Possible Villains for the Avengers 2

The Pit is a film fan and a filmmaker. You can read his thoughts over on My Hollywood Dream or watch his debut feature film, a horror/thriller titled The Eve, in the near future.

The Avengers set a high bar for future sequels and superhero movies in general. Loki leading an army into the heart of New York City made for a pretty epic battle and will be hard to top. I’d like to take a look at three possible villains that The Avengers could face off against in the sequel, all of which would make for a very different movie than the first one. I’m excluding a certain villain cameo from the credits of the original movie to avoid spoilers.

Namor

Namor, the Sub-Mariner. Marvel’s original anti-hero and first mutant is a formidable foe.  With the ability to survive underwater for indefinite periods, superhero strength that rivals that of the Hulk, flight and enhanced speed and agility gives him the edge to take out any of The Avengers members on their own. With the army of Atlantis behind him and the fact that the Earth is covered in water it gives Namor a pretty incredible edge against the land and air based heroes. Imagine New York City or San Francisco completely flooded with a very different army attacking the heroes. How do they regroup and fight back? In terms of the original Avengers comic series, which featured Loki as the team’s first villain and Namor as their second threat, it would be almost poetic to use him as the villain of The Avengers 2.

Another option would be to have Atlantic destroyed and Namor looking for vengeance. He could face off with the Avengers, before they realize they have a common villain and team up against the bigger thread. This could establish Namor firmly as an antihero without making him out to be a full-blown villain. What better way to launch a new solo movie series?

But who would have the power to destroy Atlantis and set Namor on a path against The Avengers? How about the Masters of Evil? With The Avengers we have a team of the most powerful heroes of the Marvel Universe, why not have them face off against a team that is just as powerful or even more powerful than they are?  There have been a lot of versions of the evil team, and that makes it very flexible to put together the perfect team to face the movie version of the heroes. Marvel’s recent animated series, The Avengers: Earth’s Mightest Heroes, had a team put together by Loki that included Thor villains Enchantress and Executioner, Captain America villain Baron Heinrich Zemo, Ironman foe Crimson Dynamo and Hulk baddie the Abomination.

The Masters Of Evil

Depending on Thor 2 goes, I could picture an imprisoned Loki sending Enchantress and Executioner to earth to take out the people that took him down. Captain America villain Baron Heinrich Zemo would be the perfect recruit, between his fighting skills that can rival the Captain’s and the intellect to creative an army of monsters to follow him. While Crimson Dynamo has not been introduced yet, who is to say that Obadiah Stane (aka the Iron Mongor) did not survive the first Ironman movie? Maybe the Enchantress appeared at just the right time to save the villain. The Abomination is sitting in a SHIELD cell somewhere, which would make him an easy addition to the villainous team and the extra strength they’d need. Pair the team with HYDRA and you’ll have enough foot soldiers to keep Hawkeye, Black Widow, Nick Fury, and SHIELD busy long enough for the powered villains to take out all of the members of The Avengers separately.  Overpowered and outmatched, the heroes would be forced to recruit new members; possibilities include War Machine, Falcon (who has been cast in Captain America 2), and who doesn’t want the introductions of Ant-Man and Wisp (both could be agents of SHIELD)?

Okay, so both Namor and the Master of Evil would both make for a very Earth bound movie, while of course the villain introduced in the credits of The Avengers would be the perfect villain for a space based movie. But there are other options for something between the two extremes, enter the time traveling Kang the Conqueror! Introduced in 1964, the character has a long history with the team and unlike a lot of other villains; he is someone that is strong and smart enough to take on the team by himself. If they decide to make Kang more of a tragic king, then I think he could work very well and be a total contrast with Loki. With his empire dying in the future, Kang makes the decision to go back in time and take over the Earth. The Avengers must fend off the attack knowing very well that they are fighting an army that is the very future of their species. Unlike Loki who wanted to take over Earth due to his vanity, Kang is fighting for the survival of his people. A fight that might be moot if he destroys the past.