Villain-led stories are having a moment, and HBO's The Penguin set the bar high for what these darker spin-offs can achieve. Colin Farrell's acclaimed turn as Oswald Cobblepot proved that antagonists can carry prestige television when given depth, nuance, and room to shine.
Disney+ has become the hub for character-driven Marvel storytelling, from Loki to WandaVision. The success of The Penguin reshaped expectations for villain-centric TV, and several MCU adversaries stand out as prime candidates for their own series. With Marvel Studios expanding the MCU on Disney+, the question naturally arises: which Marvel villains deserve the same spotlight? Here are several villains whose origins, trauma, and ambitions could not only expand Marvel’s worldbuilding but also give audiences complex, layered narratives beyond the typical hero’s journey.
7 Marvel Villains That Deserve Their Own Show
Baron Zemo - The Aristocrat's Fall
Daniel Brühl's Baron Helmut Zemo remains one of the MCU's most compelling antagonists precisely because his motivations are entirely understandable. The Falcon and the Winter Soldier only scratched the surface of this Sokovian nobleman's transformation from grieving father to calculating mastermind.
A Zemo-focused series could explore his aristocratic upbringing, the weight of family legacy, and the systematic way he dismantled the Avengers from within. The show could also delve into his time in prison, revealing how he orchestrated events while incarcerated and showcasing his deep knowledge of superhero psychology. Brühl's nuanced performance deserves a platform that can fully explore Zemo's intellectual approach to revenge and his complex relationship with power.
The series may also examine his connection to Sokovia's history and how generational trauma shaped his worldview. Unlike other Marvel villains driven by cosmic ambition, Zemo's human-scale grief makes him relatable even when his methods are abhorrent.
Loki Variants - Infinite Possibilities
While Tom Hiddleston's main Loki received extensive character development, the multiverse concept introduced in Loki opened doors to exploring different versions of the God of Mischief (read about how a new Loki is expected in Doomsday). A variant-focused series could showcase Lokis who made different choices, faced different circumstances, or developed along separate paths.
Imagine exploring a Loki who successfully conquered Midgard, showing the hollow nature of achieved ambition, or a Loki who never discovered his frost giant heritage and remained loyal to Asgard while grappling with different internal conflicts. Each variant represents different aspects of the character's psychology—the abandoned child, the jealous brother, the would-be king, or the reluctant hero.
This angle to Loki would allow Marvel to explore themes of destiny versus choice while giving different actors opportunities to put their own spin on the iconic character. The variant concept provides narrative flexibility that could sustain multiple seasons of psychological exploration.
Kingpin - Crime Empire Origins
Vincent D'Onofrio's Wilson Fisk has been a standout across multiple Marvel properties, but his origins as the Kingpin of Crime deserve comprehensive exploration. A Disney+ series could chronicle his rise from troubled youth to crime lord, showing how trauma and ambition transformed him into New York's most feared criminal mastermind.
The series may explore his relationship with his father, his early criminal enterprises, and the strategic mind that allowed him to unite disparate criminal organizations under his control. D'Onofrio's powerful performance suggests depths that haven't been fully explored, particularly regarding Fisk's genuine love for Vanessa and how that humanity coexists with his brutal methods.
A Kingpin series could also serve as a street-level counterpoint to Marvel's more cosmic storylines, grounding the MCU in urban crime drama while showcasing the intelligence and planning that make Fisk a formidable opponent.
Norman Osborn - The Birth of a Monster
The Green Goblin is one of Marvel's most iconic villains, popularly played by Willem Dafoe. A proper origin series could explore Norman Osborn's transformation from ambitious businessman to cackling madman. Rather than rushing to the costumed villain phase, viewers are enticed to examine the pressure, paranoia, and corporate machinations that pushed Osborn over the edge.
While Spider-Man: Brand New Day is expected to dive into Norman, an independent show may chronicle Oscorp's rise, Norman's relationship with his son Harry, and the scientific obsessions that led to his enhancement experiments. The psychological descent into madness provides rich material for exploring themes of power, legacy, and the price of ambition.
Most importantly, the series could showcase the duality that makes Osborn fascinating: the calculating businessman who genuinely believes he's saving the world, even as his methods become increasingly monstrous.
Doctor Doom - Monarch of Latveria
Victor von Doom represents Marvel's most complex villain, combining scientific genius with sorcerous power and absolute political authority, and is one of the most highly anticipated villain entries. A series exploring his rule over Latveria could showcase a villain who genuinely believes his authoritarian methods serve the greater good.
The show could examine Doom's childhood trauma, his rivalry with Reed Richards, and his evolution from bitter student to absolute monarch. More importantly, the contradiction of a dictator whose people genuinely prosper under his rule might be featured, challenging viewers' assumptions about heroism and villainy.
Doom's magical and technological expertise provides opportunities for both intimate character moments and spectacular set pieces, while his political machinations could create a unique blend of Game of Thrones-style intrigue and superhero spectacle.
Magneto - The Survivor's Burden
Erik Lehnsherr's Holocaust survival and subsequent evolution into Magneto represent one of comics' most powerful character arcs. A series centered on him could explore his journey from concentration camp survivor to militant mutant leader, examining how trauma shapes ideology and when justified anger becomes dangerous extremism.
Disney+ already cast Magneto's daughter, but it could turn its attention to producing a show that chronicles Magneto's early encounters with mutant prejudice, his friendship and philosophical splits with Charles Xavier, and his gradual acceptance that peaceful coexistence may be impossible. Ian McKellen and Michael Fassbender have both brought depth to this character, proving that Magneto's story resonates across generations.
The Winter Soldier - Prisoner of War
While Bucky Barnes has received significant development, his time as the Winter Soldier remains largely unexplored. His decades of brainwashing, the missions he completed, and the psychological mechanisms he developed to survive remain untapped.
The show could explore the gaps in his memory, the people whose lives he destroyed, and his ongoing struggle with identity and redemption. Sebastian Stan's performance suggests layers of trauma that deserve comprehensive exploration, particularly regarding how someone maintains humanity while being systematically stripped of identity.
