In the modern age of Hollywood, comic book films are what bring joy to both comic book fans and executive producers. Over the years, fans have seen a plethora of comic book films, with the most dominant being the MCU. This universe has taken liberties with the comic characters so that they work within the context of a film.
Most of the time, these liberties are directed at making goofy villain designs look more believable than the comics, although every now and then, they end up looking worse. As such, here five MCU villains who look better than their comic counterparts and five who look worse.
Better: Arnim Zola
When creating the character of Arnim Zola, the creators probably asked themselves what would happen if they stuck a man inside a tv then put it in the middle of a robotic body. What results is one of the goofiest creations of all time, with anyone barely taking Zola seriously.
However, in Captain America: The Winter Soldier, the Russo brothers reimagined Zola as an AI in control of a massive computer bank. This was the modern update the character needed.
Missed The Mark: Whiplash
There are times when the MCU decides to take very low-level villains and try to make them big time. Sometimes, this method works to great effect. Other times, Iron Man 2, is one of those other times.
Already a fairly unknown villain in the world of comics, Whiplash isn't much to look at. He was made even worse when the film ditched his costume and opted to rely on the bare necessities to try and make the character work. It was to no avail.
Better: Ego
How does one make a giant planet with a face into a tangible villain? This was the problem James Gunn faced in Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol.2 when he made the sentient planet Ego its main villain. All things considered, the character could have ended up being silly.
Instead, the human form of Ego became a malevolent and worthwhile projection of the planet and even outdoes him with how evil he can be. At one point, fans do actually see Ego's planet face, keeping true to the comic.
Missed The Mark: Dormammu
Giant CGI creatures are usually hit or miss. While most of the MCU films manage to make the CGI monsters work, every now and then there's a bump in the road, even in great movies.
Doctor Strange is one such great film. The film's take on the imposing and firey Dormammu, the ruler of the dark dimension, relies a little too much upon CGI. Ultimately, this causes the MCU's Dormammu to come across as a bland representation of his comic version.
Better: Ulysses Klaw
A lot of villains seen in the MCU are usually C to D-list baddies who look ridiculous or just very unrealistic. Ulysses Klaw, a man with a sonic cannon for an arm who wears red spandex, is one of the more ridiculous villains.
Luckily, Black Panther was able to give viewers a great updated take on Klaw. The film and Andy Serkis reimaged Klaw as a normal-looking man with a false cybernetic arm in place of red spandex and an overlarge radar dish.
Missed The Mark: Supreme Intelligence
The world of Marvel is full of some very strange and very interesting characters. Chief among them is the intergalactic ruler, the Supreme Intelligence. A giant head in a glass case that rules the Kree, the supreme intelligence would have been a fascinating character to see on the big screen.
Unfortunately, Captain Marvel decided to try for something different, making the Intelligence a projection inside Carol's mind. It's a shame the film didn't delve into the sci-fi more as it would have made for a more interesting character.
Better: Loki
One of the great villain for the MCU. However, many fans forget how Loki originally looked in the comics.
In his first appearance, Loki was a crazy Asgardian dressed in green spandex with giant horns mounted on his head. While the films kept the green and horns, they updated Loki in a way that felt faithful to the comics, setting a new standard for both mediums.
Missed The Mark: The Mandarin (Sort Of)
When it was announced that the villain for a twist ruined the Mandarin to a certain extent, as it was revealed the film's version was just a fake who was being used by a super-powered billionaire, Aldrich Killian.
The twist is both disappointing andShang-Chi movie will hopefully give viewers a proper Mandarin right from the comics.
Better: Vulture
One of the largest rogues galleries in the world of Marvel comics belongs to Spider-Man. As such, many of these villains end up being so far out they don't even belong on the big screen. However, Spider-Man: Homecoming managed to do the impossible with a redesign of the Vulture.
While the comic Vulture is an old man in a bright green suit with wings, the MCU Vulture is an engineer who creates a vulture-like metal suit. It's a brilliant move that makes a C-list villain almost A level.
Missed The Mark: Malekith
Leave it to what is considered to be one of the worst MCU films to have one of the worst villain interpretations of all time. In the comics, Malektih the Witch King is a terrifying force and has a great look, with one part of his face being a blue shade and the other side completely scarred.
In Thor: The Dark World, Malekith looks nothing like his comic book character. The only thing that slightly resembles the character is his scarred face and even that doesn't outshine his counterpart.
