Not all villains require complex backstories to explain their actions, of course. Michael Keaton’s Vulture in the more recent Spider-Man: Homecoming holds a legitimate grudge against the unfettered latitude granted to the world’s superheroes. Alfred Molina’s Doctor Octopus in Spider-Man 2 is driven mad by the death of his beloved wife in an experiment. Loki is jealous of Odin’s love for Thor and knows that he will never stand as tall in the Asgardian pantheon because he is an adopted frost giant, rather than a true-born native of the planet. If we look at some of the greatest baddies in comic-book history, it’s noticeable that many of the best of them had understandable – at least on some level – motivations for their evil actions. Heartbroken yet icily evil … Tom Hiddleston as Loki in Thor (2011). We understand his justified rage, and we understand equally why the violent course of action he takes in an effort to restore justice is misguided. That he is the villain of the piece does not matter one bit. It is in the persona of Killmonger, rather than that of Chadwick Boseman’s T’Challa/Black Panther, that righteous anger against colonialism and the ongoing mistreatment of people of African origin around the world is embodied. Michael B Jordan’s Erik Killmonger is the first villain since Loki to steal the movie away from a Marvel title character. One of the most heartening aspects of Black Panther’s success has been the way it bucks this trend. But it would probably be fair to say there have been as many misses as hits along the way. The MCU has had its moments when it comes to charismatic exponents of evil – Tom Hiddleston’s heartbroken yet icily evil Loki in Kenneth Branagh’s Thor and Cate Blanchett’s slinky but ruthless Hela in its sequel, Thor: Ragnarok, spring to mind. In fact, only a single comic-book villain, Heath Ledger’s Joker from 2008’s The Dark Knight – made the cut. When Empire magazine published its list of the all-time top 50 villains in cinema in 2016, there was no place for any of the Marvel cinematic universe’s many baddies.
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