10 Smartest MCU Villains

Sometimes the MCU can be guilty of creating villains who are underdeveloped or are killed off too soon. The times they do hit the mark, however, they come up with brilliant baddies who are as sharp as they are wicked.

Several villains are most notable for their overwhelming strength, but others rely equally, or even more, on their intelligence. These antagonists used brains more than anything else for their schemes. They may still have brawn and use special powers to help accomplish their tasks, but they’re mostly known for their manipulation tactics and smart planning to achieve their goals.

10 Arthur Harrow

A cult leader and former Avatar for the Egyptian moon god Khonshu, Arthur Harrow is a man now dedicated to the goddess Ammit; a darker deity who will help him bestow judgement on the world.

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With his cult of disciples, Harrow is a manipulative preacher who can play with a situation to give himself the upper hand. He has no trouble with lying or giving off a welcoming demeanor so he can lure others into a false sense of security. The threatening leader is more than a just silver tongue, with also the ability to judge people and dispose those who do not measure up to his standards. It’s enough to have many believe his and Ammit’s way is the right one to follow.

9 Agatha Harkness

This enchanting villain has more to her than just a catchy theme song. After studying witchcraft for centuries, Agatha saw an opportunity to learn about and eventually take the powers of Wanda Maximoff.

Agatha Harkness has a big personality and strong magical gifts. She has no trouble playing the long game while also tailoring a situation, so it fits with her plans. She is manipulative with how she can gain Wanda and Vision’s trust by pretending to be a kind and quirky neighbor. Once it’s revealed who she really is, she becomes a wicked witch who is hellbent on taking Wanda down. This is done with the magic she’s gained combining with what she knows about the Scarlet Witch to make it an even match.

8 Loki Laufeyson

Although Loki leans more on the antiheroic side these days, he was once one of the MCU’s biggest baddies. As the God of Mischief, he knows how to lie and play with others. He was able to convince his brother their father was dead and later would fake his own death to steal the throne of Asgard.

Like with Agatha, he’s also not afraid of long cons, knowing it’ll be worth it in the end. An example of this was when he let himself be imprisoned by the Avengers, knowing his brainwashed lackeys will come to create chaos for everyone. There are times Loki is overconfident with his schemes, but he’s still a master manipulator and is quick on his feet if needing to escape.

7 Killmonger

After witnessing the death of his father at a young age, Killmonger grew up fueled by vengeance and motivated to finish the revolution his father started. Although Killmonger might be known more for his impressive combat skills, he still made a valid argument to the people of Wakanda that even his cousin, the Black Panther, couldn’t argue against.

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He knew they lived comfortably while those outside the country didn’t have the same privileges. His methods were more ruthless, but this charismatic villain was convincing enough to have support as king. T’Challa was even motivated to help out poor African Americans after taking Erik’s sharp statements to heart. He may not have started the revolution he planned, but his progressive views still brought necessary changes.

6 Ultron

When Tony Stark expressed a dream of creating an AI that would help form world peace, he probably didn’t imagine the nightmare it’d actually be. Ultron was an artificial villain with the sharp wit of his creator and his aptitude for technology. Those skills are dangerous in the wrong hands, and Ultron is the prime example of that.

Not only did he manage to have the ability to jump between robotic bodies he built, but he was also an evil genius. Before he was ironically defeated by one of his bodies, he was relentless in his path to “world peace.” It was a path that he convinced himself and tried to convince others that the quickest way to it was the extinction of mankind.

5 Norman Osborn/Green Goblin

Fans were already familiar with this villain, but he’s come back almost twice as sadistic. Norman was a scientist who experimented on himself, resulting in superpowers and an alternate personality. The Goblin is doing most of the thinking when they get transported to another universe in Spider-Man: No Way Home.

It’s always a scary ride when he’s behind the wheel since each evil action is done with a wicked smile on his face. Still holding onto Norman’s genius mind, he’s able to piece together situations and figure out how to break those around him – whether they be heroes or villains. He’s a manipulative villain who can make others feel sympathetic about his condition, but any good intentions are suppressed to wreak havoc and watch the world suffer. It’s no wonder it took three Spider-Men to stop his terrifying rampage.

4 Red Skull

The original head of Hydra who outgrew the views of the Nazi party to chase his own form of world domination, Johann Schmidt leads the legions of Hydra that threated world for decades. Had it not been for Captain America, he might’ve succeeded.

His megalomaniac ways led him to find the Tesseract and use it to create weapons for his own soldiers. Harnessing the cosmic power while also fueled by the super soldier serum, Schmidt was an almost unstoppable force. He’s powerful himself, but he prefers to use politics and armies of lackies to do work for him.

3 Obadiah Stane

Obadiah Stane made an impact on the MCU as one of its first major villains. Had it not been for his double-crossing ways, there might not have been an Iron Man long-term.

Stane first came off as a loyal employee of Stark Industries and a supportive mentor to Tony Stark. But in actuality, he was brilliant and charismatic enough to hide his evil intentions. A two-faced mastermind who wanted the business for himself, his ultimate scheme was leaving Tony at the mercy of criminals in war-torn Afghanistan. When that plan backfired, he was resourceful enough to form a Plan B. This included building his own super suit he can use to have an equally matched battle with Iron Man.

2 Baron Helmut Zemo

When the Avengers had their battle with Ultron in Sokovia, casualties were expected. No one knew that more than Zemo, whose entire family died during the event. He is a driven, determined villain who can never be underestimated.

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He successfully disbanded the Avengers by discovering weak spots among them, using it all to his advantage. He even became a valuable asset to other members with his surprisingly impressive fighting skills and knowledge of the black market. He helped put a stop to the creation of more super soldiers, which he also made valid points about when it comes to the serum revealing users’ true nature. His charismatic nature has also made him allies when not using it to draw someone in with his distracting words.

1 Mysterio

After being fired from Stark Industries, Quentin Beck decided to use his technology for more selfish purposes. As Mysterio, Beck came off as a heroic figure as he “fought off” monsters he created for all the world to see.

His being able to create realistic illusions with his tech fooled heroes enough to give him real power and even wonder what reality was. He didn’t win the final battle in Far from Homebut ended up having the last laugh with his posthumous video. It not only revealed Spider-Man’s secret identity, but also painted him as a villain. Mysterio is the smartest villain in the MCU since his actions set up a series of events with destructive consequences for Spider-Man beyond anything anyone could imagine.

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