10 Marvel Villains Who Are Weaker In Movies Than In The Comics

Summary

• Marvel movies have removed a variety of powers from many villains throughout their history.
• The more limited timescale of Marvel films means that many villains don’t get as much chance to demonstrate their abilities.
• The MCU has some of the most notable recent examples of villains who are notably weaker in the movies than in the comics.

In the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the wider world of Marvel movies, many villains are significantly weaker on-screen than they are in the comics. Even before the beginnings of the MCU’s movie timeline, the stories and characters of Marvel Comics have been adapted to the screen in blockbuster live-action spectacles. Every superhero needs a villain to battle against, and as such, Marvel movies have been adapting villains from the comics for decades in order to fulfill that need.

Adapting characters from the page onto the screen often requires creative innovation, as some simply do not easily translate directly. Some villains need to be subtly rewritten or reimagined, leading to movie villains that do not much up to their comic book counterparts. In the movies of the MCU and other Marvel-based films, there have been many villains who are significantly weaker than they are in the comics, with abilities missing or neglected in order to better serve the narrative. With that in mind, here are 10 Marvel villains who were weaker in the movies than in the comics.

10 Galactus Was Just A Big Cloud

Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007)

Long before the MCU’s Fantastic Four reboot, there was 2007’s Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer. The film followed 2005’s Fantastic Four, following the titular team as they encountered the Silver Surfer and fought to stop his master Galactus from devouring the Earth. Galactus is one of Marvel Comics’ most powerful cosmic entities and a formidable enemy of countless heroes, making his inclusion in the film particularly exciting.

Sadly, Rise of the Silver Surfer was unable to do justice to the villain. Galactus was depicted as a large cosmic cloud, rather than the colossal humanoid entity he commonly appears as in the comics. Not only was Galactus’ traditional appearance missing, but many of his abilities were gone with it. Presenting Galactus as a cloud does little to communicate his hunger for worlds, and subtly depicts him more as a force of nature than a malevolent entity.

9 Victor Von Doom Was Missing His Most Villainous Qualities

Fantastic Four (2005, 2015)

Across the multiple pre-MCU Fantastic Four movies, Victor Von Doom has appeared three times. In 2005’s Fantastic Four and its 2007 sequel, Doom was played by Julian McMahon. In the 2015 reboot, Toby Kebbell played a younger Doom. Perhaps the only common thread between the two iterations of the character was that both thoroughly failed to communicate the power and villainous potential of Doom.

Doom’s role as the Supreme Leader of the Kingdom of Latveria makes him a political threat as well as a physical one. Across his long comic book history, Doctor Doom has taken on a number of abilities, and has proven himself one of the most formidable enemies in all of Marvel’s pantheon of villains. Neither cinematic iteration of Doom seems capable of living up to that reputation, especially as so many of his abilities didn’t make it onto the big screen.

8 Wolfgang Von Strucker’s Abilities Were Non-Existent

Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014), Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)

First introduced in the MCU post-credits scene in Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Baron Strucker is far more important to the franchise’s story than his screen time would suggest. Despite only a brief cameo in The Winter Soldier and a few minutes in Avengers: Age of Ultron, Strucker was responsible for the awakening of Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch’s abilities due to his experimentation with the Mind Stone. However, Strucker himself seemingly had no powers in the MCU.

In the comics, Baron Wolfgang von Strucker possesses a unique ability that makes him deceptively powerful. As well as being an expert combatant and swordsman, Strucker is infected with the Deathspore virus, which grants him enhanced durability and healing and allows him to release a deadly toxin on command. These powers make Strucker a formidable foe, although they appeared to be completely absent during his short-lived MCU appearance.

7 Loki’s Abilities Were Toned Down For The MCU

Thor (2011), The Avengers (2012)

Though the ending of Loki season 2 saw the God of Mischief become a more heroic figure, his early stories in the MCU saw him acting primarily as a villain. Introduced in 2011’s Thor, Loki served as the main antagonist of both his debut movie and 2012’s The Avengers. Loki’s MCU depiction was relatively accurate to his comic book counterpart, although he had been given a significant power downgrade for the movies.

In the comics, Loki’s power of illusion and magical abilities make him an incredibly dangerous enemy. The MCU simply failed to realize those abilities or Loki’s cunning nature, especially as he only acted as a villain on two occasions. The MCU then turning Loki into something of an antihero later gave him a gradual power boost, but his early run as a villain in the franchise saw him being depicted as less powerful than he is in the comics.

