With Avengers: Doomsday set to climax the MCU’s Multiverse Saga in December 2026, Marvel’s recent villains have been far more varied than the Infinity Saga’s straightforward march toward Thanos. Instead of one looming threat, audiences have seen reality-breakers, tragic antiheroes, cosmic tyrants and brilliant manipulators—all of whom help define what Doctor Doom has to surpass.
How MCU’s Multiverse Saga villains stack up before Avengers: Doomsday
S-Tier: The villains who changed the MCU
1. Doctor Doom (Upcoming benchmark)
Marvel has made Doom the clear centerpiece of Avengers: Doomsday, with Robert Downey Jr. returning—not as Iron Man, but as Victor von Doom. Unlike Thanos, Doom combines scientific genius, mystical power and political control, making him a far more personal and unpredictable threat.
Why he tops the list:
- Master of science and sorcery
- Rules Latveria
- Central multiversal antagonist
- Potential creator of Battleworld
2. Cassandra Nova
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Few villains have arrived with as much immediate impact as Cassandra Nova. Introduced in Deadpool & Wolverine, she effortlessly manipulates minds, tears through reality and becomes one of the MCU’s most terrifying psychic threats.
Strengths:
- Omega-level telepathy
- Reality manipulation
- Psychological warfare
- Nearly unstoppable until teamwork defeats her
3. The Void (inside Sentry)
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The biggest surprise of the Multiverse Saga may be Bob Reynolds’ darker half. Rather than simply destroying cities, the Void traps victims inside psychological prisons, making him both physically overwhelming and emotionally devastating.
A-Tier: Outstanding villains with memorable stories
The High Evolutionary
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Perhaps the saga’s best-written villain, the High Evolutionary isn’t trying to conquer Earth—he’s obsessed with creating “perfection.”
His cruelty toward Rocket made him one of Marvel’s most emotionally effective antagonists.
Why he works:
- Brilliant scientist
- Horrifying experiments
- Personal connection to Rocket
- Memorable performance
Wanda Maximoff (Scarlet Witch)
Wanda’s transformation into the Darkhold-corrupted Scarlet Witch remains one of Marvel’s boldest character turns.
Her attack on Kamar-Taj and dream-walking across universes showcased just how dangerous grief can become when paired with overwhelming power.
Gorr the God Butcher
Christian Bale’s performance elevated a villain who deserved more screen time.
His motivation—revenge against uncaring gods—made him sympathetic even when his methods became monstrous.
B-Tier: Strong ideas, mixed execution
Kang the Conqueror
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Kang was originally meant to become the Multiverse Saga’s equivalent of Thanos.
Instead, Marvel pivoted away from the planned Council of Kangs storyline, leaving his arc feeling incomplete before Doom replaced him as the franchise’s primary villain.
Dar-Benn
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Dar-Benn had understandable motivations tied to saving Hala, but she never reached the emotional or narrative weight of Marvel’s strongest villains.
Namor
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Whether Namor is truly a villain depends on perspective.
His war with Wakanda came from protecting Talokan, making him more antihero than outright antagonist—a role that could become important again in Doomsday.
C-Tier: Interesting but underdeveloped
- Arthur Harrow (Moon Knight) — Ethan Hawke delivered a compelling performance, but the finale reduced much of his menace.
- Najma (Ms. Marvel) — Her story suffered from rushed development.
- Samuel Sterns (The Leader) — A fascinating setup whose long-term potential remains largely untapped.
Biggest threats heading into Doomsday
What Doctor Doom has to beat
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Marvel’s next Avengers film carries enormous expectations because the previous franchise-defining villain, Thanos, spent more than a decade earning his payoff.
Doom enters with a different challenge:
- replace Kang as the Multiverse Saga’s central antagonist,
- establish his rivalry with the Fantastic Four,
- unite Avengers, X-Men and Thunderbolts in one conflict,
- and deliver a villain compelling enough to carry Avengers: Secret Wars afterward.
If Marvel succeeds, Doom won’t simply become the Multiverse Saga’s best villain—he could join Loki and Thanos among the defining antagonists of the MCU.