The Marvel Cinematic Universe has been graced with some excellent performances throughout its run, be it on the big screen or small. And, now that Agatha All Along has debuted, it's time to look back at the best villains from Marvel TV shows. Why? Because Kathryn Han's work certainly warrants a spot on the list. She's so magnetic as Agatha Harkness that it's no wonder she ended up getting her own spin-off/sequel series.
Note that as of 2024, the debate has been settled around The Defenders universe of shows, and they are now considered fully MCU canon. From Netflix to Disney+, restrained to ultra-enthusiastic, here are the best villainous acting performances in MCU television series.
10 Kathryn Hahn as Agatha Harkness
WandaVision (2021)
Agatha Harkness' portrayer, Kathryn Hahn, has been one of the most likable performers in the industry for a while now. And it's a testament to her range that she can make a character who manipulates others for fun and revenge, well, likable. But that's just what she does throughout WandaVision, and it's because of her that the series' twist involving her character is pulled off so well.
A Legend
Just look at the "Do you want me to take it again?" she has with Wanda and Vision. Hahn makes the audience question what's going on just as much as Agatha makes Wanda question what's going on...with her own self-crafted fake town. WandaVision is one of the MCU's best projects thus far, and still the best MCU Disney+ series, and much of that comes down to Hahn's formidability as a performer.
9 Ethan Hawke as Arthur Harrow
Moon Knight (2022)
Moon Knight ended up being somewhat of a divisive MCU project, but there were several aspects fans found themselves in unison on. One, of course, was Oscar Isaac's performance(s) as the title character. But there was also beloved Hollywood legend Ethan Hawke's performance(s) as Arthur Harrow.
Hawke Is Amazing Per Usual
Like Isaac, Hawke is given the tough task of effectively playing more than one character. In the case of the latter, he's always Arthur Harrow, just sometimes he's pretending to be Marc Spector's therapist. It's a neat trick, and it catches the audience off guard the same way it does Spector, because Hawke so effortlessly conveys intelligence and docility that one can see him being a therapist the same way his charm allows them to believe he could be a cult leader.
8 Mahershala Ali as Cottonmouth
Luke Cage (2016)
It's not an easy task to make the surprise death of a pretty detestable villain sad. But, when watching Luke Cage, that's exactly what happens, because Mahershala Ali has such an incredible and irreplaceable screen presence. As Cottonmouth, leader of the Stokes Crime Family, Ali makes a pretty standard power-hungry gangster character into someone that seems invincible.
One of the Best in the Business
But, of course, he wasn't invincible. Yet, it stands that his performance was the best part of Luke Cage, no disrespect to Mike Colter, who was very much likable in the title role and magnetic in his own right. It's easy to see why the MCU decided to keep Ali on board, even if his role as Blade has yet to work its way out of production difficulties.
7 Alaqua Cox as Echo
Hawkeye (2021)
If there's a character who gives Agatha Harkness a run for her money as the best villain in an MCU Disney+ show, it's Hawkeye's Echo. The same goes when it comes to a caliber of performance to rival Hahn's. And, considering this was Alaqua Cox's first time in front of cameras ever, it's nothing short of wildly impressive how layered she makes Echo.
Genuinely Incredible for a First-Time Performance
Like Harkness, Echo received her own spin-off show. And, also like Harkness, the utter strength of Cox's performance alone made that far from a surprise. Cox, who is of Native American descent, was born Deaf, and had her right leg amputated, made her name in the MCU with just a single interrogation scene. And, in the process, she simultaneously crafted one of the most intimidating lower-level (AKA can't raise a city from the ground and then drop it) villains and expanding the MCU's inclusion.
6 Wyatt Russell as John Walker
The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (2021)
Wyatt Russell has pulled off a hat trick by proving to audiences he's every bit as talented as his parents. And, when your parents are Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn, that's far from a small compliment. So it was really only a matter of time before he landed a role in an MCU project. That role ended up being John Walker, the intended Captain America replacement.
