Making Superheroes Sweat: Meet The Best Female Villains Of Marvel Cinematic Universe

Female villains of the Marvel Cinematic Universe have amassed immense popularity for their strong character arcs. These women are just as strong and vicious as the male villains of the famous comics. What makes them appeal to the audience is that their characters bring new and interesting backstories without appealing as stereotypical or condensing to the viewers.

Over the years, Marvel has revamped its portrayal of female characters with stronger female leads who refuse to be the sidekicks or damsels in distress. From Black Widow to Captain Marvel, the cinematic universe has taken many strong female characters under the umbrella and the audience has only appreciated this move. Not just female superheroes though, female supervillains too are getting meatier and bigger roles now, often leading the gang of baddies, rather than just being the one following orders.

Here are some of the best female villains of Marvel that we have loved watching and would like to see on-screen again: 

Nebula

Karen Gillan as Nebula

While Nebula joined forces with the Guardians of the Galaxy in its second instalment and turns to the good side, she was earlier bent on destroying her sister Gamora under the wing of Thanos. Nebula serves as one of the major villains in Guardians of the Galaxy. Nebula's complex family equation with Gamora and Thanos is also captured in the film, making us empathise with the character, rather than outright booing her off. As one of the grey characters of the MCU, Nebula works perfectly between being a hero as well as a villain. Actor Karen Gillan plays the role of Nebula in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Ayesha

The beautiful golden supervillain in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is more than just a pretty face. When the guardians steal her batteries, she gets out to take revenge on them by trying to destroy the entire world (because why should giant purple boys have all the fun?). Along with her unapologetic arrogance, she carries many qualities which are often termed as "unladylike" by society. Her psychopathic tendencies also make her one of the strongest female villains in the Marvel Universe. Ayesha is played by actor Elizabeth Debicki.

Proxima Midnight

Proxima Midnight in Avengers: Infinity War

While there's little information about her origin, Proxima Midnight has worked alongside Thanos and the Black Order. In the cinematic universe, when Thanos destroyed Proxima's home planet, he adopted her and raised her to become a merciless assassin. Throughout her childhood, she had been surrounded by murders and devastation, so her recklessness isn't apologetic. She owns a spear that was forged by Thanos using a black hole which carries the mass, density and power of an entire sun. It is so powerful that it can turn the Hulk back into Bruce Banner. Monique Ganderton is seen as on-screen Proxima Midnight.

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Scarlet Witch

Elizabeth Olsen as Scarlet Witch. Photo credit: Instagram

While Scarlet Witch aka Wanda Maximoff is now an Avenger and has turned over a new leaf, she started into the Marvel Cinematic Universe as a villain bent on taking revenge upon Tony Stark. When one of the missiles from the Stark Industries almost killed Wanda and her brother, they decided to seek vengeance and agreed to be experimented upon as they gained superpowers and aligned themselves with Ultron. However, soon the supervillain underwent a change of heart and fought along side Avengers. With the power of altering the reality, Scarlet Witch is undoubtedly among the strongest female villains of Marvel as we witnessed in the series WandaVision. It is expected that she will come off as a villain again in the upcoming film Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Actor Elizabeth Olsen plays the role of Scarlet Witch/Wanda Maximoff in the MCU.

Hela

First appearing in Thor: Ragnarok, Hela is introduced as the sister of Thor and Loki. While her character is typically one-dimensional, as she is just an egoistic villain who wants to claim enormous power, it was refreshing as well as unique to watch a woman helm such a villainous role among the major characters and enjoy every bit of it. When Odin departs with the Norwegian winds, it is then that Hela is released from imprisonment and returns to claim her throne, fighting her two brothers. The silver lining is, we got to watch both Thor and Loki fighting together on the same side for a change! Actor Cate Blanchett plays the role of Hela in 2017 film Thor: Ragnarok.