All Live-Action MCU Villains Of 2025, Ranked

by

2025 brought a lot of new content to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, including several movies and shows. With that came a memorable group of villains – some we’d seen before, and others appearing in live-action for the first time.

This list ranks all the live-action villains from the Marvel Cinematic Universe who appeared in 2025, from the most compelling to the least impressive. We cover everything from grounded, street-level enemies to universe-threatening foes.

12. The Leader (Captain America: Brave New World)

After a long wait of 17 years, Samuel Sterns, also known as The Leader, reappeared in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as a powerful, intelligent villain. This return fulfilled a hint made about his transformation way back in the 2008 film, The Incredible Hulk. Unfortunately, his comeback in the upcoming 2025 movie Captain America: Brave New World didn’t quite satisfy fans, due to both his new appearance and the way his revenge plan against Thaddeus Ross was handled.

11. Ezekiel Stane (Ironheart)

Alden Ehrenreich played Ezekiel Stane, who became a high-tech enemy of Riri Williams. Their conflict began as a collaboration but quickly turned hostile due to Ezekiel’s use of powerful weapons. As the son of Obadiah Stane – a villain from the very first Iron Man movie – Ezekiel represented a twisted version of Tony Stark’s legacy.

Okay, so in 2025’s Ironheart, Ezekiel starts out rejecting everything his dad stood for, but he quickly transforms into a seriously powerful villain. He does this through some pretty intense body modifications – basically, he ends up echoing his father’s old Iron Monger persona. But honestly, Disney+ played this really smart. They didn’t give us everything at once; they clearly built Ezekiel up as someone we’ll be really invested in seeing more of down the line. It felt like a great setup for future stories.

10. The Hood (Ironheart)

Anthony Ramos played The Hood in the 2025 series Ironheart, creating a distinctive villain who combined street crime with magical abilities. As Parker Robbins used his powers, they began to corrupt him, making him increasingly dangerous and aggressive throughout the Disney+ series, and presenting a significant threat to Riri Williams.

At the end of the show, they hinted that Parker might ditch the hood someday, but honestly, I’m not sure if we’ll ever see The Hood make a proper comeback in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It’s definitely something I’m hoping for, but it’s still up in the air!

9. Sidewinder (Captain America: Brave New World)

Image via Marvel Studios

In the 2025 film Captain America: Brand New World, Giancarlo Esposito played Sidewinder, the head of a new criminal group called the Serpent Society. This organization was hired by The Leader to help carry out his plan to create global conflict with President Thaddeus Ross.

Sidewinder proved to be a formidable mercenary during his fight with Captain America, though his appearance in the movie was brief. Despite the limited screen time, his fight scenes were a highlight and added to the film’s overall action.

8. Mephisto (Ironheart)

As a huge Marvel fan, I was SO excited to finally see Mephisto show up in live-action! We’d been waiting since WandaVision back in 2021, and it finally happened in Ironheart in 2025. It feels like Marvel is finally getting ready to dive deeper into the supernatural side of things, and honestly, I can’t wait to see where they take it!

As a huge Marvel fan, I was absolutely thrilled with how they handled the reveal of Mephisto! Seeing the connection between the character who gave Spider-Man that iconic black suit and finally understanding Mephisto’s role was so satisfying. And honestly, the casting of Sacha Baron Cohen as the MCU’s Demon Lord? Genius! It’s a payoff I’ve been waiting for, and it’s shaping up to be incredibly exciting.

Although Mephisto didn’t have a large role in the Ironheart series, his appearance is significant for what it suggests about future Marvel projects. His debut wasn’t about what he did in that show, but rather the possibilities it opens up, such as potentially corrupting the hero Riri Williams.

7. Red Hulk (Captain America: Brave New World)

One of the biggest highlights of the MCU in 2025 was seeing President Thaddeus Ross transform into the Red Hulk. Harrison Ford’s performance as General Ross, taking over the role from the late William Hurt, beautifully showed the character’s dramatic change in Captain America: Brave New World and completed his story arc across the entire MCU.

Most Marvel fans would have preferred a bigger reveal of Red Hulk in the movie – or less footage shown beforehand in trailers. However, the transformation and the chaotic scene of Sam Wilson trying to regain control were still really fun to watch.

Therefore, positioning President Ross’ Red Hulk around the middle of this ranking of MCU characters seems appropriate.

6. Muse (Daredevil: Born Again)

Muse is a particularly unsettling villain in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, first appearing in 2025. He commits gruesome murders, using his victims’ blood as paint, which significantly darkened the tone of Daredevil: Born Again. This created compelling new challenges for Matt Murdock and served as a strong motivation for him to return as Daredevil after the loss of his partner, Foggy Nelson.

Unfortunately, Muse died in the same Marvel Cinematic Universe project where he first appeared. Many fans dislike this pattern, hoping villains with potential, like Muse, wouldn’t be used only once and then killed off. They believe these characters could have become compelling, long-term adversaries.

5. Bullseye (Daredevil: Born Again)

Custom image by Nicolas Ayala

Bullseye returned in 2025’s Daredevil: Born Again, deadlier than ever.

After recovering from a serious spinal injury sustained in season 3 of Netflix’s Daredevil – and looking more like his comic book version – Wilson Bethel’s Bullseye made a powerful return. His storyline was marked by violence, starting with the killing of Foggy Nelson and culminating in a jailbreak and attempt on the lives of Vanessa and Wilson Fisk, though Daredevil ultimately intervened and took the bullet meant for them.

I’m really excited to see Bullseye back – especially knowing he’s now a fugitive! It just confirms what I’ve always thought: he’s easily one of the most dangerous villains in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and I can’t wait to see what trouble he causes when Daredevil: Born Again returns for season two in 2025.

4. Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Thunderbolts*)

Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (played by Julia Louis-Dreyfus), the CEO of the OXE Group and a former CIA director, was revealed to be the mastermind behind the Thunderbolts. She’s a powerful and ambitious figure who wants to control and change the world to match her vision.

Valentia is a key figure working behind the scenes in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and surprisingly, she’s avoided any legal trouble, even though she was responsible for creating The Sentry – and his dangerous alter ego.

In the final moments of Thunderbolts, Val successfully led everyone to believe she was the mastermind behind the team from the start, rebranding them as the New Avengers. While this gives the new heroes some power over her, it was a clever move that solidified her as one of the most compelling and complicated villains in the MCU by 2025.

3. The Void (Thunderbolts*)

In Thunderbolts, The Void emerged as the frightening opposite of the Sentry (Lewis Pullman). Since the Sentry was already established as one of the MCU’s strongest heroes, The Void raised the stakes considerably. This villain is the physical form of Bob Reynolds’ inner darkness and has the terrifying ability to erase people from existence, trapping them in a nightmarish realm where they relive their worst fears.

Okay, so Bob, aka The Sentry, is on the New Avengers team, but here’s the thing: his powers are seriously dangerous. The movie made it pretty clear that using them could accidentally re-open the Void – that terrifying, empty space we saw before. Honestly, it feels like a setup; I wouldn’t be surprised if the Void becomes a huge problem for our heroes again in a future film.

The Void, shown entirely in shadow except for a flash of its black eyes, was surprisingly frightening in the 2025 film Thunderbolts due to its stark and simple design.

Read More

2025-11-17 05:41