10 Marvel Characters Who Could Be Thor 5’s “Powerful Villain”

Chris Hemsworth’s Thor could face any number of powerful Marvel villains if Marvel Studios puts Thor 5 into production. Thor 5 hasn’t yet been confirmed to be in development by Marvel Studios, and the future of Thor in the MCU is uncertain after the mixed reception to his fourth outing, 2022’s Thor: Love and Thunder. However, with the promise that Chris Hemsworth will be returning as Thor, speculation is rising concerning what story could be told in the sequel, what new tone the potential film might take to distance itself from the Love and Thunder’s comedy, and which villains from Marvel Comics Thor may face in his next MCU adventure.

In an interview for Titan’s Thor 4: Love and Thunder Movie Special Book, director Taika Waititi suggested that Thor 5 could feature a villain more powerful than Hela. Noting that Thor 5 needs to showcase a clear evolution for the titular God of Thunder, Waititi also mentioned, “I don’t think we can have a villain that’s weaker than Hela. I feel like we need to step up from there.” This idea failed with Christian Bale’s Gorr the God Butcher in Love and Thunder, but the prospect of a villain more formidable than Thor: Ragnarok’s Goddess of Death creates the opportunity for several iconic Marvel Comics foes to enter the MCU.

10 Hercules

The clear villain to pit against Thor in a potential Thor 5 would be Hercules, as the character debuted in Thor: Love and Thunder’s mid-credits scene. Portrayed by Ted Lasso’s Brett Goldstein, Hercules was introduced as the son of Zeus, teasing a mission of vengeance against Thor, who had injured the Greek god earlier in Love and Thunder. Hercules originally debuted as a powerful villain for Thor in Marvel Comics, but later became a member of the Avengers and eventually replaced the Hulk after Banner’s imprisonment following the World War Hulk storyline. Since Hercules has already debuted in the MCU, he must be developed further in Thor 5 and beyond.

9 Ulik

Introduced to Marvel Comics back in 1966’s Thor #137, Ulik belongs to a race of Rock Trolls that reside within the caverns of Asgard, and of the Rock Trolls, Ulik is the most powerful. Ulik is infamous for wielding a replica of Thor’s hammer, Mjolnir, and led massive battles against Thor and the citizens of Earth on multiple occasions. After Thor’s death during battle with the Serpent, Ulik takes his place as Tanarus, using a spell to paint himself as the champion of Asgard. He was a formidable thorn in Thor’s side and would be a powerful, manipulative, and psychologically terrifying villain to introduce to the MCU in Thor 5.

8 Mangog

Mangog was introduced to Marvel Comics as the physical manifestation of the hatred of a billion beings from an ancient alien race that was slaughtered by the ruler of Asgard and the Nine Realms, Odin, Thor’s father. After being freed by Ulik beneath Asgard, Mangog wages war on the surviving Odin and Asgardians, proving himself to be physically unstoppable, though his weakness lies in his reliance on psychic energies, including fear and hatred. What makes Mangog so powerful is that he cannot be killed while fear exists, and in a world terrified of threats such as Thanos, fear is rife in the MCU, making Mangog a perfect opponent to Thor.

7 Ares

Debuting in 1966 as an enemy to both Thor and Hercules, Ares is a much more villainous deity in Marvel Comics, and as the God of War in Greek mythology, is perhaps more terrifying than Thor: Ragnarok’s Hela. Ares was responsible for creating the “Warhawks” and creating war on Earth, with his brutality emanating into human wartime society. In his later appearances, Ares has been depicted as an antihero, even joining the Mighty Avengers and the Dark Avengers, so Thor 5 could mark the beginning of a bright future for Ares in the MCU. With Hercules, Ares’ brother, perhaps returning too, this could mirror Thor and Loki’s prior relationship perfectly.

6 Black Winter

Despite being introduced in 1969’s Thor #169, Black Winter doesn’t only pose a threat to the God of Thunder but to the entire universe. Akin to how Galactus devours planets to sustain his life, Black Winter devours universes, even having consumed the universe that Galactus originally came from and using the planet-eater as its own Herald. Black Winter took the form of Thor in an attempt to reclaim Galactus as its Herald, which could be an interesting storyline to explore in Thor 5. Black Winter’s epic scale would make the being a perfect fit for the MCU’s Multiverse Saga, particularly since Galactus has been rumored for the MCU’s Fantastic Four​​​​​​​.

5 Grog

Grog debuted in 1988’s Thor #390 as a follower of the Egyptian God of Death, Seth. After leading an assassination attempt on Thor on Earth, Grog was imprisoned by the God of Thunder but eventually escaped and led an even greater battle against Thor and his heroic comrades. During this battle, Balder the Brave assumed Thor’s powers, leaving Thor defenseless, which allowed Grog to defeat the Asgardian Avenger. Rumors suggest Balder the Brave will come to the MCU, and introducing Grog as a villain in Thor 5 might create the perfect opportunity to debut Thor’s brother, Balder, as well as potentially create connections to other MCU projects, specifically Moon Knight​​​​​​​.

4 Absorbing Man

Carl Creel was a boxer who became the Absorbing Man after drinking a liquid that Loki had laced with a magical potion, gifting him the ability to absorb the properties of anything he touched. Brian Patrick Wade portrayed Creel in Agents of SHIELD, but since the canonicity of this series to the MCU is still disputed, it’s possible that Thor 5 could introduce a new version of this versatile villain. The Absorbing Man proves himself to be an ever-present threat to Thor thanks to his ability, but later stories depict him as an antihero and member of the Astonishing Avengers, potentially creating an exciting future for him in the MCU.

3 Nobilus

The High Evolutionary’s debut in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 opens the door for Nobilus to enter the MCU, too. Nobilus was created in Marvel Comics by the High Evolutionary, who had been gifted trimmings of Thor’s hair and a blood sample, meaning Nobilus has abilities similar to Thor, though also has Loki’s personality. The High Evolutionary used Nobilus to defend Mount Wundagore, leading to the blue-haired Thor clone battling the original God of Thunder. Thor’s hair was cut by Stan Lee in Thor: Ragnarok, and Chukwudi Iwuji’s High Evolutionary survived Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, so the ingredients are in place to introduce Nobilus to the MCU.

2 Zarrko, The Tomorrow Man

The MCU’s Multiverse Saga storyline creates the opportunity for villains from other realities to battle the MCU’s primary heroes, which means Zarrko, the Tomorrow Man, could face Thor in a Love and Thunder sequel. Originally from the 23rd Century of Earth-6297, Artur Zarrko traveled back in time from his peaceful society to steal nuclear weapons, instantly coming into contact with Thor. Zarrko also came up against Kang the Conqueror in Marvel Comics, as both characters are notorious time travelers, so he would be a great addition to the MCU’s Multiverse Saga, in which Kang has been adapted into a multiversal villain, so the same could be done for Zarrko.

1 Mephisto

There has been a huge amount of speculation that Mephisto will debut in the MCU, first in WandaVision, then Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, and now in the upcoming Agatha: Coven of Chaos and Ironheart. While Mephisto poses a threat to each of Marvel’s heroes, the Council of Red, a multiversal group of Mephisto’s, once created a Thor duplicate with the intent to play a trick on Jane Foster. As the ruler of Hell, Mephisto has a significantly higher level of power than Hela and would put Thor 5 on the MCU map if that’s the project he finally appears in.