Summary
The Marvel Cinematic Universehas a track record of killing off villains the first time they appear in a film. However, some have managed to slip through the cracks and survive, including some major threats that have been hinted to play a huge role in future MCU projects.
Creating a supervillain team might not be as implausible as it seems with many street-level and Avengers-level threats lurking in the shadows. It’s only a matter of time before they reemerge. Some already have. So which Marvel villains managed to escape death? Here are ten villains that are still alive in the MCU.
10Agatha
Stuck Under Mind Control
When Scarlet Witch has her entire world flipped upside down, she accidentally holds a town hostage. This amazing display of her power attracts the attention of another witch, Agatha, who throws different wrenches into Wanda’s make-believe world.
At the end ofWandavision, Agatha is exposed as the power-hungry outcast of her coven. After attempting to steal Wanda’s magic, she becomes trapped inside the role she played during the series. Despite being defeated, she remains active and plays a major role in her own spin-off show.
9Loki
Guardian Of The Multiverse
Loki dies then comes back to life, then dies again. Loki was the villain in the original Thor movie. Since then, he has been a recurring menace within the MCU. Even after his apparent death at the hands of Thanos during Avengers: Infinity War, he continued to cause chaos in the form of his variants.
Escaping after the invasion of New York, a variant Loki would be arrested by the TVA and forced to track down a more dangerous variant. This eventually led him through a time-traveling adventure ending with him redeeming himself and becoming a guardian of the multiverse.
8The Vulture
Trapped In Limbo
The Vulture, aka Adrian Toomes, wasSpiderman’s first major villainin the MCU. Always cool, crafty, and determined to take what he is owed, he proved a deadly adversary for the friendly neighborhood web-slinger.
At the end of Spider-Man Homecoming, Peter saves Toomes from a suit malfunction. Despite this, he continues to plot revenge. After the events of No Way Home, Adrian becomes trapped in the Sony-Verse, expelled from the MCU, and forced to team up with characters like Morbius and possibly El Muerto.
7Abomination
Tournament Fighting
Abomination was The Hulk’s first and only major adversary in the MCU. After being defeated at the end of the first film, Abomination fled and remained missing for some time. Fortunately, Shang-Chi and She-Hulk have filled the gap into what happened to this MCU villain.
At some point after his defeat, Abomination befriends the Sorcerer Supreme, Wong, with whom he participates in tournaments. He also appeared in She-Hulk as an ally, having reformed his ways since his first encounter with Hulk. However, this is Hulk’s first time hearing this and they have a short battle.
6Helmut Zemo
In Prison
Helmut Zemo may be an ordinary human. However, he accomplished what many villains failed to do. He destroyed the Avengers and caused the events of Civil War. Eventually, his actions would even affect the outcome of the fight against Thanos, as the Avengers are too divided to respond to the threat.
Zemo planned to kill himself at the end of his plot. However, he was stopped by the Black Panther. He would eventually return in Falcon and the Winter Soldier, in which he once again survived the series. This led to his indefinite imprisonment on the Raft.
5Kingpin
Got Shot And Got Better
Kingpin was the original villain butting heads with Daredevil. After being reintroduced into the MCU, the street-level villain would appear in Hawkeye, having to rebuild his criminal empire. In the series, he was shot by Maya Lopez and seemingly killed.
Later, it is revealed that he survived the encounter and plans to run for Mayor where he will be facing off once again against Daredevil. Kingpin’s comic book relationship with Spider-Man makes him a highly anticipated villain to see remain active for any future MCU storylines.
4The Grandmaster
Alive In The Junkyard
The Grandmaster was the tyrant ruler of Sakaar. He enslaves Thor and forces him to fight in the Contest of Champions. Eventually, Thor teams up with Loki, Valkyrie, and Hulk to cause an uprising that topples his rule.
While The Grandmaster wasn’t the main villain of Thor Ragnarok, he played a major role in Hulk’s development, giving him a place to vent his anger before deciding to return to Earth. During the post-credits scene of Thor Ragnarok, it is revealed he survived the encounter with Thor as he tries to survive the outskirts of his city and his still angry subjects.
3Red Skull
Stuck In Space
During World War II, Captain America faced off against the Nazis and prevented Red Skull from getting his hands on an infinity stone. Despite being defeated and whisked away into space, Red Skull did not die as originally believed.
Instead, Red Skull was tasked with guiding others to the treasure he could not obtain. Red Skull would be there to guide Thanos and Gamora to the Soul Stone. He remains alive though his whereabouts after the destruction of the stone remain unknown.
2Dormammu
Held Back By The Time Stone
In the first installment of Doctor Strange, Steven travels the world in search of a way to restore the use of his hands. During this time, he mastered the mystic arts and eventually stopped a group of evildoers from bringing about the end of the world.
Confronting Dormammu, Dr. Strange trapped himself in a time loop to keep the entity at bay. After countless loops, he agrees to free Dormammu in exchange for him leaving the Earth alone. With the time stone no longer active, it is only a matter of time before the villain makes a comeback.
1Kang The Conquerer
Arrested Across The Multiverse
Kang The Conquerer threatensthe multiverse. First appearing in Loki, He Who Remains, reveals himself to be the reason the Kangs have not invaded the MCU until now. After his death, it allowed the other variants of Kang to realize the existence of the main timeline.
Another variant of Kang was killed in Quantumania by Ant-Man as the rest plotted their attack on the MCU. During Loki Season 2, however, the Kangs were all but swept under the rug, with the TVA now tasked with subduing and arresting Kangs across the multiverse.
