Marvel Cinematic Universe
From a Nazi scientist to a shadowy politician.
Contrasting Sequel Antagonists in this series.
Films
Ant-Man- Darren Cross was a former protege of Hank Pym who took over his company and wants to weaponize and sell the Pym Particle technology for profit and when his plan fails, uses the Yellowjacket suit to try to destroy his enemies. Ava Starr is a survivor of a lab accident afflicted by molecular disequilibrium caused by the excitement that's leaving her physically intangible and in a constant state of pain and near death, who wants to use the energy from the Quantum Realm to cure herself, and is motivated by desperation rather than malice.
- Kang, compared to the lower stakes of the previous villains, is a ruthless conquerer who intends to take over the Multiverse and rule it with an iron fist.
Avengers
- Ultron in Avengers: Age of Ultron to Loki in The Avengers (2012). Both command an army of near-identical, partly cybernetic minions to do their dirty work, both are connected to the Mind Stone inside Loki's scepter and by extension to Thanos' overarching machinations, and both of them threaten the population of Earth — they also both have a personal, almost familial connection to one of the Avengers whom they closely contrast (Loki is the Asgardian Avenger Thor's troubled adoptive brother, whereas Ultron is the human-shaped technophilic Avenger Stark/Iron-Man's creation (child) who despises the fact). However, Loki was a sorcerous, Really 700 Years Old alien Asgardian who wanted to forcibly enslave humanity, not-so-sincerely sugar-coating it as him giving humanity the guidance that they yearn for; and he was knowingly affiliated with Thanos to that end — Ultron, on the other hand, is a newborn artificial intelligence that went insane from birth, and he's an Omnicidal Maniac who seeks to bring "peace in our time" to Earth via triggering a spontaneous global extinction event, initially justifying it in his Insane Troll Logic as him force-evolving humanity to become stronger and less dependent on others for survival; and Ultron doesn't seem to be aware of Thanos. Whereas Loki was openly regal and haughty, Ultron is a lot more quippy, sarcastic and informal. Furthermore, Ultron's Avenger "relative" Iron-Man doesn't seem to care much for him, in contrast to how Thor spent the first half of The Avengers trying to redeem his beloved brother or at least talk him down.
- Thanos in Avengers: Infinity War contrasts Ultron in the previous Avengers movie Age of Ultron. Both are cynics who ostensibly aim to better the world in the end. But Ultron was a newborn, deranged A.I. gone rogue, who wanted to bring "peace in our time" to Earth via triggering a near-instant mass extinction before deciding to just wipe out humanity completely, and he was somewhat quippy and willing to get his hands dirty from the get-go. Thanos on the other hand is a much older, more calculating alien Titan who seeks to avert civilization extinctions via killing off 50% of every existing population across the universe, he has a much darker sense of humor and is played more seriously for it, and he at first prefers to operate from the shadows and let his pawns, underlings and allies do the dirty work before he decides to take charge himself.
- In Avengers: Endgame, Thanos' younger Alternate Self from the 2014 timeline ends up contrasting the person that his original timeline self had become by the time of Infinity War. In the case of the Infinity War Thanos, a lot of emphasis is placed on his more humanizing qualities such as his backstory, him mourning the losses of his adopted children, and how valid his arguments to the heroes as a Not-So-Well-Intentioned Extremist might be, and he's also become willing to do the dirty work himself. By contrast, the 2014 Thanos is portrayed as much more of a self-absorbed, bloodthirsty brute who hasn't yet been shaken by the losses of his adopted children and still expects them to do all the dirty work for him: the true selfishness underlying Thanos' ostensibly noble end-goal is laid bare, when 2014 Thanos responds with seething indignation and rage to the discovery that the universe in his future self's timeline remains "ungrateful" to them, and he decides to amend the affront by instead using the Infinity Stones to wipe out the universe entirely and make a new one in his own image that will sing his praises instead of condemning him. 2014 Thanos also relies on his close combat skills and pre-Infinity Gauntlet weapon, in contrast to how his older alternate self spent Infinity War relying on the Infinity Stones' power via the Infinity Gauntlet in combat.
Captain America
- Captain America: The Winter Soldier has two relative to the Red Skull in Captain America: The First Avenger:
- The Winter Soldier/Bucky Barnes. Both he and the Red Skull are anatomically-enhanced superhumans who originated in the Second World War and are aligned with an incarnation of HYDRA. However, the Red Skull was an elite Nazi and a pure, power-hungry sociopath who was aware of and chose his every evil action, became biologically disfigured via the Super Soldier serum, had no personal ties to Steve Rogers/Captain America beyond his own one-sided view of the latter as his symbolic equal, was happy to let underlings do most of the dirty work for him, and was ultimately his own boss. Bucky as the Winter Soldier, on the other hand, was an altruistic American soldier who was brainwashed by the Nazis' enemies the Soviets and consequently was forced by others into his evil actions, was augmented with a cybernetic arm; he was one of Steve's oldest and best friends pre-brainwashing which causes a lot of angst when Steve sees him again, and he's an elite hitman under Alexander's control who does most of the dirty work himself.
- And of course, Bucky's boss himself, Alexander Pierce. Unlike the Red Skull, Pierce is physically a Muggle and a case of Evil All Along who's infiltrated the heroes' ranks. Whereas the Red Skull was ultimately a self-serving sociopath and was willing to betray his superiors for his insatiable hunger for power; Pierce appears to be a true believer in HYDRA's ideology that mankind can't be trusted with its own freedom and requires HYDRA's totalitarian takeover in order to survive, and he shows some lament over being forced to kill people in the name of HYDRA's cause if he feels their deaths could have been avoided.
- Helmut Zemo in Captain America: Civil War to the previous two Captain America movies' aforementioned Red Skull and Alexander Pierce. Unlike either of them, Zemo has no affiliation to HYDRA and in fact despises the organization's ideals, and his motivation is no higher than personal revenge for the collateral deaths of his family which he personally blames on the Avengers Initiative. He's also operating on his own with a lot less backing from anybody else than either Red Skull or Pierce were.
Guardians of the Galaxy
- Ego in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 to Ronan from the original Guardians of the Galaxy. Both are omnicidal, alien would-be planet killers whom killed a Guardian's family-member. However, Ronan was a bigoted, bloodthirsty, short-tempered, haughty, Obviously Evil warlord hailing from the galactically well-known Kree; he was initially in an alliance with Thanos, he had an army at his beck and call, and he relied on the Power Stone to pose a planet-killing threat, with his specific desire being to annihilate his people's ancestral former-enemy Xandar. Ego on the other hand is a much more sinisterly calm, deceitful, personable and manipulative case of Evil All Along: he's an eons-old, mysterious, godlike Celestial who consistently operates alone using his innate godly power, and he desires to wipe out all life across the universe via spontaneously transforming every inhabited planet and moon into an extension of himself, which for him is nothing personal. Furthermore, Ronan justifies his genocidal campaign as him honoring his father and other forefathers' legacy, whereas Ego nakedly perceives and uses his children as nothing more than physical resources, killing off thousands of them just because they were of no use to his plan, and using the two sole survivors as a therapy dog, and a battery once the latter crosses him, respectively. Additionally, Ronan apparently didn't think much of Earth's 80s pop culture when he was briefly exposed to it, whereas Ego has a genuine fondness for it which influences his backstory.
- The High Evolutionary in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 contrasts the preceding two Guardians movies' Ronan and Ego. Like both of them, he's genocidal on a planet-killing scale, and he has a personal connection to one of the Guardians whose loved one he killed in their backstory (Rocket in his case instead of Peter and Drax respectively), and he's abusive to his "children" to an infanticidal and genocidal degree like Ego was. Unlike the fanatical, xenophobic Ronan and unlike the nihilistic, omnicidal Eldritch Abomination Ego; the High Evolutionary is a Mad Scientist who ultimately seeks to create rather than destroy (although his severe narcissism and egocentric mindset ensure that one is invariably followed by the other for each and every one of his creations), and he has absolutely no emotional connections even in the most rudimentary capacity. He also uses an organization of minions instead of operating alone like the immediately-preceding Ego.
Iron Man
- Whiplash/Ivan Vanko in Iron Man 2 to Obadiah Stane/Iron-Monger in Iron Man. Both use mechanical suits of armor based on Tony Stark's own technology to oppose him. However, Stane was an old friend and business partner to the Stark family who collaborated with Middle-Eastern terrorists, and had far-reaching ambitions. Vanko on the other hand has no connection to the Stark family before introducing himself as Tony's self-proclaimed arch-enemy, he conspires with an American corrupt corporation, and has no higher end-goals than taking revenge on Tony for his father's actions.
- The second film also features Justin Hammer, who like Stane is involved in making weapons. However, whereas Stane was a Faux Affably Evil second in command who sought to retake the reins of Stark Industries through secret means, Hammer is the head of his own company and is a Smug Snake openly trying to supplant Stark.
- Aldrich Killian rose from nothing to just settle a grudge. Compared to Stane and Vanko, Killian is also the only one of the three to never use Powered Armor, instead using the powers granted by the Extremis virus. Like Hammer, Killian also had his own company, but whereas Hammer just wanted to outdo Tony, Killian actively is violently seizing power and intends to kill the President so he can be the de facto ruler of the country though his puppet the Vice President.
Spider-Man
- Mysterio/Quentin Beck in Spider-Man: Far From Home to Adrian Toomes/Vulture in Spider-Man: Homecoming. Both are advanced technology-wielding supervillains in a Spider-Man movie; but whereas Toomes was a pragmatic, money-oriented Muggle crook from the present day with noble qualities and semi-selfless motivations, Beck is a petty, self-absorbed, narcissistic Glory Hound from the future.
- The interdimensionally-gathered Sinister Six in Spider-Man: No Way Home contrast the previous two MCU Spider-Man movies' supervillain gangs. Unlike them, they can barely be called a team in any shape or form, as they've only been circumstantially brought together by chance, and the only commonality connecting them all is that they refuse to let the superheroes return them to where they came from if it means they die right after returning. They also have no connection personal or otherwise to Iron-Man, and they entirely consist of altered superhumans from other universes rather than Muggles.
- No Way Home specifically has Green Goblin from Spider-Man taking the role of Big Bad, being the first superhuman to do so as opposed to relying solely on technology, who wanted to be free to cause chaos on the MCU Earth with no real goal outside of a new world to play with. Both of the first two also hated Tony Stark, for different reasons. Vulture was due to how Stark's Damage Control got him and his cleanup crew fired to remove Chitauri technology. Mysterio was a former employee who wanted revenge on his recently deceased boss for using his holographic technology and naming it "B.A.R.F.", while also fired for his emotional instability. Being from a different universe, Goblin had no history with Stark, but could be seen as a sort of Evil Counterpart in that he too is a billionaire scientist who uses a suit and and technology to fly. And while Vulture was gruff and more openly villainous, but ultimately a Benevolent Boss and a Noble Demon with several good qualities, Mysterio acts heroic and like a Benevolent Boss to his employees but is actually a cruel, selfish sociopath who cares only for himself. Green Goblin, though among the other displaced villains, is not their leader despite convincing them not to be cured and resented Peter for wanting to help Norman be rid of his evil half, so he causes the death of Aunt May out of pettiness and to hurt Peter.
Thor
- Malekith in Thor: The Dark World to Loki's debut in Thor. Both are members of races within the Nine Realms whom have a very hostile history with Asgard, and both threaten to destroy entire worlds. However, Loki was the Asgardian royal family's adoptive member who grew up believing he was one of them, and he's angst-ridden and lost what sanity he had upon learning the truth of his origins. Malekith on the other hand has no personal connection to the Asgardian royal family.
- Hela in Thor: Ragnarok to the Big Bads of both the previous two Thor movies. Aside from the gender switch; Hela is a One-Woman Army entirely of her own innate power, unlike Loki and Malekith whom both needed allies or an Infinity Stone respectively to pose a major threat. She also, in stark contrast to them, completely overpowers Mjölnir. Unlike the immediately-preceding Malekith, she has a personal connection to the Asgardian royal family as Odin's vindictive firstborn daughter who he imprisoned millennia ago (and therefore Thor's half-sister whom he knew nothing about).
- Gorr isn't interested in power or conquest like his predecessors, but is seeking vengeance for the death of his daughter, who died after his prayers for salvation went unanswered. He holds a vendetta against gods and wishes to wipe them out. While Loki and Hela both proclaimed A God Am I, Gorr actively resents such Jerkass Gods for their hubris.
Others/Multiple
- Adrian Toomes in Spider-Man: Homecoming, relative to the aforementioned Ego from the immediately-preceding overall MCU movie. Ego was a ruthless and powerful alien Eldritch Abomination and an Omnicidal Maniac, who murdered the woman that he genuinely loved so he could focus on his evil plan, and he also euthanized thousands of his own offspring just because they were of no use to his plan, using the only two children he spares as a therapy dog and a human battery the moment that he's slighted, respectively. Toomes on the other hand is a monetarily-motivated Muggle criminal with moral standards, who relies on alien technology that he salvaged to be a supervillain, and he genuinely loves his family and is a good father.
