Captain Marvel: The Villain

Marvel spent 10 years building up Thanos, and it paid off in 2018’s Avengers: Infinity War. The Big Bad deserved the spotlight it got and the epic build-up, as he erased half of the universe with one snap. In comparison, other villains in the MCU are far more forgettable. The Vulture and Baron Zemo are generic and uninspired, while General Ross, Yon-Rogg, and the reimagined Red Skull fall flat as well.

It would be easier to overlook these flaws if Captain Marvel was a more likable character. However, her personality seems to be an accidental byproduct of her Kree DNA and ruthless training as a soldier. She’s cold and emotionless, displaying little to no empathy for anyone. It’s hard to connect with her and her obnoxious attitude can be off-putting to the audience.

In an attempt to become a more sympathetic character, she reveals some of her past to the audience and discovers that she was originally a good human, not a cold Kree. Despite her initial distaste for humanity, she eventually adopts her original Ms. Marvel identity and becomes close with her friends Nick Fury, Jessica Jones, and Ben Grimm (the Thing). She also befriends the Starjammers, Guardians of the Galaxy, Ultimates, and A-Force, establishing her as a leader.

Jude Law plays Yon-Rogg, a General for the Kree military who brainwashed Carol Danvers into becoming the indoctrinated soldier known as Captain Marvel. Before joining the Grandmaster’s Contest of Champions, Yon-Rogg was a general for the planet Korvac, where he and his lover Una fought the corrupt Supreme Intelligence for control over their home world. After a battle with Captain Marvel, Yon-Rogg was left unconscious and crashed on Sakaar, where he was captured by the malevolent Grandmaster.