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Edited by Mrph1 on Jul 29th 2024 at 3:09:00 PM
If the Red Skull were to return, I think there'd need to be substantial changes for him to matter in the modern world. Ubermensch blow-up-the-world Hugo Weaving worked great for a WWII pulp, but the modern Skull is a more behind the scenes Complete Monster political schemer.
I don't think that anyone can accuse The Joker or Doc Oc as anything but one-dimensional. It's a mixture of performance and scary scenes which make those villains work (arguably...I never liked the movie version of Doc Oc).
I also think that Loki, even if certain people here don't like it or won't admit it, is one of the iconic movie villains. In fact, he is Marvel's answer to Fox's Magneto (whom they use way too often imho...it's always "random anti-Mutant guy and Magneto").
And to be frank, I am glad that Marvel is not afraid to kill off their villains. Not every villain needs to be around for multiple movies. Loki is certainly worth the screen-time, and I look very much forward what they will do with Nebula in the future.
Fox definitely uses Magneto as their main villain too often, but it's because he's such a fantastic character and has two different amazing actors. (I would have been happier if Fassbender's Magneto had been a protagonist in Days of Future Past and Trask had really been the main villain rather than sidelined.)
Similarly, Marvel re-uses Loki because he's their only interesting villain.
I disagreeeeee
I'd love to have another Ultron moment.
I know it won't happen but it'd be fun.
I find that Marvel's disposal villain tendency is in contrast to the X-Men and Fantastic Four movies which just use the same villain over and over and over again.
X-Men is basically the Wolverine and Magneto show. DOFP was a little better by literally hurling Wolverine out of the story so it could sorta kinda be the Mystique and Magneto show a little bit. Could have used more Kitty though.
Forever liveblogging the Avengers
x4 Only interesting villain? I think Mr.Fisk has something to say that to that...
FISK: YOU EMBARRASSED ME IN FRONT OF THEM!!! {Proceeds to bash Galadriels' brains into a car door.}
edited 14th May '15 11:47:31 AM by kkhohoho
I really like Magneto too. Whether he's played by McKellen or Fassbender, he's a great Anti-Villain.
As far as MCU villain go, Hugo Weaving was enjoyably hammy, Jeff Bridges is always good value for money, Ultron had some good moments and Loki works when they play him as an Anti-Villain. Hmmm, I'm starting to notice a pattern in the villains I like....
edited 14th May '15 12:06:15 PM by PurpleDalek
I'm not of the opinion that the Red Skull can come back so easily. He wasn't just transported to god knows where; he was transported to god knows where 70 years ago. Even if he survived wherever he landed, explaining why a guy rounding 100 years old is still a dangerous threat without having him pop out of a block of ice and go, "Haha! I TOO was frozen in time for decades! Now, Captain America, we resume our battle!" is a fairly insurmountable feat.
Not sure he should anyway. If the goal is to have engaging and compelling villains, a literal Evil Nazi is about as one-dimensional as you can get. It worked for the first Captain America movie in which America was actually at war with the Nazis, but for the present, he'd just be another Hydra leader and we've already gotten enough of those.
Hydra was a fantastic reveal but if we get much more of them, they're going to risk overstaying their welcome. Grant Ward looks to be taking them up in Agents Of Shield, but that's effective because of Grant Ward, not the promise of "More Hydra!" Both the show and Age Of Ultron have been pretty unanimous about the idea that at this point, Hydra's leadership is broken, their bases are demolished, their prizes have been plundered...they're done, time to move on to something else before the audience gets bored.
So, ultimately, it would take a lot of effort to plausibly write the Red Skull back into the story just to have him serve a narrative purpose that Strucker or Zemo could have served just as well, in service of a plotline that people are going to get sick of if it sticks around any longer. Even if we needed more one-dimensional villains like Malekith, the ship has sailed on the Red Skull.
EDIT: There is a caveat. There is one place where the Red Skull could reasonably return with minimal difficulty, and that is Agent Carter, which still takes place way back when.
edited 14th May '15 12:14:42 PM by TobiasDrake
My Tumblr. Currently side-by-side liveblogging Digimon Adventure, sub vs dub.Clearly the time is ripe for a new type of villain
something like a machine organism designed only for killing or konquest or komputation.
Someone that's got a good head on their shoulders and can ham with the best of them.
Are there any villains in Marvel like that?
Forever liveblogging the AvengersYou know how the Red Skull could still be a villain in the MCU? Have his granddaughter decide to carry out the last orders he gave on his deathbed in 1960/70 after being transported to Russia/USA/England or whatever. Even from beyond the grave he can hurt the US and the Captain. Hell, give her some of his preserved blood so she can go toe to toe with Cap. I want to see Sin vs Bucky in a universe where he can't come back from the dead if he lost.
Edit:
That's the power of the Soul Stone. Adam Warlock even used it to fight back vs Thanos after he died once
◊ while carrying the Gem(Thanos died to him due to this).
edited 14th May '15 12:45:50 PM by LordofLore
He probably wasn't. Hugo Weaving confirmed he had a contract for more films, though no guarantee it'd be followed up on. So the previous suggestion has him be teleported back, plot for a few more decades, then die and have his daughter Sin take his place.
Maybe the Guardians will find him on some random planet, amongst a ton of very old teleported HYDRA and US Army soldiers.
edited 14th May '15 12:48:27 PM by Tuckerscreator
Thinking back on one of Ultron's moments, the one where he gets punched into the sky after trying to talk himself out of a unfavourable situation 'You know...in hindsight...'.
When Age Of Ultron scenes are available to place on the internet (once the DVD and Bluray are out of course), that someone takes the mentioned scene and adds 'Team Rocket's blasting off again!'
Maybe he'll be the Dragon with an Agenda and/or The Starscream for Thanos.Bit of a long shot I know.
edited 14th May '15 12:54:35 PM by Archivist10
One of the things the article brought up that I feel the MCU should do more is have villains transcend just the single movies they're in and have more of an effect on the universe as a whole, like the heroes do. In that sense, the only villains to do that are Loki - as they said - and Thanos, which is more because the plot of the MCU as a whole is currently about him.
For a while there's been an issue of the only villains appearing being huge, conspiracy villains with very specific arcs in relation to the heroes that stop being relevant and thus die when those arcs are over, despite having openings for those villains to have more of an effect on the universe. Even if its something minor like Scarecrow appearing in all three Nolan Batman films, it would've been nice to - say - have AIM not being solely centered around Killian and have a role supplying tech to later villains, for instance.

Speaking of Winter Soldier, was his arm made from the remains of the Destroyer?
#IceBearForPresident