Watch: Marvel Studios Celebrates Its 6 Biggest Villains In New Video (And Their Most Iconic Scenes)

Marvel Studios put six of its most notable villains into the spotlight in a new video showing off some of their most memorable scenes in the MCU. Over the last 17 years, Marvel Studios has brought dozens of iconic comic book villains to the forefront on TV and in theaters (some of whom fans hope to see given another chance at glory). 

Marvel Entertainment shared an 8-minute-33-second-long compilation video on YouTube titled "Villains of the MCU | Compilation." This video featured six of the MCU's biggest villains from Phase 1 through Phase 5, pulling one major scene from the MCU for each antagonist for fans to celebrate. 

6 Villains Featured in New Marvel Studios Compilation Video

Thanos

Almost no villain in MCU history stands out in fans' minds like Thanos, the ultimate big bad of the Infinity Saga. Thanos started with a few minutes of screentime in 2014's Guardians of the Galaxy and post-credits scenes in The Avengers and Avengers: Age of Ultron before serving as the main villain in 2018's Avengers: Infinity War and 2019's Avengers: Endgame behind Josh Brolin's performance.

This video's Thanos scene showed the Mad Titan using the Time Stone to rewind the clock and bring Vision back to life before completing the Infinity Gauntlet with the Mind Stone. Seconds later, he snapped his fingers to wipe out half of all life in the galaxy, leaving the Avengers broken and out of answers for what to do next.

Thanos continues to play a significant role in the MCU to this day, and he may also appear in future Avengers movies.

Ultron

2015's Avengers: Age of Ultron featured Emmy-winner James Spader as the evil robotic antagonist, Ultron, a result of Tony Stark and Bruce Banner's mission to create a peacekeeping program for the world. Immediately turning against humanity upon his creation, he set out to destroy the world and all life on it, believing humanity to be the greatest threat to peace.

This video's scene takes place early in Ultron's tenure, after he first attacks the Avengers in Avengers Tower, culminating in Thor destroying his first body before he spreads across the world and builds a new one. The scene concludes with the Avengers defeating him in Sokovia, with Vision delivering the final blow by seemingly destroying the last of his robotic bodies after Sokovia is destroyed.

Ultron is set to return to action in 2026's VisionQuest, adding to his story more than a decade after his last appearance in the live-action MCU.

Scarlet Witch

For more than a decade, Elizabeth Olsen has starred on the big and small screen as the MCU's Wanda Maximoff, better known as the Scarlet Witch. Along with voiceover roles in What If...? and Marvel Zombies, Olsen has seven live-action credits for Marvel Studios, most recently in 2022's Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.

For this compilation, Marvel showed Wanda's attack on Kamar-Taj in her pursuit of America Chavez, leading to her explaining to Doctor Strange that she wants to find a universe where she can be with her twin sons again. After an epic battle with Strange and America, the film ends with Wanda realizing the error of her ways and being crushed beneath Mount Wundagore, leaving the fandom to believe her dead.

While many expect Wanda to return for one or both of the next two Avengers movies, Olsen does not have a confirmed project for Marvel.

Namor the Sub-Mariner

Following a long and arduous struggle with legal rights, Namor the Sub-Mariner made his long-awaited MCU debut in 2022's Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Tenoch Huerta played the role in Namor's only live-action appearance to date, serving as the main villain as he led his nation of Talokan into battle against Wakanda.

Namor's scene in this compilation marks the emotional low point of the movie, when he bombs the Wakandan palace and kills Angela Bassett's Queen Ramonda before warning Shuri that he and his army will return. After an intense battle with Shuri, the two leaders come to a truce and end their fight, forming a union between Talokan and Wakanda.

Huerta is now set to return in 2026's Avengers: Doomsday, teaming up with dozens of other heroes against Robert Downey Jr.'s Doctor Doom. 

Red Skull

Going back to the MCU's earliest days, Marvel shone a light on Hugo Weaving's Johann Schmidt, who evolved into the villainous Red Skull. Making his first appearance in 2011's Captain America: The First Avenger, he later made two post-death appearances as the Keeper of the Soul Stone in Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame (played by Ross Marquand in both movies).

Here, Schmidt jumps into his first physical confrontation with Chris Evans' Steve Rogers before ripping off his rubber face to reveal his red-skinned skull-like appearance underneath. While he escaped capture here, the movie ended with him being transported to Vormir, holding the Tesseract/Space Stone in his hand after another fight with Captain America.

Hela

Cate Blanchett joined the MCU family by taking on a role as Hela, the Goddess of Death, in 2017's Thor: Ragnarok. While this movie gives Blanchett her only live-action MCU project (along with an episode of work in What If...?), she comes in with a fury, revealing herself to be Thor's half-sister and an heir to the throne of Asgard.

Her scene in the compilation marks her first meeting with Thor and Loki, catching the mighty hammer Mjolnir and crushing it into pieces before going to Asgard and killing the Warriors Three. While the threequel ended with Surter destroying Asgard, and seemingly Hela along with it, she is presumed dead.

The full compilation video can be seen below: