective ways of introducing Kang would likely be to do so slowly, with cameos or post-credit scenes, before revealing the true scope of this threat. The character could fit with both the more cosmic narratives Marvel plans on telling, as well as the smaller scale Earth-bound stories. Kang the Conqueror may even be introduced in the Loki TV series headed to Disney+, which is said to include time travel as a vital component. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is another option since it’s expected to explore other worlds and timelines. Kang's story could also involve the Fantastic Four since they have a lot of history and he may or may not be related to Reed Richards.

Norman Osborn

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Norman Osborn would be an excellent option, though it’s unclear if Disney and Sony would have to come to new terms in order for Marvel to use him as anything other than a Spider-Man villain. He is best known to many as one of Spidey’s major antagonists, Green Goblin, who first appeared in Amazing Spider-Man #14 in 1964, thanks to Steve Ditko and Stan Lee. It would be easy enough for the character to make his MCU debut in the upcoming Spider-Man: Homecoming 3. While Green Goblin could be introduced as a foil for Spidey, it's Norman Osborn himself that would prove enough of a threat to unite the MCU's heroes.

Green Goblin may be one of Spider-Man’s fiercest foes, but in the wake of Marvel Comics’ Secret Invasion, he proved just how dangerous he could truly be as Norman Osborn. He took over S.H.I.E.L.D., formed his own Dark Avengers, and led the team as Iron Patriot during “Dark Reign”. This would obviously take quite a bit of set up, although Captain Marvel and Spider-Man: Far From Home have clearly paved the way for some iteration of Secret Invasion. However, the Skrulls have been positioned as good guys thus far, so the MCU's Secret Invasion would likely be very different from the comics. Osborn was previously portrayed by both Willem Defoe and Chris Cooper, but there are plenty of other intriguing avenues for the MCU to explore if they brought this evil genius into the fold.

Annihilus

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Another character who debuted as an enemy of Marvel’s First Family, Annihilus first appeared in Fantastic Four Annual #6 in 1968. He was also created by Jack Kirby and Stan Lee. Annihilus was introduced as the immensely powerful ruler of the Negative Zone, reigning over its inhabitants with his Cosmic Control Rod. He may be a frequent Fantastic Four foe, but he has clashed with plenty of other Marvel heroes as well, including the Avengers, Guardians of the Galaxy and Spider-Man. Perhaps lesser known than some of these other villains, Annihilus is a formidable threat that could prove thrilling to watch on the big screen.

There is evidence pointing to the MCU building toward a major cosmic event and Annihilation could make sense as the next large-scale crossover. Annihilus rose to much greater prominence across Marvel Comics in that 2006 storyline, in which he led a full-scale invasion with an army from the Negative Zone and proved nearly unstoppable until all of Marvel’s cosmic heroes (and some villains as well) joined together to defeat him. Annihilation includes the destruction of Xander, which previously happened in the MCU, and Marvel has already laid the groundwork for Nova to appear - the character is prominently featured in the story as well.

Scarlet Witch

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Wanda Maximoff has close ties to both the X-Men and the Avengers, and a backstory so confusing that many comic readers still debate whether or not Scarlet Witch is a mutant. She may not be a villain these days, but when Stan Lee and Jack Kirby created her in 1964, that wasn’t the case. First appearing in X-Men #4, Wanda was a founding member of the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants. She has evolved a great deal over the years, but even after decades of being a hero, her already tenuous grasp on reality crumbled, causing her immense powers to spiral out of control in House of M. The 2005 event rippled across Marvel Comics, resulting in the near-extinction of mutants. Ultimately, the storyline didn’t do much for Wanda as a character, but thankfully, other comics have allowed her to grow in the years since.

Elizabeth Olsen will soon reprise her role as Wanda, who will be reunited with Paul Bettany’s Vision in WandaVision, which will air on Disney+. Since Vision is currently dead, it’s safe to assume her reality-warping abilities will be on full display. Apparently, she will finally earn the name Scarlet Witch. Introducing the X-Men into such an already well-established universe won’t be easy, but House of M could provide a solution for bringing mutants into the MCU. Aside from that, the best villains are almost always the ones with a personal connection and while Scarlet Witch certainly wouldn’t be evil, she could easily go down a similar path to that of her comic counterpart. Plus, if Wanda did become the next Big Bad in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, there would be a great opportunity to explore her character development further in future seasons of WandaVision, rather than using her as a mere plot device.