Marvel’s next Avengers blockbuster, Avengers: Doomsday, is scheduled to be released in December 2026. Understandably, the anticipation has reached fever pitch amongst fans and audiences everywhere. As expectation heightens, however, a few burning questions persist, but one rings louder than all others: who will the new villain be, and what can viewers expect from whoever steps into the role? That question feels especially relevant, given the comparatively subpar crop of villains Marvel has come up with since Iron Man snapped Thanos and his minions out of existence in Avengers: Endgame. It’s a question that indicates that fans, more than anything, want a villain like Thanos. One who doesn’t just wreck cities, but also rewires the moral compass of the story.
Already, the casting has been impressive, and honestly, wild. Perhaps the most impressive of the lot is Robert Downey Jr. returning to the MCU, but this time as Doctor Doom, a role that’s entirely different from the one he had embodied well for years. Throwing in other heavyweights like Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Sue Storm (Vanessa Kirby), Reed Richards (Pedro Pascal), and Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) further gives the impression that viewers are in for a treat. But, fans have been burned before by a great cast wasted on mediocre villains. Remember when Marvel hyped Gorr the God Butcher to fans before Thor: Love and Thunder? Yeah. The MCU needs to not make that mistake again by learning a thing or two from Thanos as a villain.
Why Thanos Worked (and Every Marvel Villain Since Hasn’t)
Thanos (Josh Brolin) is arguably the greatest and most frightening villain the MCU has ever produced. On the surface, it looked like his fear factor came from his terrifying strength or from the fact that he possessed the infinity stones. However, in reality, it partly came from his calm disposition. For most of his arc, audiences rarely saw Thanos snarl or lose his cool. He was always deliberate, and that made him well… “inevitable”. The rest of his power came from his calm conviction. He genuinely believed he was doing the universe a solid, and that conviction almost brought some viewers to his side.
Huge credit has to go to the directors (Anthony and Joseph Russo) who worked well with Brolin to make Thanos that brilliant. They certainly did their part by giving him space to breathe, and that decision paid off, especially in the impactful moments like the one on Vormir, where he sacrifices Gamora (Zoe Saldana) for the Soul Stone. Yes, it was brutal, but Brolin’s layered performance made it hit different with that single tear that showed a man who firmly believed in his role as both savior and executioner.
Now, compare that to most of the villains that came after Endgame. For instance, Gorr the God Butcher (Christian Bale) could have become an emotional powerhouse, but the film buried his grief under comedy. Kang the Conqueror (Jonathan Majors) was another villain who could have come close to reaching Thanos’ status, but seeing the villain get defeated by Ant-man in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania took away much of his scare factor. Even the High Evolutionary (Chukwudi Iwuji), arguably one of Marvel’s stronger recent efforts, felt more like chaos personified than conviction embodied.
Ultimately, all these villains certainly had motivation, but they lacked real philosophy — a world view, and there’s a huge difference between those two things. A motive ends when the fight does, but a worldview lingers and it sticks with the audience and forces people to question whether they would do the same in his shoes. That’s how a villain cements his legacy. In fact, just ask Killmonger.
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How Avengers: Doomsday Can Recapture the Thanos Magic
So, how does Marvel fix this string of subpar villains with Avengers: Doomsday? First, Doctor Doom can’t just be “evil Iron Man.” In the comics, he’s not just a villain,, he’s the hero of his own story. He looks at the mess humanity has made and says, “I can fix this.” Viewers need to see that glorious, magnificent ego in action. Marvel’s reportedly going darker with this Doomsday, which is a good start. But “dark” doesn’t just mean more rain and black costumes. It means letting Doom have that moment where he explains his vision for humanity and fans are left thinking…”Okay, maybe he’s not entirely wrong?” That’s the sweet spot.
Also, can we talk about the unnecessary chatter? There’s no doubt that fans love a good one-liner, but when the villain is dropping zingers right before committing genocide, it sort of kills the vibe. Thanos worked because he treated the end of the world with the seriousness it deserved. Doom should be the same, all chilling intellect and zero patience for Earth’s heroes. Most importantly, Marvel needs to build this man up properly. Don’t just have him pop out of a portal midway through. Let the audience feel his influence across multiple projects and make his ideology the real villain before he ever appears in the flesh. Fans already got a tease of the character in The Fantastic Four: First Steps‘ mid-credits scene, hopefully the MCU builds on that. However, with Spider-Man: Brand New Day being only MCU movie between First Steps and Doomsday, chances are slim.
All in all, fans are not asking for much. We just want a villain who makes us question everything, played by an actor who’s actually allowed to act in a story that respects our intelligence. So, what do you think — can Doom outthink Thanos’ shadow, or will Marvel play it safe again? We’re all watching to see if the MCU can find its soul in its next great villain.
Until then, you can catch up on the villain’s journey through the MCU on Disney+.
