The MCU is growing rapidly, and we’re glad that this multiversal franchise isn’t going to stop any time soon. But there are several upcoming projects already, and many of our favorite heroes or villains won’t even be introduced in those. The likes of Fantastic Four, Nova, Silver Surfer, X-Men, and multiple others will be brought in soon. And it is safe to say that most of them will get their own solo projects. But as I’ve stated, MCU’s roster is already so full, and they have to introduce/explore many villains as well. So, we’ve got an idea to quickly cover multiple bad guys with ample screen time through a Marvel Villains anthology series on Disney+.
Right now, there are 26 upcoming projects that Marvel has already announced. And this number is only going to get bigger. The majority of the MCU projects are hero-driven. But there are certain villains who could and probably should get their own solo stories. And it would be really hard to give all the villains their own projects. Because the MCU has grown so big, most movies end up packing ensemble casts. And that makes it tough for villains to get their due screen time. That’s why certain villains need their own shows/movies. Agatha Harkness is getting one. And I’d argue that there are many others who should get projects like Agatha House of Harkness.
But Marvel doesn’t really green light too many villain-centric projects. And because there are so many that have been green-lit already, Marvel might need to play smart, save time and do something special with the villains. That’s why Disney+ could use a Marvel Villains anthology series and flesh out the following characters:
Doctor Doom
Victor Von Doom is said to have a minor role in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, and then he’d be ready to wreak havoc in the MCU. But he is arguably the best villain that Marvel has, so he could even get his own solo movie. But I’ve already discussed the problem with that. From 2024 and beyond, Marvel will need to flesh out characters at a faster pace. So instead of giving Doctor Doom a two-hour-long movie or a 6 episode series, they could do one 1-hour long episode with an ample budget and cover his origin. Then, he’d be ready to venture into other MCU crossover events.
Magneto Solo
Like Doctor Doom, Magneto is also a big villain/anti-hero who needs proper breathing room. Fox had the idea for an “X-Men Origins: Magneto” movie. But that got canceled after Wolverine’s failure. Now instead of reviving that plan, Marvel could have the second episode of their Anthology series focused on Magneto. We’ve already seen plenty of his story explored in Fox’s X-Men movies. So, Marvel could do something new in a 50-60 minutes long episode. Then, he’d be ready for MCU’s X-Men and other projects.
Mordo
Mordo is returning in Doctor Strange 2 and we’ll probably be told what he had been up to. But the film is already so overstuffed that it may not give Mordo enough time. He is supposed to become a big villain in MCU’s future. And the last time we saw him was in the post-credits scene of Doctor Strange where his villainous turn was only hinted at slightly. So there’s a 7-8 year time gap between his first and second MCU appearance. We don’t know what happened during this time, and how he got his dreadlocks. But an episode in the “Marvel Villains” Disney+ series could show us exactly what he had been up to, and why he’ll become a villain in the future.
Yon-Rogg
Jude Law’s Yon-Rogg has been absent for a much longer time than even Mordo. The last time we saw him was in 1995. And MCU’s current year is 2025. So, there’s 30 years’ worth of storytelling that probably needs to be done. We don’t know what happened with him on Hala after Carol sent him back. And The Marvels will be busy exploring the three heroes along with Zawe Ashton’s villainous character. So maybe, Marvel Villains Episode 4 could show us a Yon-Rogg story within an hour or so.
The Leader
Even Samuel Sterns has not been seen in the MCU ever since The Incredible Hulk. We all want to know how and where he has been hiding his big head. Maybe his missing story could become the fifth episode of our Marvel Villains series. Then, he’d be ready to become the villain of MCU’s eventual Thunderbolts project.
Mephisto
It’s about time Marvel introduces him into the MCU. They’ve been placing so many Devil hints to play with us. But we still haven’t seen this demon lord! Maybe the finale event of our proposed Marvel Villains anthology series could introduce this Red Devil to the MCU!
The Budget
All these are characters whose stories could be told in a 20-$40 million budget (or less) per episode if Marvel does it smartly. So, instead of going big on just one character with a 100-$150 million movie budget, a total budget of 150-$200 million could be spent on this Marvel Villains Anthology Series. That would keep it similar, or probably make it a bit more expensive than the other MCU shows. But it’d be worth it as Marvel will have explored 6 different villains and offered us variety at the same time. I’d say that this Anthology series idea could also be used to quickly explore certain heroes like Iron Fist, Beta Ray Bill, and others.
What are your thoughts on the “Marvel Villains” series idea? And which other villains could be explored in the show besides the ones mentioned above? Let us know in the comments.
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