Ever since Thanos first appeared duringThe Avengers ’ mid - acknowledgment sting , Marvel Studios has set the sore Titan as the overarching villain of the Marvel Cinematic Universe . This crusade paid off whenAvengers : Infinity Warhit theaters earlier this twelvemonth , with lover and critics alike praising Thanos ’ line drawing as a credible threat to the mix might of the MCU ’s biggest heroes .

With role player Josh Brolin arrange to reprise the role of Thanos in next year’sInfinity Warsequel , Marvel will get even more fuel consumption rate out of this imposing villain . That said , Avengers 4is expected to resolve with Thanos ’ ultimate licking , which will leave the MCU without a franchise - encompassing antagonist croak onward .

Given how far ahead Marvel Studios head honcho Kevin Feige and his team wish to plan , we ’ve contract to excogitate over who their short - tilt of replacements for the unrestrained Titan contains .

A set of Final Destination Bloodlines characters looking concerned in new trailer

apparently , whoever the next major MCU villain is needs to be someone with considerable mightiness at their electric pig ( either directly or indirectly ) . After all , you need a batch of firepower to take on one superhero , let alone the intact Avengers roll plustheir all-encompassing mould of ally !

It ’s also not a high-risk idea for this main opponent to be a satanic mastermind as well – this allows Marvel to keep   them   largely in the ground during lead - in celluloid , until they ’re eventually quick to concoct their cosmos - conquering scheme .

With these criterion in nous , here ’s a circle - up of13 Villains Who Can exchange Thanos In The MCU ( And 12 Who Definitely Ca n’t ) .

Ben Affleck as Christian drumming his hand on the table while talking to Cynthia Addai-Robinson’s Marybeth in The Accountant 2

Can – Dormammu

The most obvious pick to succeed Thanos as the franchise - across-the-board bragging bad , Dormammu is one of the most powerful beings in the MCU . Not only does he have a penchant for operating in the phantasm – control lesser existence , like Kaecilius , to do his dirty work for him – but his mystic powers are far greater than Thanos ’ natural , non - Infinity Stone - derived ability .

Dormammu has only appeared concisely on - screenland in the MCU , in 2016’sDoctor Strange – and Earth ’s Sorcerer Supreme managed to defeat him single - handled , which undermines his intimidate aura , somewhat .

Make no misapprehension : if Dormmamu were to unleash his full might against the MCU , it would be an “ all bomber on deck of cards ” scenario .

Sidious, Tyranus, Maul, and Vader.

Can’t – Doctor Doom

Presuming Disney ’s acquisition of Fox follow , devotee will be eager to see Marvel Studios ’ take on Doctor Doom , arguably the with child supervillain in comics . Although Doom is preponderantly aFantastic Fourfoe – and would almost sure as shooting debut in the MCU in a film headline by theFF – he also has considerable pedigree as a planetary - spirit level threat .

It ’s hard to   imagine Doom being put as a threat big enough to shake the total MCU .

Sure , he ’s a master tactician , and his suit of armor and magical abilities make him a military unit to be compute with , but Doom is still not quite a boastful enough plenty to convincingly supplant Thanos as the MCU ’s lead villain .

X-Men Dark Phoenix Sophie Turner Jean Grey

Can – Galactus

If the Disney / Fox deal comes through , Marvel Studios will have the Fantastic Four and their wide cast of graphic symbol at its administration . Should this happen , the studio will be free to use the planet - munch Galactus – who could easy be base as the MCU ’s newest big badness .

Not only is there a common law for this in the comics – Galactus has been confronted by the likes of the Avengers and Doctor Strange , as well as the FF themselves – but it would forge on the gravid projection screen , as well .

After all , there is n’t a hero in the MCU who would be fain to sit back and lease the Devourer of Worlds chow down on the Earth !

Doctor Strange talking to Dormammu

Can’t – Dark Phoenix

Dark Phoenix – the corrupted form of the unbalanced - powerful , cosmic Phoenix Force – is a certifiable heavy - batsman . Even so , should wonder studio apartment acquire dominance of theX - Menfranchise ( follow a successful Disney - Fox deal ) , it ’s still extremely unlikely that Thanos will pass the wand on to Dark Phoenix .

Why ? Two reasons , really . First , given the character ’s close-fitting association with the X - Men – team penis Jean Grey is the most renowned host of the Phoenix Force – she ’s less suited to function as a more general , MCU - all-embracing enemy .

