Marvel Studios revealed the final villain of the MCU's Phase 5, and his description has caught the attention of fans. Since kicking off with Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, Marvel Studios' roster of big bads has expanded throughout Phase 5 to include Kingpin, Kang the Conqueror, the High Evolutionary, and more, but whether this new antagonist can top them is the question.
Premiering on Disney+ on Tuesday, June 24, and closing the book on Phase 5 is the long-awaited Ironheart starring Black Panther: Wakanda Forever's Riri Williams or Ironheart, played by Dominique Thorne. Opposing the tech-savvy MIT student is Anthony Ramos (In the Heights, Twisters) as Parker Robbins or The Hood, the MCU's next antagonist, whose powers stem from dark magic.
In describing Ramos' villain, Dominque Thorne (via Cosmic Marvel) referred to the MCU's latest rogue as "this super dark villain:"
“He’s a sweetheart in person, but of course now he’s playing this super dark villain. That’s a fun dichotomy to have when you’re looking to turn that whole hero-villain relationship on its head, the way we do in this show.”
The Television Academy shared other details about Anthony Ramos's baddie, describing him as zealous and dynamic and noting his Puerto Rican roots. Also, true to his name and comic book lore, Ramos' The Hood wears a hood that allows him to access the dark arts.
First announced for Disney+ in December 2020, Ironheart cast Anthony Ramos as the series villain in February 2022. His character's sinister ties to the supernatural are expected to create a "tech versus magic" showdown for Ironheart and the final chapter of Phase 5.
Still, The Hood isn't the only known new villain expanding the MCU's library of malefactors. The following is a list of the confirmed villains debuting in Phase 6 of the MCU, and some as early as July 2025.
5 Villains Confirmed for Phase 6 of the MCU
Galactus
The first new baddie of Phase 6 of the MCU is Galactus, played by Ralph Ineson. The formidable Devourer of Worlds will be the main threat of The Fantastic Four: First Steps upon its July 24 debut, and he's a challenge that Marvel fans aren't sure Marvel's First Family can beat.
Silver Surfer
While not as daunting as Galactus, Julia Garner's Shalla-Bal version of the space-traveling Silver Surfer is still bad news for The Fantastic Four: First Steps' heroes. Marketing for the July film has also shown the the Silver Surfer's capabilities apart from being a messenger, such as when she threw Johnny Storm back to Earth.
Find out why The Fantastic Four: First Steps' Silver Surfer is a woman here!
Doctor Doom
Unless he makes a surprise appearance in The Fantastic Four: First Steps or one of its post-credits scene, Robert Downey Jr.'s Doctor Doom will make his debut in the first Avengers film since 2019 and that's 2026's Avengers: Doomsday.
Expected to be the big bad of this new MCU phase, Downey's Doom is also anticipated be a Multiversal character and, along the lines of Ironheart, a blend of both magic and an armored suit.
Magneto
An omega-level mutant with the ability to generate and manipulate magnetic fields, Magneto has been a villain, antihero, and occassionally a leader of the X-Men throughout his comic book and on-screen history. But in 2026's Avengers: Doomsday, Ian McKellen's Magneto will make his MCU debut 26 years after first appearing in 2000's X-Men.
McKellen's Magneto is one of several former X-Men stars joining the Multiversal Avengers: Doomsday, but whether he will be a threat to Doctor Doom, the X-Men, or the film's massive MCU cast is currently a mystery.
Mystique
Another X-Men veteran making her first entry into the MCU in Avengers: Doomsday is Rebecca Romijn's Mystique, a blue-skinned, shapeshifting mutant. The last audiences saw of Romijn's was in 2006's X-Men: The Last Stand where she lost her powers saving Magneto.
Whether this antihero will be back to her shapshifting tricks in Avengers 5, or her story from The Last Stand will continue, will be interesting to see.
Ironheart arrives on Disney+ with a three-episode premiere on Tuesday, June 24.