6 Ulysses Klaue Was A Generic Arms Dealer

Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015), Black Panther (2018)

Ulysses Klaue was introduced to the MCU in Avengers: Age of Ultron as an arms dealer with a grudge against Wakanda. He later featured in Black Panther before being killed by Killmonger. In the MCU, his main identity as a villain stems from a prosthetic arm made from stolen Wakandan technology. In the comics, he’s a far more powerful figure than his MCU appearance suggests.

Operating under the moniker Klaw, the comic book version of the character is a being made of solid sound. This makes him ultra-durable and incredibly dangerous, as well as being almost impossible to kill. Being able to transform his being into sonic energy gives Klaw an edge over most heroes in a fight, making him a powerful and noteworthy villain. However, the way the MCU depicts him is markedly less capable, and this iteration of Klaw ultimately dies at the hands of a fellow villain.

5 Apocalypse Was A Standard Comic Book Movie Villain

X-Men: Apocalypse (2016)

Over the course of Fox’s X-Men movie timeline, many characters from the comics were adapted to the big screen. Apocalypse was one such character, with the villain appearing in 2016’s X-Men: Apocalypse, played by Oscar Isaac. The film follows Apocalypse’s attempts to bring about the end of the Earth with the help of his Four Horsemen, powerful mutants selected to be his disciples.

The film does very little to accurately convey the true power level of Apocalypse. In the comics, he’s one of Marvel’s most powerful and fearsome figures, with a staggering slew of abilities that make him especially dangerous. For X-Men: Apocalypse, he was simply written to be something of a generic villain, and his powers and their limits are not defined at all. As such, Apocalypse seems far more powerful in the comics, where greater context and exploration of the character have occurred.

4 Malekith’s True Power Was Never Explored

Thor: The Dark World (2013)

Thor: The Dark World is commonly held as one of the most underwhelming MCU movies, and its uninteresting villain is often cited as a major reason for this. Malekith appears as the film’s primary antagonist, played by Christopher Eccleston. In the movie, the Dark Elf villain seeks one of the Infinity Stones, known as the Aether, pitting him against Thor and the forces of Asgard.

In the comics, Malekith possesses an array of abilities that were not present in The Dark World. Many of these powers are magical in nature, with Malekith proving himself one of Thor’s most formidable foes over his many appearances. Though technically Malekith might possess the same abilities in the MCU, the franchise simply didn’t make any effort to demonstrate the villain’s power level or his general capabilities. As a result, Malekith appears to be significantly more powerful in the pages of Marvel Comics.

3 Red Skull Never Got A Chance To Become As Powerful As The Comics

Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)

Red Skull is the archnemesis of Captain America, and as a result has become an important part of wider Marvel lore. He’s one of the most significant villains in the comics, having played a major role in many storylines. Red Skull was introduced to the MCU in Captain America: The First Avenger, played by Hugo Weaving. His primary abilities stem from an imperfect dose of the super soldier serum, making him a dark parallel of Steve Rogers’ Captain America.

In the MCU, Red Skull is written to have essentially the same skill set as Captain America. However, as he is defeated and banished to guard the Soul Stone, Red Skull never gets the chance to amass the same power he wields in the comics. Over his comic book history, the villain has been able to imbue himself with many dangerous abilities that he simply didn’t have in the MCU.

2 Kro’s Ability To Adapt Was Less Significant In The Movie

Eternals (2021)

The Deviant Kro is far from one of the MCU’s most high-profile villains, having briefly served as the secondary antagonist of Eternals. Kro’s Deviant physiology allows him to absorb the abilities of others, as well as adapt to most forms of physical harm. Eternals does depict this, but it’s a watered-down version of his comic book counterpart’s power level.

In the comics, Kro is an incredibly dangerous villain who is incredibly adaptable. This makes him practically invulnerable, and singularly difficult to stop. The fact that Eternals’ story used him as a subplot to its central mystery surrounding the heroes and their Celestial master meant that the MCU never really explored the depth and potential of his powers. Kro’s all too brief appearance in the MCU did nothing to communicate the actual scope of his abilities, as he’s far more powerful in the comics.

1 Ultron’s Terrifying Potential Was Never Realized

Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)

Avengers: Age of Ultron saw the creation of the titular villain, who is one of Marvel Comics’ most powerful antagonists. In the MCU, Ultron is a rogue artificial intelligence who becomes convinced the only way to protect the Earth is to destroy humanity. It takes the combined might of the Avengers to thwart Ultron’s plans, stopping the threat for good.

The MCU’s take on Ultron skips over his most important facet from the comics. As he’s based in technology, he’s essentially impossible to kill, and he’s constantly learning. His ability to develop and adapt is second to none, meaning that no victory over him lasts for long. Unfortunately, the MCU seems to have forgotten this aspect of Ultron, meaning that he’s exponentially more powerful in the comics than he is in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

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