- Wanda Maximoff/The Scarlet Witch in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, to Kaecilius from the first Doctor Strange (2016) movie. Both are sorcerous, ruthless fallen heroes whom dabble with dark and corruptive powers that are ultimately destructive to themselves, and both of them ultimately seek to defy the cycle of life and death. However, Kaecilius was first introduced after his fall from grace in his villainous outing, and he has a small army of like-minded disciples backing him up; unlike Wanda who was previously an established hero, and is a One-Woman Army operating on her own. Kaecilius sought to bring eternal life to himself and his followers via deliberately enabling the extradimensional Dormammu to invade and consume the earthly dimension, and he was unrepentant to the end; Wanda on the other hand traverses the multiverse because she seeks to find real, living versions of her illusory children from the events of WandaVision, and she ultimately has a Heel Realization and sacrifices herself.
- N'Jadaka/Erik 'Killmonger' Stevens vs. Ch'ah Toh Almehen/K'uk'ulkan/Namor. Once he took the throne, Erik wanted to use Wakanda's mighty army and its advanced vibranium technology to subjugate the rest of the world and tried to justify it as 'freeing the oppressed', even though deep down he just wanted to vent his anger on everyone else for what he went through. Meanwhile, Namor initially only wanted to keep Talokan's existence a secret, but the surface world's encroachment on Talokan's territory for its vibranium resources means he won't hesitate to go to war with the entire world to ensure Talokan's safety. Erik also didn’t actually care about the Wakandan culture and dealt a severe blow to it by ordering the destruction of the heart-shaped herbs, ensuring that there won’t be any future Black Panther until Shuri manages to recreate it, while Namor’s entire reason for conflict is to protect the Talokan way of life, even if it results in the destruction of Wakanda, another country that’s also trapped in a similar circumstance and threatened by the outside world. Both villains are ruthless conquerors driven by childhood memories of witnessing inequality and injustice done to their respective ethnic groups by white oppressors, but of the two, Namor is far nobler than Erik ever was.
- In The Marvels (2023), Dar-Benn contrasts Yon-Rogg and Ronan, all three being high-ranking Kree officers who are committed to extreme measures for their homeworld.
- Dar-Benn and Yon-Rogg both serve as Carol Danvers' personal nemesis. But the reasons are reversed: Yon-Rogg took Carol from her home and brainwashed her into being a Kree soldier, while Dar-Benn lost her home when Carol's actions caused the Kree civil war that devastated her homeworld to the point that it could no longer support life.
- Dar-Benn and Ronan are both Accusers that utilize a Universal Weapon augmented by powerful relics, the Power Stone for Ronan and one of the Quantum Bands for Dar-Benn. But Ronan respects Carol as one warrior to another while Dar-Benn outright hates her for ruining Hala.
TV Series
- What If…? (2021): Strange Supreme, the Big Bad of the second season, to Infinity Ultron, the Big Bad of the first season. Both of them are more heinous-acting alternate versions of morally-dubious Sacred Timeline characters who have access to and exploit the multiverse. Both of them distinctly fused with other entities (Vision and interdimensional demons respectively) and attained a godlike level of power (Ultron via acquiring his universe's Infinity Stones and Strange via absorbing hundreds of interdimensional demons), and their increased heinousness is at least in part due to these versions of the characters being deptived of one or two of their Sacred Timeline counterparts' human connections. However, Infinity Ultron was a rogue A.I. in a cybernetic body turned Omnicidal Maniac, who had next to no sympathetic qualities to speak of and no personal relationship with Uatu or Captain Carter, and his only goals were to wipe out all life in every reality across the multiverse — Strange Supreme on the other hand is a magic-wielding, demon-infused sorcerer of human origins and he's played as a tragic character, with his end-goal being to resurrect a universe he previously destroyed at the expense of a collection of individual lives, and he was once an ally to Uatu and comrade-in-arms to Carter whom are both dismayed at his new turn for the worse. Whereas Ultron is a Hive Mind who distributes his consciousness across a legion of secondary robotic bodies, Strange Supreme instead has thousands of separate, demonic consciousnesses stuffed inside his original body alongside his own, and it's heavily implied that these played a significant role in influencing his second fall into darkness. Infinity Ultron's M.O. was invading and omniciding other universes, whereas Strange Supreme's is collecting hundreds of individuals (most of them "universe killers") to be sacrificed to the Forge. Infinity Ultron used pure, merciless brute power to further his omnicidal goals, whereas Strange Supreme is more manipulative, subtle and deceitful in attaining his when he re-establishes contact with Captain Carter.