Couldn't Walk the Walk
But, intended is the operative word there. Because Walker's violent tendencies nipped that in the bud in the public eye. And, in that, one sees the complexity of the character, and the difficult task Russell had in portraying him. When boiled down, Walker is a regular man given a massive task, his heart's in the right place but that very same heart doesn't always lead him in the right direction. Russell pulls off crafting The Falcon and the Winter Soldier's most layered character, which is no small feat considering he's lined up with Bucky Barnes, Sam Wilson, and Karli Morganthau.
5 Jonathan Majors as He Who Remains
Loki (2021)
Jonathan Majors has, of course, run into some trouble over the course of the past few years. But, there was a time when he was being positioned as a gargantuan part of the MCU, to the point it would all essentially revolve around his character for several Phases. And, however one feels about him on a personal level, they'd be hard-pressed to call him anything short of a genius performer.
Several Roles Wrapped up in One
Alas, it didn't pan out, and all Majors' fans got was a monologue in Loki's first season, the antagonist role in the extremely weak Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, and a performance as He Who Remains, a Kang variant, in Loki's sophomore year. But, even in that short amount of time, fans saw the extreme range Majors would have brought to Kang and all his variants. He's a chameleon, and the monologue towards the tail end of Loki Season 1 was enough to establish that he was a villain worthy of taking on the Avengers.
4 Michael Douglas as Yellowjacket
What If? (2021)
All due respect to Corey Stall, but the best performance as Yellowjacket comes from Michael Douglas in What If? This version of Hank Pym loses not his wife, but his daughter, Hope. And, with that loss, he loses all hope and turns into the thing his former protégé turned into in the primary MCU timeline.
A More Memorable Yellowjacket
This actually allows Yellowjacket to become an inherently more complex character. Darren Cross is more or less just greedy, ultra-ambitious, and lacks true creativity. The Pym Yellowjacket is a man in extreme grief. And the legendary Douglas makes the viewer believe that with his voice alone.
3 David Tennant as Kilgrave
Jessica Jones (2015)
Considered by quite a few to be the best of the Netflix Marvel projects, Jessica Jones was primarily bolstered by a unique, noir-ish tone and a slew of terrific performances. And, while Krysten Ritter is terrific in the title role, most agreed the top performance was by David Tennant as Zebediah Kilgrave. A complex character with a seriously broken code of ethics, it's a role that required someone of Tennant's cerebral style.
Great As Always
What's so effective about Tennant's performance is that he makes Kilgrave effortlessly charming. And, considering he uses mind control for often awful purposes, that's an accomplishment. The actor also sells the character's obsessive tendencies, which was a must to convey his true villainy. Here's hoping he and Ritter are included in an official MCU project at some point.
2 Vincent D'Onofrio as Kingpin
Daredevil (2015), Hawkeye (2021), & Echo (2024)
If there's a big bad from Netflix's time with Marvel, it's Vincent D'Onofrio from Daredevil. And, like Charlie Cox, he was one of the first of those Netflix stars to be signed up for an MCU project. Namely, Hawkeye. And it's easy to see why, as D'Onofrio's is the best incarnation of the character to date.
A Layered Portrayal
That's no small compliment, considering Michael Clarke Duncan made the character a force in the Daredevil movie and Liev Schreiber voiced him with gravitas in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. But it's D'Onofrio who has made his portrayal less just Kingpin, and more Wilson Fisk. He's a layered character with a tough upbringing, and D'Onofrio makes the audience believe Fisk carries that with him day to day.
1 Jon Bernthal as The Punisher
Daredevil (2015)
While there's never been a massively successful The Punisher project, it's been a role inhabited by several very talented performers. And, true to form, they've given terrific performances. First was Dolph Lundgren, but his performance isn't the one worth discussing. Those would be more Thomas Jane, the late Ray Stevenson, and Jon Bernthal.
Bernthal Beats All
Bernthal has made quite a name for himself after playing the detestable Shane Walsh in The Walking Dead. He has charm to spare, but also knows how to slip into an unlikable role with ease. In that, Marvel found its best Punisher, because he's a complex character who takes life without regret, but always thinks he's in the right. It's a balancing act, and thank goodness the MCU has decided to keep Bernthal on because he's capable of walking that particular wire.
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