The Marvel Cinematic Universe has a lot going on right now, but in a few short years, things are going to get even bigger.
Avengers: Infinity War will be the climax of the first three phases from Marvel Studios. This movie will serve as the culmination of all of the preceding Marvel studio films from Iron Man onward. The one they know as the Mad Titan, Thanos will serve as the main antagonist. He’s been hinted at since the first Avengers, back in 2012.
Thanos rarely works alone and has enlisted an assortment of evildoers to aid him in one capacity or another at various times. In this list, we’re going to cover the possible appearances by super-villains that Thanos might use to support him in his attempt to become Master of the Universe, or even those that might challenge his reign. Some are no-brainers while others are long shots at best.
Here’s our list of 15 Villains Who Could Show Up In Avengers: Infinity War.
15. Dormammu
Dormammu is the lord of the realm of darkness and is one of Doctor Strange’s greatest arch-enemies. He’s expected to make an appearance in the upcoming Dr. Strange movie, or at least be hinted at in some way. His powers are vast, as he rules as the god-tyrant of an alternate dimension named “The Dark Realm,” which is not unlike hell itself. By the time Infinity War comes out, he may be established within the MCU in one form or another.
Dormammu seems like a definite possibility because, as Thanos’ power expands throughout the galaxy those beings in various dimensions will find it hard to ignore that a preeminent power is developing that will likely circumvent their own plans for domination. It’s unlikely that a power such as Dormammu will stay idle while Thanos attains dominion over all that is. It’s possible that he will challenge Thanos and fail.
14. Ego The Living Planet
Ego the Living Planet is a conscious, sentient being and an elder of the known universe. He exists in the “black galaxy” which is a dark nebula near the Milky Way. He first appeared in Thor #162 in 1966 and was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. He was one of the initial creations of what became Jack Kirby’s “Space Age Mythology” within the Marvel universe. He’s the result of a planet given distinct sentience by another elder of the universe, a scientist named The Stranger. Ego survives by absorbing traveling space vessels and other planets with an ultimate goal of subjugating the rest of the galaxy.
It has been rumored that Ego the Living Planet might make at least a cameo in the Guardians of the Galaxy sequel. Whether he does or not, as one of the few cosmic forces that are not tied directly to the Fantastic Four, Ego the Living planet can serve as the perfect candidate to challenge Thanos in his reign as an omnipotent ruler.
13. Kang the Conqueror
Kang the Conqueror is a time-traveling genius and megalomaniacal physicist who has faced off with the Avengers countless times since his first appearance as Kang in The Avengers #8 in 1964. He hails from an alternate dimension in the 40th century. He uses his vast knowledge of history to conquer older civilizations with the intent of making himself ultimate ruler of his time. More often than not though he’s been thwarted by the Avengers.
Kang would be an interesting character to include in Infinity War, but it’s unlikely that Thanos would be able to recruit him to do his bidding. It’s more likely that that Kang would use the inevitable fall of Thanos as an opportunity to make his move in a mid or post credit scene.
All of this is under the assumption that the rumors of a Fox/Marvel agreement in the near future are true. Such an announcement would open the door for such a villain to make his way into the MCU and take the place of Thanos in Phase 4. We can only hope.
12.The Kree
The Kree (also known as the Ruul) are a militaristic civilization hailing from the planet of Hala. They first appeared in the Fantastic Four #65 in 1965. In an effort to jumpstart their evolution, the Kree engaged in open-ended genetic experiments which lead to the creation of the super-race called Inhumans.
The Kree have already been introduced in the MCU through the television series Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. They are one of the many races that would likely find themselves in the crosshairs of the seemingly indomitable Thanos as he projects his power throughout the cosmos.
It’s also a likelihood that their battle alongside or against Thanos would set the stage for Captain Marvel, who gained her unique powers through Kree technology and genetics. As a potential member of the next generation of Avengers, her origins would need to be touched on in some capacity or another.
11. The Collector
The Collector has already made memorable appearances in both Thor: The Dark World and Guardians of the Galaxy as the desirous ancient alien being who aims to collect the remaining Infinity Stones in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. As one of the Elders of the Universe, his obsession is to collect as many special objects, fragments, and even unique life forms (often against their will) in an effort protect them from annihilation by the cosmic threat known as Thanos. Initially, however, he built his grand collection as nothing more than a hobby.
