It’s safe to say that never in cinema’s history has there been a franchise quite like the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Aside from being so expansive and popular that it’s become by far the highest-grossing movie franchise of all time, it has offered fans a shockingly wide array of heroes and villains to enjoy over the years.
Though most characters in the MCU often show up for more adventures, there are some whose appearance is limited to only one movie. When these characters are as memorable as the likes ofJeff Goldblum’s Grandmaster andMichael Keaton’s Vulture, they leave a lasting impact in the franchise despite their brief stay.
10Abraham Erskine — ‘Captain America: The First Avenger’ (2011)
Despite a brief presence in the TV showWhat If…?, the film appearance of Doctor Abraham Erskine (played by the always-dedicatedStanley Tucci) is only one:Captain America: The First Avenger.
Erskine is one of the most virtuous people seen in the MCU, practically just as much as Captain America himself. As such, it’s only appropriate that it was him who first saw the value in Steve Rogers and chose him to become Cap. Without knowing it, Erskine helped save the entire universe.
9Skurge — ‘Thor: Ragnarok’ (2017)
Leave it toKarl Urbanto turn whatever character he plays, however brief his screentime may be, into a fun and iconic personality. Such is the case with Skurge, who he plays inThor: Ragnarok.
Though his cowardice first leads him to become Hela’s executioner, Skurge soon builds up the courage to sacrifice himself for Asgard and its people. Through it all, he’s making viewers laugh, kicking butt, and looking cool doing it, resulting in one of the best character arcs inRagnarok.
8Quicksilver — ‘Avengers: Age of Ultron’ (2015)
Avengers: Age of Ultronis widely considered the weakest movie starring the MCU’s main hero lineup, but it definitely had its fair share of redeeming qualities. One of the most loved by fans isAaron Taylor-Johnson’s Quicksilver.
The movie put an interesting spin on his character by making him a villain of sorts at the beginning of the story, and gradually seeing him become the hero that Marvel aficionados know and love. Eventually, he dies a death worthy of an Avenger.
7Mysterio — ‘Spider-Man: Far from Home’ (2019)
For years, fans have complained about many MCU villains' motivations constantly stemming from Tony Stark or something he did. In the case of Mysterio, though, it’s hard to complain about that cliché. He’s just that good of an antagonist.
Played wonderfully byJake Gyllenhaal, Quentin Beck, a.k.a. thetough Spider-Man villain Mysteriois an unstable trickster desperate to obtain respect and admiration and willing to do anything to get them. Quite appropriately, it’s Beck’s own mistakes that end up costing him his life, though his death is a triumphant one (for him, at least) since he manages to ruin Peter Parker’s life before going out with a bang.
6Hela — ‘Thor: Ragnarok’ (2017)
AlthoughRagnarokhas two fantastic supporting villains, the movie belongs to the main one:Cate Blanchett’s Hela, Odin’s firstborn who he outcast when he realized that her power posed a potential threat to his reign.
The MCU is no stranger to mightily powerful villains who are more than enough of a match for Thor, but Hela was such a terrifying force that it wasn’t even the God of Thunder who defeated her in the end. She was a truly intimidating presence, andBlanchett’s performance was amazing. If the multiverse allows it, it would be great to see her again sometime.
5Green Goblin — ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ (2021)
As the epic conclusion ofTom Holland’s Home Trilogy, as well as one of the biggest cultural phenomenons sinceAvengers: Endgame,Spider-Man: No Way Homehad a lot on its plate. Somehow, it managed to exceed fans' expectations and become the best movie in its trilogy.
The film had a handful of great villains coming back from Spider-Man’s past, but the most important one to the story was undoubtedlyWillem Dafoe’s Green Goblin. Violent and unpredictable, the villain left an unforgettable mark on the whole franchise despite his very limited appearance.
4Vulture — ‘Spider-Man: Homecoming’ (2017)
Michael Keatonhas done it all, from playing Batman to playing who remains one of the MCU’s best antagonists despite only showing up inSpider-Man: Homecoming(andMorbius, sure, but that doesn’t count and thank God it doesn’t).
With a relatable motivation and a charming personality that doesn’t make him any less terrifying, Vulture cemented himself as one of the most interesting villains in Spidey’s live-action movie foe pantheon. The plot twist of who he really is may have been predictable since day one, but it’s still one of theMCU’s most shocking moments.
3Andrew Garfield’s Spider-Man — ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ (2021)
Among its countless titanic tasks,No Way Homehad to offerAndrew Garfieldfans the chance to see where the beloved actor’s version of Spider-Man had gone after the disastrousThe Amazing Spider-Man 2. It fulfilled that job beautifully, giving the character the perfect closure that he needed.
Garfield brought an incredible amount of pathos and complexity to the role, and it felt as if he had never left.Tobey Maguire’s return to the Spider-Suit was just as glorious, but if someone stole the show inNo Way Home, that was definitely Garfield’s version of the character. It was such a perfect portrayal that all fans are perfectly fine with this being his only appearance in the MCU.
2The Grandmaster — ‘Thor: Ragnarok’ (2017)
It’s really quite impressive howRagnarokmanages to avoid the common pitfallsof having too many villains. Then again, it’s easy to not have that feel stale when one of your villains is played by Jeff Goldblum.
A creature of pure sadism and manipulation, the Grandmaster enjoys creating games of life and death and using others as pawns in his schemes. He was genuinely funny and had a screen presence full of Goldblum’s signature charm and charisma, so it would definitely be a welcome surprise to see him show up again sometime.
1Justin Hammer — ‘Iron Man 2’ (2010)
Although there are those who would argue thatIron Man 2is the worst movie in the MCU, to say thatSam Rockwell’s rendition of Justin Hammer wasn’t the best part of the whole film would be foolish.
Hammer oozes charm, sleaziness, and just enough stupidity to make him funny without taking away from the fact that he’s a hell of a great salesman. The best part is that he’s not outright evil and is not bent on world domination: He’s just a Tony Stark wannabe who never seems to be able to achieve his goals.
