Summary
TheMarvel Cinematic Universehas seen a number of deleted scenes that could have drastically changed its villains. Since the beginnings of theMCU’s movie timeline, the franchise has built a vast connected universe, with new heroes and villains introduced with each new installment. And, as important as the franchise’s heroes are, its antagonists have proved every bit as vital to the MCU’s success.
However, over the manymovies of the MCU, there have also been many deleted scenes that could have drastically changed the franchise’s villains and their respective stories. In many cases, scenes that were removed from the original film offered up additional context or alternate narrative developments with the potential to transform the characters involved. With that in mind, here are 10 scenes deleted from the MCU that would have changed the franchise’s villains, and may have even madeupcoming MCU releaseslook quite different.
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The Marvel movies releasing in 2024 offer a range of film experiences - and some confusion, due to the changed dates of several incoming installments.
Thor: The Dark World is widely considered one of the worst entries in the entire MCU. The film’s villain, Malekith, is likewise considered one of the franchise’s most uninteresting, particularly as the movie did very little to make him stand out as a character. However, had one particular deleted scene remained in the finished movie, Malekith’s character might have been significantly more robust than he ultimately was.
The scene in question showed Malekith’s Dark Elves preparing for battle on Asgard, further contextualizing their culture and Malekith’s role within their society. Brief though the scene may be,it helps to flesh out his character somewhat, offering him a little more than the limited screentime The Dark World afforded himin its theatrical release. It wouldn’t have drastically altered his character, but it would have made him seem much more three-dimensional.
Over the hero’s time in the franchise, there have beenmany MCU scenes that have defined Hulk,but one scene deleted from 2008’s The Incredible Hulk would have recontextualized the movie’s villain. Emil Blonsky is an elite operator brought in by General Ross to help capture Bruce Banner, but after taking a version of the same serum that turned his target into the Hulk, Blonsky becomes Abomination. One scene almost showed another side of Blonsky’s transformation, and it would have made the villain much better.
The scene shows Blonsky disagreeing with Ross’ approach to capturing Banner peacefully in order to minimalize collateral damage. It clearly shows that Blonsky’s thirst for violence has overshadowed his ability to reason, and that the serum has made him a liability. Had it remained in the film,it would have helped establish the other ways that Blonsky’s transformation presented itself, rather than simply the physical aspect.
Iron Man 2’s villain, Whiplash, is far from one of the MCU’s best antagonists. Played by Mickey Rourke, Ivan Vanko is not written to be the most compelling or interesting villain in the franchise. Though a single scene wouldn’t have totally redeemed the character, it would have changed him in a major way, and would have made him significantly more interesting.
The scene showed Whiplash attacking Pepper Potts at the Stark Expo, rather than simply setting the Hammer Drones on Iron Man and War Machine. It would have redefined Vanko’s motivations, however, as the finished film presents his villainy as stemming from a grudge against Stark.Showing him choosing to attack Pepper would have added another layer to the depths Vanko was willing to sink to, reframing his other actions and painting him more as a straight-up villain than a former rival with an ax to grind.
Long before he reappeared as part ofSpider-Man: No Way Home’s cast,the Lizard was the villain of 2012’sThe Amazing Spider-Man. A deleted scene from the Andrew Garfield-led movie would have changed the character’s story somewhat, which would have had a knock-on effect on his later appearance in the MCU movie. The scene showed another side of Curt Connors’ personality, particularly where it concerns his transformation into the Lizard.
The scene shows the dichotomy between Connors’ original personality and the mentality of the Lizard.It better highlights his internal struggle and his attempts to resist his transformation, which in turn would have changed his MCU story inNo Way Home. HadThe Amazing Spider-Mancontained a closer examination of Connors’ personality, his willingness to engage with the cure inNo Way Homewould certainly have looked different.
Early on inSpider-Man’s movie timelinein the MCU, he found himself up against the Vulture inSpider-Man: Homecoming. Michael Keaton’s Adrian Toomes was written as a family man with a secret business trafficking in illegal alien technology, whose daughter becomes romantically involved with Peter Parker. One scene deleted from the film would have recontextualized Toomes’ character by offering a greater insight into his motivations and his family life.