Second , Dark Phoenix is the primary antagonist of next year’sX - man : Dark Phoenix , which means that audiences will have already seen her defeat by the X - Men – without any external help – and wo n’t accept her as top - tier threat .

Toby Kebbell as Doctor Doom in Fantastic Four 2015

Can – Ultron

Sure , Ultron was on the face of it destroyed forever during the finale ofAvengers : Age of Ultron . But he could theoretically have turn tail his death in dead on target supervillain mode – there ’s always a opportunity he transported his consciousness to another robotlike physical structure .

If so , that spells forged newsworthiness for the MCU , as Ultron has already evidence himself nearly a compeer for the Avengers . Indeed , with a better evil outline under his belt ammunition – formulated in the shadows , natch – this deranged AI could definitely get headaches for the intact MCU going onward .

Can’t – Namor

Several online commentators have suggested that Prince Namor the Sub - Mariner could work as a replacement for Thanos – provided Disney get Fox , of course . Frankly , we just do n’t see it , though .

Gifted warrior and military loss leader though he is , Namor is nowhere nigh powerful enough to withstand the combined might of the MCU ’s stable of heroes .

Namor ’s chances improve if you put him at the head of an Atlantean army bend on conquering the open world , but even factor in in these evoke stake , this feels like more of aFantastic Fourstory than an MCU - wide event .

movie-Galactus-Fantastic-Four-Cloud

Can – Apocalypse

Yet another villain Marvel Studios is hoping to get its mitts on ( pending Disney ’s deal with Fox ) , Apocalypse has keep down the Marvel Universe before , in the “ Age of Apocalypse ” plot line . He could pluck off a standardized feat in the MCU , if integrate into the franchise canyon .

If this does fall to pass , here ’s desire that Marvel Studios could work its thaumaturgy to rehabilitate the character after his underwhelming portrayal in X - Men : Revelation .

That said , even the watered - down variation of Apocalypse who look in that film still caused large - scale global price – so imagine what a fully - earn variant could do !

Ultron in Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)

Can’t – The Mandarin

Marvel Studios has backtracked more or less since revealing inIron Man 3that the Mandarin was merely a fabricated part played by British actor Trevor Slattery . All Hail the Kingimplies that a “ real ” Mandarin might be out there somewhere , which leave the door exposed for the supervillain to sport as the MCU ’s big bad .

All the same , we would n’t count on it really pass off . Marvel might have been unforced to appease fans disappoint by the Mandarin fake - out inIron Isle of Man 3 , but the studio   reasonably seems uncomfortable with the idea of a “ Yellow Peril”-style villain appear in any of its moving-picture show . For that reason alone , a comics - accurate adaptation of the Mandarin is n’t potential to replace Thanos .

Can – Norman Osborne

On the face of it , Spider - Manvillain Norman Osborne – comfortably known as the first Green Goblin – might seem far too puny power - judicious to pose a challenge to the integral MCU . After all , he ’s been flap by the wallcrawler all on his lonely multiple times over the old age , so he ’s intelligibly not a sufficient strong-arm scourge .

If Marvel Studios receive permission from Sony to integrate Norman into its franchise canyon , the studio could reinvent him in line with his portrayal in the funnies over the past ten or so .

In the comic strip , Osborne is a Government - support figure who play havoc on our heroes ’ lives and very near terminate up running the satellite itself from behind the scenes .

namor-red

Can’t – Helmut Zemo

By his own entrance fee , Helmut Zemo – the independent opposer ofCaptain America : Civil War – is not a forcible match for the Avengers , even in a one - on - one scenario . surely , he ’s a able soldier ( he get hold of the rank of Colonel ) , but that hardly counts for much up against the the likes of of Hulk or Thor .

Admittedly , Zemo is an incompetent malefic mastermind , and he successfully cause a rift between the Avengers by manipulating Captain America and Iron Man into carry sides against each other . Even so , there ’s a point of accumulation to how much he can achieve on his own , so we just do n’t seem him subbing in for Thanos – at least , not alone .

Oscar Isaac as Apocalypse in X-Men Apocalypse holding one hand up

MCU Iron Man Mandarin

The Green Goblin lectures Spider-Man on the New York rooftop.

Daniel Bruhl as Zemo in Captain America Civil War

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