The MCU has described many of its villains as pure evil, seeking wealth, fame or whatever for personal gain at the expense of others. However, there were occasional villains who not only had good reasons but, perhaps somewhat understandably, saw themselves not as an antagonist but as the protagonist of their own story.
However, the detrimental effects of their actions have made these characters a threat to society at large or to other people. Although the films do not address the root issue and do not consider the villain’s point of view, the need to be stopped by the hero figure is always justifiably true. The blurred line between what sees these characters as victim and villain lies in the pain inflicted on others.
Green Goblin
Norman OsbornWillem Dafoe) transformed into an alternate personality known as the Green Goblin after being exposed to a dangerous serum. Although he has serious flaws as an imperfect father, an arrogant scientist and has let his ambitions get out of hand, he is a decent person. On the other hand, the Green Goblin was portrayed as pure evil, thriving in chaos, violence, selfishly manipulating others.
Perhaps Norman is a Goblin within certain limits, but in truth, Norman fell victim to the insane psychotic and sadistic tendencies of the Green Goblin, who not only fed on Norman’s twisted desires, but also thrived on controlling the coward within. The moment Norman was cured, the maddened look in his eyes asked, “What have I done?” it was deplorable.
Loki
Loki (Tom Hiddleston) was first introduced as a sworn brother seeking the throne at Thor’s expense. Although his actions led to Thor’s exile, which Loki did not expect, they did lead to the necessary recognition that Thor was not fit for the throne. Throughout the films, Loki seeks acceptance and admiration from his adopted family.
Although he was initially struck by the truth of being adopted, feeling like a pawn in his father’s game, he admitted to loving him, but still couldn’t forget that he was adopted with an ulterior motive. His poor self-image and sense of being second to his brother, who was always primed for leadership, drove Loki’s actions. A victim of his own insecurities, he projected chaos to fit the only name he knew was true - God of Mischief.
Vulture
Vulture (Michael Keaton) turned to a life of crime after having difficulty finding work. Faced with debt and no means to support his family, Vulture’s reasons were understandable and sympathetic.
Despite strong family values and being a good person, he quickly plunges into a life of crime, morally oblivious, choosing instead to consolidate his profits. Starting out of desperation, he quickly turned into a vicious circle, eclipsing sympathy with his willingness to kill others.
Killmonger
Eric Killmonger (ur.Michael B. Jordan) was justifiably resentful of Wakanda after being abandoned as a child. A witness to racial xenophobia perpetuated today, Killmonger not only sees himself as the victim of a great injustice in his world, but also resents that Wakanda has remained isolated, thriving on its resources.
His desire to give his people a better life stems from personal experience, but his anger is self-serving as he chooses to ignore the opportunity to work in collaboration with the people of Wakanda. In addition, he does not hesitate to kill others to achieve his goal, believing that his rule is the only solution that will bring any success.
Zemo
Zemo (Daniel Brühl) was just a broken man seeking retribution from those responsible for the death of his family. Only by wanting responsibility from would-be heroes who didn’t see how many people got hurt in their battle, Zemo’s goal wasn’t for personal gain. In reality, Zemo gained little even from the Avengers’ concession, which made his motive both sympathetic and reasonable.
However, Zemo had little remorse for the collateral damage caused while trying to break up the Avengers. The moment Zemo used the Winter Soldier in his plans, including staging a pre-planned attack on the UN that claimed T-Chucky’s life, partially robs him of sympathy. Zemo’s actions not only broke the Avengers, but resulted in loss of life, causing others the same pain that he not only resented but fueled his actions.
Otto Octavius
Otto Octavius (English)Alfred Molina) was a highly intelligent scientist who became Doctor Octopus after an experiment went wrong, resulting in severe damage to his brain, leaving him in control of tentacle-like arms that merged into his body. Otto himself was not a villain, but rather a proud man whose ambitions got out of hand, leading to bad judgment.
The chip that was supposed to protect his higher functions and inhibitions was destroyed, leaving him helpless and uninhibited. Perhaps Doc Ok is an uninhibited version of Otto, revealing his darkest thoughts, desires and urges. However, when Peter heals him in Spider-Man: No Way Home, the sheer content seen on his face demonstrates the relief he feels in reliving the peace and stillness of his mind.
winter soldier
Bucky (Sebastian Stan) was brainwashed and armed as a professional assassin called the Winter Soldier. Under the complete control of HYDRA, Bucky became helpless, unable to control, let alone understand, his actions.
Holding Bucky malicious or responsible for his actions is hardly fair, as Bucky has been stripped of his personality, independence, and free will. The Winter Soldier might be the villain, but the real villain was the one who created that façade. Bucky himself was a helpless victim who, after repeated torture, lost his mind.
Ghost
Ava (Hannah John-Kamen) is hardly a villain, but a victim of molecular imbalance who occasionally does bad things in order to survive. After being used for military purposes, Ava continued to control her emotions as she did not get rid of her frustration with Hank Pym despite believing he was responsible for her condition and her parents’ death.
She does not harm people unless she is forced, in a desperate plea not to die in terrible agony, unwilling to surrender to her circumstances. As her condition stabilizes, she wants to give up, believing she should be held accountable for her actions, showing her true character.
Wanda
Wanda (Elizabeth Olsen) childhood trauma portrayed her as a naive and deluded victim until she eventually made amends by joining the Avengers to become a hero. After losing the Vision, Wanda’s grief creates a false sense of reality that would be exceptionally self-destructive were it not for her powers, of which she forced others to be a part. Faced with the responsibility of those in Westview, she releases a spell that results in the loss of her family.
Wanda searches for her children in alternate universes, taking extreme measures during the events of Doctor Strange 2. Not only was she aggressively mean-spirited, her actions of mass murder can hardly be justified. The evolution of Wanda’s roles from victim to hero and villain erases the features that characterize this character. Wanda is a good person at heart, but her desperate need for a family becomes dangerous when she is out of reach. Wanda stepped back as she saw her children recoil in fear. While it didn’t undo the damage or bring back those whose lives had been lost, it did rewrite her character’s history and possible future.
Wenyu
Written as one of the most difficult villains, Wenyu (Tony Leung) was blinded by the desire for power until he fell in love with Ying Li. Finding that his family was worth growing old, Wenwu gave up the ten rings. The loss of his wife at the hands of enemies draws him back into the darkness, where he reclaims his rings. As his sanity has been clouded by grief, he trains Shang-Chi, instilling fear in his children. As a grieving widower, he believes he can bring her back and complete his family.
When he released the Dweller of Darkness, it became clear that even though he is not a bad guy, he must be stopped for the best good of Ta Lo. As a multi-layered character whose motivation was sympathetic, viewers were equally interested in both villain and hero, father and son. His sacrifice for Shang-Chi was a beautiful take on the father figure and family man he was before the tragedy, demonstrating that he is not a villain, but a hurt man who has lost what he loved.
Source: Collider