The scene in question shows Toomes receiving a phone call from his daughter, Liz, who puts pressure on him to return home to assist in some repairs.His anxious response paints him as a man in too deep, rather than simply a greedy villainwho considers his actions justified. It wouldn’t have changed his storyline in the big scheme of things, but it would certainly have made Toomes seem a slightly less insidious character.
As the movie that started the MCU,Iron Manremains a pivotal entry into the franchise. The film’s villain, Obadiah Stane, is introduced as a trusted advisor and business partner of Tony Stark, who later becomes the villain Iron Monger. A deleted scene showing the villain fighting the hero would have differently represented the character’s motivations, putting a slightly revised spin on his motivations within his MCU appearance.
The rooftop battle scene showed Stane attempting to drag Stark into the arc reactor with him, killing both characters at once. In the original cut, Stane insists his motivations are purely business-related, whereasthe deleted scene repaints him as someone who never truly cared about Stark at all. Had it remained in the movie, the scene would have changed Stane’s MCU characterization by definitively outlining his villainous disposition.
Iron Man 3is far from the eponymous hero’s best appearance in the MCU, particularly where it relates to his villains. The film’s handling of the character of the Mandarin was widely criticized, and a deleted scene would have changed its bizarre reveal of its Mandarin fake-out. In the finished film, Aldrich Killian is secretly the mastermind behind the Mandarin’s attack, with the supposed terrorist simply an unwitting actor hired to take credit for the attacks.
The deleted scene shows the actor, Trevor Slattery, preparing to film a scene taking credit for the latest Mandarin attack. Its inclusion would almost certainly have changed the later reveal, asit heavily implies his awareness of the truth of the attacks and establishes that he has some control over his situation.Both of these are directly at odds with his later insistence that he has no idea what Killian was doing, meaning that the scene’s inclusion would have altered the villain one way or another.
Captain America: Civil Warcontains one of the MCU’s most complex and carefully considered plots, and it sees Baron Zemo turn the Avengers against one another during the midst of the debate surrounding the Sokovia Accords. Zemo’s motivation is eventually revealed to be revenge for the death of his family, but there’s a deleted scene from the movie that would have subtly made him seem much more villainous. The scene shows Zemo attacking an auction to steal the Winter Soldier book, using a chemical weapon to clear out the civilians in attendance.
Zemo’s plan in the film’s final cut involves murder, but only those that directly furthered his plan.His willingness to gas innocent civilians when he could have stolen the book another way shows that he’s not simply out for revenge, but that he’s capable of hurting anyone to achieve his goals. Simply put, the scene’s inclusion would have cemented Zemo as an even more heartless villain.
Thecast ofGuardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3featured many new and returning characters, with the High Evolutionary serving as the movie’s main antagonist. Its story was heavily linked to the High Evolutionary’s genetic experiments, one of which was responsible for the creation of Rocket. A scene showing Star-Lord finally coming face to face with the High Evolutionary could have added another depraved layer to the villain, however.
The scene sees the High Evolutionary reveal that he experimented on his own mother, grafting her face onto the family dog.The casual way in which the villain offers up the information helps to cement him as truly morally unhinged, rather than a scientist who has gone much too far in his pursuit of supposed perfection. Though it doesn’t majorly transform the High Evolutionary’s character, the additional insight would have helped audiences see him in a different light.
Captain Marvel’s villain, Yon-Rogg, is one of the franchise’s most manipulative, though it’s not fully revealed until late in the movie. However, an early scene would have subtly outlined his true nature long before the reveal had it been kept in the finished movie. The scene in question shows Yon-Rogg meeting with the Supreme Intelligence that governs the Kree people, with the advanced AI taking on his own form for the duration of the conversation.
As the Supreme Intelligence takes on the form of the one most admired by the visitor, Yon-Rogg’s visit in the scene was telling. It showed that he considered himself above all others, with his arrogance taking on a more sinister aspect after the realization. The scene would have made the reveal much less surprising, making it one of theMarvel Cinematic Universe’s deleted scenes with the most potential to transform a villain’s story.