If he doesn’t eat the dust in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, he’ll likely make an appearance in one of the Infinity War films as he holds the Aether Infinity Stone. Either Thanos or one of his foot-soldiers will come looking for it. Regardless of who comes for it, we might see him bite the big one. It doesn’t look sunny for this Elder.
10. The Enchantress and Skurge the Executioner
It’s been long overdue that we see Amora the Enchantress on the silver-screen. After Loki, she’s one of Thor’s most consistent antagonists. She’s a troublesome sorceress who has repeatedly and unsuccessfully pursued the affections of Thor. She’s often accompanied by her powerful minion, Skurge the Executioner. Her magical prowess is almost unrivaled. She usually makes alliances with Loki to either take down Thor or subdue him.
The Executioner has a strength level that rivals any Asgardian, as he wields his trademark weapon of choice, a magical double-bladed axe. He’s in love with the Enchantress, who strings him along with her seductive magical powers.
Just as he did with Loki, Thanos could use the abilities of these malicious Asgardians in his war against Earth’s defenders. We could also see them recruited by Loki, who’s vested with the mission of taking down Asgard or Earth as part of Thanos’ reign of domination.
9. Baron Zemo (the 12th)
The name of Baron Zemo can refer to any of the men from the Zemo family who have taken up the baronage. The 12th Baron Zemo has been one of Captain America’s greatest enemies outside of the Red Skull.
One of the top scientists of the Nazi Party, Zemo was a weapons developer and rival of the Red Skull. Baron Zemo became an everlasting nemesis of not only Captain America, but of the Avengers as well. In the comic books, he’s directly responsible for the death of Bucky and freezing Captain America in suspended animation until he was discovered by the Avengers. He’s also responsible for creating a team of villains that counterbalances the Avengers called The Masters of Evil.
Even though we’ve seen one version of Zemo in Captain America:Civil War, it’s possible we might get to see a cinematic version that’s more in line with what comic book fans are familiar with. He might be one of the HYDRA members who, in some subtle way, is manipulated and directed to take on the Avengers as a distraction that would allow Thanos the time he needs to gain the rest of the Infinity Stones.
8. Ronan the Accuser
Ronan the Accuser was the main villain of Guardians of the Galaxy. He’s a fanatical Kree judicial officer and sometimes warlord who wields a weapon he calls the Warhammer. With the support of Thanos and his two adoptive daughters, Gamora and Nebula, Ronan becomes a galactic threat to not only the planet Xandar but all civilizations in the near galaxy. He ultimately met his demise in Guardians, but it’s possible Thanos can bring him back with one of his Infinity Stones.
Thanos would relish the opportunity to see Ronan again after his betrayal. Thanos would probably revive Ronan just to have the last word with him, or to use him once more to take on the Guardians or Avengers. Thanos might use him to head back to Xandar to take the Power Stone from the Nova Corps. He’s a powerful chess piece that can allow Thanos to focus on other endeavors.
7. Magus
We might see the artificial man-god known as Adam Warlock in Infinity War. He played a major role in the Infinity Gauntlet comics. We saw what might be his cocoon in Thor: The Dark World, and again in Guardians of the Galaxy. Magus is a version of Adam Warlock that went mad. In the comics, Magus was created by abstract cosmic entities Lord Chaos and Master Order to be the champion of life itself - counter to Thanos, who is the champion of Death. They drove him insane by overloading him with all their knowledge of the cosmos.
If Adam Warlock is a perfect specimen for good and balance then Magus represents perfect chaos. His level of wickedness rivals even Thanos.
If we are to see Magus in InfinityWar,expect him to manifest out of Adam Warlock at some point, or be extracted as a power against Thanos until all goes wrong. In the comics, Infinity War is the sequel to Infinity Gauntlet, where the main villain is Magus, so it would be interesting to see how Marvel Studios approaches the material if they decide to introduce him.
6. Red Skull
Red Skull is still regarded as one of the best Marvel Studio villains to grace the big screen. He’s Captain America’s nemesis, and in the comics, he also finds his way to modern times. He’s a super-soldier on par with Cap and Bucky. In Captain America: The First Avenger, we see him absorbed by the Tesseract. It’s assumed that he died, but it’s never been confirmed, nor was his body ever found. There’s a chance he was teleported to another dimension.
