While things have definitely improved in recent years, it's still commonplace for the villain in a superhero movie to be anything but the highlight (here's lookin' at you, Cheetah).
While the likes of Thanos, Loki, and even WandaVision's Agatha Harkness are hard to fault, there are many baddies who have been appallingly over the years. Regardless of whether we're talking about the actors chosen to play them or the way their personality and even appearances were handled, the villains listed here are in desperate need of a second chance.
In this feature, you'll find the ten comic book movie villains who deserve to be brought back to the big (or small) screen in some capacity in the near future...even if we hated them the first time around. For some, that's closer to becoming a reality than others, but a few are still stuck in limbo.
To take a look at who we think should be a priority, click on the "Next" button down below!
10. Galactus
Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer was a long time ago, but man, it still hurts to think about the fact Fox and director Tim Story basically turned Galactus into a cloud of space dust.
Yes, we're talking about a character who isn't exactly easy to portray in a live-action setting, but it could be done, and the World Eater deserves to be more than just a silhouette in a cloud.
A Fantastic Four reboot is, of course, on the way from Marvel Studios and director Jon Watts, though it remains unclear whether Galactus could factor into that. He may be a villain Kevin Feige is looking to turn into a Thanos-level big bad, but we need to see him done justice on screen ASAP.
9. Emma Frost
January Jones was singled out by many critics and fans as being the worst part of X-Men: First Class, and while that was definitely way too harsh, her portrayal of Emma Frost didn't exactly do the character justice. A big part of that, however, boils down to a lack of comic accuracy.
Yes, her powers looked cool (in 2011, at least), but she neither had the English accent nor attitude and swagger of her counterpart in the source material.
There are many ways Emma could be portrayed in the MCU when the X-Men are rebooted; we think it would be pretty cool to have her start off as a member of the Hellfire Club, though, later finding redemption among her fellow mutants (and becoming Cyclops' lover much to Jean Grey's horror).
8. Bane
Bane made his big screen debut in Batman and Robin, and was rebooted by Christopher Nolan in The Dark Knight Rises. That led to one of the best fight scenes we've seen in a comic book movie, but Bane was fully grounded in reality, and not what many fans hoped to see from the iconic villain.
Unfortunately, this is a character who is unlikely to fit into Matt Reeves' vision for the Caped Crusader.
Of course, the DC Extended Universe is no longer shying away from using multiple versions of the same character, and we could easily imagine Bane appearing either in another Batman franchise or even something like a sequel to The Suicide Squad (perhaps he'll even make a surprise cameo there...).
7. Doctor Doom
Arguably one of the greatest Marvel villains of all-time, it's heartbreaking to think that Fox has dropped the ball on Victor Von Doom on three separate occasions.
Failing to touch on his the psychological ramifications of his scarred visage and hatred for Reed Richards, that studio's movies made him a weird electrically powered half man/half machine hybrid. To add insult to injury, they even failed to delve into the fact he rules over his own nation, Latveria.
Is it too soon to bring Doom back? Some will argue that's the case, but providing we get a faithful take on the villain, many won't even associate a new iteration with a rebooted one.
6. Bullseye
Bullseye was part of Daredevil's third and final season, and Wilson Bethel did a decent job with the material he had to work with. Unfortunately, like nearly everything else in the series, his story was stretched out for way too long, and it appears he wasn't going to actually suit up until a season four.
Well, that's not happening, so the Netflix series marks Bullseye's second disappointing live-action appearance (the first came in the movie which saw Colin Farrell take on the role).
We'd be open to Bethel reprising the role, and with Charlie Cox's Matt Murdock reportedly part of Spider-Man: No Way Home, it's looking likely the Man Without Fear's story will continue in some form. Whether it's a movie or another TV series, here's hoping he gets to face Bullseye properly this time.
5. Malekith
Christopher Eccleston delivered an underwhelming take on Malekith in Thor: The Dark World, and while he clearly didn't like the material he was given to work with, there were better casting choices.
Of course, at that time, Jason Aaron hadn't yet rebooted the villain, and Marvel Studios now has a much better, far more well-rounded character to work with. Unfortunately, we're not going to see him square off with either God of Thunder in Thor: Love and Thunder, but we'd love to see him return down the line.
It might be hard to explain, and the Multiverse might need to be involved, but Malekith needs another chance. He'd make a great foe for the Mighty Thor, and if we get a huge "War of the Realms" event...well, that could be every bit as exciting and awesome as what we've seen in the Avengers movies.
4. Scarecrow
The Dark Knight Trilogy was incredible, but Christopher Nolan's grounded approach to Batman's world meant a few characters weren't handled the way some fans would have liked.
Scarecrow is a perfect example of that, and after quickly being dispatched by a stun gun, it's fair to say there are better way to handle Dr. Jonathan Crane on screen (though we did enjoy that brief cameo in The Dark Knight Rises). We know Crane is coming to Titans, but presumably not as Scarecrow.
Gotham's version also underwhelmed, but for an example of how great a comic accurate version would be on screen, look no further than the Arkham video games. A portrayal like that would make Scarecrow a truly epic baddie, and might be a solid pick for a sequel to Matt Reeves' The Batman.
3. Ultron
Pretty much every other villain listed here has made the cut because the way they were originally portrayed was so terrible, but that's not really the case with Ultron, in all fairness.
Honestly, we want to see more of James Spader's interpretation of the classic Avengers baddie, albeit minus the wisecracks and underwhelming plan to destroy humanity. WandaVision may be opening the door to bringing him back (if he was buried somewhere in Vision's programming, then S.W.O.R.D.'s interference could very easily have unleashed him on the world again).
Our hope is that Ultron could become a cosmic villain, taking on a similar role to the one he did in the Annihilation comic book series. That gives him a fresh lick of paint, and might help make up for how disappointed some fans were with how this sinister android was portrayed the first time around.
2. Lex Luthor
Some loved what Jesse Eisenberg did with Lex Luthor in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, but most hated it. A younger version of the Man of Steel's most iconic foe just didn't sit well with a lot of fans, and it didn't help that the actor was basically repeating his performance from The Social Network.
There are definitely better ways to portray Luthor on screen, and while Jon Cryer has been fine as a small screen version in Supergirl, a big name actor is a must for whatever comes next in the movies.
You don't need us to list the possibilities, but there are a lot of great actors out there who would be a perfect fit for Luthor in any take on Superman (including the one we know is now in the works with a Black lead). Yes, there are other Superman villains worth focusing on, but Lex deserves another shot.
1. Green Goblin
Sam Raimi's Spider-Man movies did an amazing job with Norman Osborn's transformation into the Green Goblin (not Harry, though), but The Amazing Spider-Man 2 royally f***ed them both up.
Seeing the costumed Norman Osborn targeting the young Peter Parker would be awesome, though his repeated big screen appearances may lessen the chances of another take on him happening in the near future. There are, however, rumours Willem Dafoe will return in Spider-Man: No Way Home.
We hope that happens, and that he has his classic costume, so we'll see. If anyone can do the Goblin justice, it's Marvel Studios and Kevin Feige, and definitely not Sony Pictures based on past experience!