Marvel’s menacing villains: From Thanos to Hela, the dark forces that shape the MCU

Robert Downey Jr. returning to the MCU as the villain Doctor Doom has created a buzz among fans. As RDJ turns antagonist, let's take a look at the MCU villains who have instilled fear in audiences. (Artwork by The Indian Express)

Thanos, seen in Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame, made half the universe disappear with a flick of his fingers.

Loki, seen in Thor, The Avengers,Thor: The Dark World, Thor: Ragnarok, Avengers: Infinity War, Avengers: Endgame, is the God of Mischief with a penchant for chaos and charm.

Red Skull, seen in Captain America: The First Avenger, Avengers: Infinity War, Avengers: Endgame, is the sinister guardian of the Soul Stone with a face as red as his evil heart.

Green Goblin, seen in Spider-Man (2002), Spider-Man: No Way Home, is the glider-riding nemesis of Spider-Man with a sinister cackle.

Scarlet Witch, seen in Avengers: Age of Ultron, Avengers: Infinity War, Avengers: Endgame, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, is a powerful sorceress with reality-warping abilities.

Ultron, seen in Avengers: Age of Ultron, is an AI gone rogue, seeking to bring peace through destruction.

Apocalypse, seen in X-Men: Apocalypse, is an ancient mutant who believes in survival of the fittest.

Baron Zemo, seen in Captain America: Civil War, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (series), is the calculating villain who nearly tore the Avengers apart.

Kang the Conqueror, seen in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, is a time-travelling tyrant with infinite versions of himself.

Doctor Octopus, seen in Spider-Man 2 (2004), Spider-Man: No Way Home, is a brilliant scientist with four deadly mechanical arms.

Mysterio, seen in Spider-Man: Far From Home, is the master illusionist who turned Spider-Man’s world upside down.

Sabretooth, seen in X-Men, X-Men Origins: Wolverine, is a feral mutant with claws and a long-standing grudge against Wolverine.

Winter Soldier, seen in Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Infinity War, Avengers: Endgame, is a brainwashed assassin with a metal arm and a tragic past.

Dormammu, seen in Doctor Strange, is the dark dimension overlord with a hunger for universes.

Elektra, seen in Daredevil (2003), Elektra (2005), is a deadly assassin with ties to the Hand and Daredevil.

Kingpin, seen in Daredevil(2003), Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, is a crime lord who rules the underworld with an iron fist.

Sandman, seen in Spider-Man 3, Spider-Man: No Way Home, is a man who turned to sand, seeking redemption for his past.

Lizard, seen in The Amazing Spider-Man, Spider-Man: No Way Home, is a scientist whose experiment turned him into a reptilian terror.

Hela, seen in Thor: Ragnarok, is the goddess of death, returning to claim Asgard with fury and power.

Magneto, seen in X-Men series, is the master of magnetism, torn between vengeance and redemption.

Vulture, seen in Spider-Man: Homecoming, is a winged scavenger who found new life in tech salvaging.

Carnage - Venom: Let There Be Carnage The blood-red symbiote with a taste for chaos and destruction.