Just as Loki fell into a cosmic abyss in the first Thor film, only to be taken in by Thanos, maybe the same can be said for the Red Skull. He could have been apprenticing under the dark lord this whole time, as the wild card Thanos will use at the right time against the Avengers. The Red Skull could prove to be a greater threat than ever now that he has been groomed by Thanos. Captain America’s worst nightmare would be realized.
5. Mephisto
Mephisto is lord of the lower depths of a nether realm that he refers to as Hades or Hell. The Hell Lord played a major role in the original Infinity Gauntlet miniseries. He had a front row seat to the big show once Thanos gained all six Infinity Stones. He hasn’t been introduced yet in the MCU, but now that the Ghost Rider franchise is back at Marvel Studios, it’s safe to assume that Mephisto is now fair game.
Mephisto appeared in the original Infinity Gauntlet miniseries as an ally to Thanos. He gave Thanos sage advice on how to wield the cosmic power of the Gauntlet. He’s someone that Thanos chose to bounce ideas off of. As with any Faustian villain, he had another agenda up his sleeve. His aim was to betray Thanos and wield the power of the Gauntlet for himself.
It will be interesting to see if Marvel decides to use him in the same capacity or at all.
4. Loki
Loki (Tom Hiddleston) has appeared in three Marvel Studios movies since the first Thor in 2011. The fan favorite villain will make his fourth appearance in Thor: Ragnarok. In The Avengers, it was revealed that Loki was working at the behest of Thanos himself. Loki took control of Thanos’ army and attempted to take over the planet Earth.
We might not know what’s in store for Loki in Thor: Ragnarok, but we do know that Thanos has already established a working relationship with Loki. Loki never fulfilled his end of the bargain by gift-wrapping planet Earth for him, but he might empower Loki once more. He could also look to use Loki as an agent to steal the Tesseract (Space Stone), which is still being kept in Asgard. It’s extremely likely that Thanos will set his sites on Asgard whether we see it happen in Thor:Ragnarok remains to be seen.
3. Nebula
Nebula is a brutal space pirate and mercenary who also happens to be the adopted daughter of Thanos himself. He sent her and her sister Gamora to aid Ronan the Accuser in capturing the Orb (the Purple Power Infinity Stone). In Guardians of the Galaxy, Nebula managed to escape from capture by the end of the movie.
In the original Infinity Gauntlet, she plays a critical role. She’s one of the three villains who witnesses the awesome power of Thanos first hand. She also finds herself on his bad side as he remolds her into a disfigured version of herself. As Thanos defeats cosmic beings and takes on more and more power, he takes his attention off of his Infinity Gauntlet, at which point she manages to sneak through and steal the glove from him. The circumstances will play out differently in the cinematic version, but if she’s still around by the time Infinity War is released, expect her to have a prominent role.
2. The Black Order
While they didn’t show up in the original Infinity Gauntlet miniseries, the Black Order is the supreme fighting unit directly lead by Thanos. They are his personal shock troops. He sends them on his most important missions. These characters are quite new to the Marvel universe, as their first appearance was in The New Avengers Vol 3 #8 in 2013, but they have already made numerous appearances in other media, including Avengers Assemble and the Guardian of the Galaxy animated series. They’ve also appeared in recent video games so they’re being established as mainstream antagonists.
In the Infinity War epic, we might see them as the last line of defense against any of Thanos’ opposition. Thanos will also most likely use them to find the Infinity Stones. The members of the group consist of Black Dwarf, Ebony Maw, Proxima Midnight, Supergiant and Corvus Grave, who is Thanos’ most favored General.
1. Death
Death may have a central role in Infinity War. In the comics, Thanos’ love for Death borders on obsessive. To gain her favor (Death is a “she” in the Marvel Universe), he sets out to destroy as much life as possible. In the Avengers mid-credit scene, Thanos’ minion The Other says to him, “Humans. They are not the cowering wretches we were promised! They stand. They are unruly and therefore cannot be ruled. To challenge them is to court… Death.”
Death was all but confirmed to appear in Infinity War by Josh Brolin when he spoke about Thanos’ love for Death:
In the Infinity Gauntlet, Thanos uses his Infinity Gauntlet to erase half the universe with a snap of his finger to stir Death’s attention. He also lowers his power levels to take on the entire Marvel Universe, just to impress her.
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So what do you think of the list? Do you agree or think there are some characters that should be on the list? Let us know in the comments!
