While we talk about Thanos and Loki as the perfect Marvel villains, a lot more escape our attention. These Marvel villains enjoy a lot of fame in the comics but not everyone is lucky enough to make it big in the movies.
Didn’t Make it: Sabretooth
Many don’t know this but Sabretooth was supposed to be a one off villain. First appearing in Iron Fist #14, the guy was made for a villain of the day story. But the writers later gave him a fresh backstory and fleshed him out even more. Now he is Wolverine’s sworn enemy and blood rival. Sabretooth has appeared many times in the X-Men movies. Even with the Liev Schreiber portraying the character, sabretooth still remains unloved.
Made It: Green Goblin
Willem Dafoe really went to town with his take on green Goblin. Dafoe’s Green Goblin is a thing of beauty and a joy forever. No Spider-Man villain ever comes close, barring the exceptional case of Alfred Molina as Doctor Octopus. It is a good thing we may end up seeing both of them reprise their roles in No Way Home. Fingers crossed that they team up!!!
Didn’t Make It: Taskmaster
The villainous Taskmaster began his career as a criminal by fighting the Avengers. He was a mercenary for hire who would do anything if paid the right price. But Taskmaster has become so much more in the comics. The fans cannot get enough of him. From creating a villain school to squaring off against Daredevil and Spider-Man, the dude has grown by leaps and bounds. Black Widow gave us a rather bland and boring version Taskmaster. Let’s just hope we never see Olga Kurylenko in the MCU again.
Made It: Lady Deathstrike
Although Kelly Hu had a very small role in X2, she did a bang on job at making sure the scenes that showed her were memorable. She is a wonderful and brilliant actor and Lady Deathstrike is a highly underrated X-Men villain from the movies. That scene where she finally shows her adamantium finger claws will forever be etched onto our memories.
Didn’t Make It: Absorbing Man
Twice he has made a live action appearance. Absorbing Man was in Ang Lee’s Hulk movie. he was also in Agents of Shield. And boy did the movie version screw up big time. The cloud entity fight was unnecessary and surprisingly tragic. Fans just wanted a straight up beat ’em up fight between the Hulk and one of his most endearing foes. Nick Nolte just turned the character into an unfathomable monstrosity we could never ever un-see.
Made It: Magneto
There is no X-Men villain as iconic as Sir Ian McKellen’s Magneto. And we mean NO ONE!! The actor bought a very intriguing charm and suave to the character, something we never knew was possible with Magneto. Instead of playing him as a raving extremist, Mckellen’s Magneto was methodical and calculating. He remains one of the best things to come out of the X-Men movies.
Didn’t Make It: Bullseye
He debuted as a guy who was created to become Daredevil’s rival. Bullseye is a very famous name even amongst casual fans who don’t read enough comics. Colin Farrell’s portrayal of the iconic villain didn’t do the character’s legacy any justice. Season 3 of Daredevil did manage to salvage Bullseye somewhat. But the fact remains that Bullseye is yet to have a successful run in movies. Given the incredible backstory and fanbase Bullseye enjoys, it is a paradoxical situation that the fame couldn’t launch him better in Hollywood.
Didn’t Make It: Pyro
The Brotherhood of Evil Mutants is perhaps the most famous Marvel villains team of all time. And one of its most prominent members is Pyro. In the comics, Pyro went from being a mumbling stooge/henchman to a pirate. He is now reformed and fights for the good guys. There’s an incredible backstory to explore. But the X-Men movies completely dodged all that and turned the mutant villain into a crappy character for the sake of entertainment.
Made It: Doctor Octopus
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The fact that he was so good in Spider-Man 2 that the MCU moved haven and earth to bring him back should be a sign enough. Alfred Molina did a very good job playing Doctor Otto Octavius in the Sam Raimi movie. And he will recreate the same magic again with Spider-Man: No Way Home. Prepare to see a very nuanced and fleshed out version of a very infamous Spider-Man foe.
Didn’t Make It: Batroc The Leaper
Believe it or not, Batroc the Leaper is one of Captain America’s most epic Marvel villains. He may be a B-List villain but the comic book readers love him. His unique fighting style and the fact that he’s a great entertainer are good selling points. He has already appeared twice in the MCU. But he is yet to make a mark in Hollywood. Such a crying shame really!!
