With the recent addition of the Marvel Netflix shows to Disney+ on March 16th, and Charlie Cox's Matt Murdock making his formal introduction into the MCU in December, some of the best non-superpowered villains are coming to the MCU. While the Marvel movie franchise has showcased the likes of Thanos, Ego, and Dormammu, there have not been as many non-superpowered villains in the spotlight.
The Marvel Universe has many villains to offer who can't decimate a civilization or don't have plans to conquer the galaxy, but have more grounded ambitions. These villains prove to be worthy foes for Earth's Mightiest Heroes, the X-Men, and Spider-Man, all while not having the super-powered gifts the heroes possess.
Swordsman
The Swordsman, AKA Jacques Duquesne, is considered a master swordsman in the Marvel Universe. He is also tabbed as an expert with other blades and is a formidable hand-to-hand fighter.
In the recent Disney+ series Hawkeye, Duquesne (played by Tony Dalton) clashed in a duel with the talented Kate Bishop and helped fight the Kingpin's henchmen in the finale. His comic counterpart fought and nearly bested Captain America in his debut, while also clashing the likes of Enchantress. While he was eventually defeated by the Avengers, he showed that he was no pushover as Duquesne returned as an obstacle to the Avengers.
Kraven The Hunter
Sergei Kravinoff, AKA Kraven the Hunter, whose skills include: enhanced endurance, strength, agility, as well as, apex tracking abilities make him a worthy opponent for Spider-Man.
Kraven's instincts and thrill for the hunt drove him to New York City, where he attempted to capture Spider-Man. Although he initially fails his test, he would later get the best of the wall-crawler in Kraven's Last Hunt. The brutal result of that encounter, where he finally captures and buries Spider-Man, proves his worthiness, even if Spider-Man eventually frees himself. Kraven does all this with no Spider-Sense and no superpowers, which in contrast are natural advantages for Spider-Man.
Chameleon
Dmitri Smerdyakov, the half brother of Kraven, AKA the Chameleon, is a villain who relies on his knowledge of the hero to institute their downfall. His ability to replicate someone's face, voice, and mannerisms give him a unique advantage in his ploys.
Chameleon's affinity for the wall-crawler has seen him impersonate Peter Parker and Spider-Man and even other people in Parker's life on occasions. Spider-Man eventually gets the best of him, but not before Chameleon has either destroyed Parker's personal life or ruined Spider-Man's reputation, two things that are important to Spidey. Chameleon is like a spy, observing and studying Parker before leaping into action and trying to ruin Spider-Man from inside-out. Those actions are the mark of not just a dangerous, but cunning villain.
Mysterio
The master of illusion, Quentin Beck, got his big-screen debut in 2019's Spider-Man: Far From Home, where Jake Gyllenhaal plays Mysterio. The character from the comics is one of Spider-Man's oldest foes.
Gyllenhaal's version of Mysterio tricks and fools Parker multiple times, and then when Spidey thinks he's won, Beck drops one last surprise. He reveals Parker's secret identity to the world and that does more damage to Parker than any other fight has had on him (except maybe the blip). The entire next film is about Parker trying to undo it! His mastery of special effects and deception even fools Spider-Man's Spidey-Sense at times, which is a very impressive feat by itself. The fact that he doesn't need a Reality Stone to trick his foes also puts him in a category of his own in of deception and illusion.
Crossbones
Brock Rumlow, AKA Crossbones, hates Captain America and regularly aligns with communist sympathizers like Red Skull. The tenacity in which Crossbones carries out his plans even earn him Cap's respect.
Crossbones' most infamous work in The Death of Captain America run shows his skills as a planner and sniper. In that run, he successfully plans and kills Steve Rogers (with the help of a brainwashed Sharon Carter). His skills as a marksman, fighter, and tactician make him a worthy adversary to Captain America. In other iterations he's also made attempts on Rogers' life, and while unsuccessful, they illustrate his commitment to taking down his most hated enemy.
William Stryker
Stryker's mere words can tilt the balance of power in his favor. Known as both a Reverend and Sgt., he uses his influence and persuasion to win over people to his side.
In God Loves, Man Kills, Stryker displays his best plan, as it highlights his skills of persuasion as a televangelist. He kidnaps Professor X, Scott Summers, and Ororo Munroe. Stryker tries to use Xavier's powers to kill other mutants, but he's ultimately defeated. However, Summers and Munroe are severely injured in the process. It's also a story that sees longtime nemesis of the X-Men, Magneto, them to defeat Stryker. When Magneto s the X-Men in an endeavor, it illustrates the severity of the threat Stryker presents.
Dr. Otto Octavius
Doc Ock is one of Spider-Man's most iconic antagonists. His creation of the Sinister Six itself in the comics shows the lengths to which he will go to defeat Spider-Man.
In the first iteration of the team, Doc Ock brings together Electro, Kraven, Mysterio, Sandman, and Vulture. His plan is to lure Spider-Man in a trap by kidnapping Betty Brant and Aunt May, with hopes of killing the wall-crawler. Spidey fights and defeats each villain one at a time, while also finding clues to the whereabouts of the next one. Once he reaches Dr. Octavius, Spider-Man manages to defeat him. The fact that there are so many iterations of this team, and nearly all helmed by Doc Ock, shows the dedication and ferocity that he has to defeating his arch-nemesis.
Bullseye
Known as Lester in the comics, Bullseye's accuracy rivals (maybe even sures) Hawkeye and Punisher and his hand-to-hand combat rivals Daredevil. The precision at which he can hit his target is *nearly* superhuman even though he has no superhuman powers.
His most infamous moment is Bullseye's killing of Elektra in Daredevil #181. That fight was put to film in the 2003 movie, where her demise was made comic-accurate with Bullseye (played by Colin Farrell) throwing a playing card to cut her throat and then using her own sai for the final blow. His knock-down, drag-out fights with the Man Without Fear bring out the best and worst Matt Murdock. Lester and Daredevil have a fierce rivalry that deserves more recognition.
Baron Zemo
Baron Zemo has been a leader of Masters of Evil and Hydra in the comics. In the MCU, he actually works against Hydra, but his disdain for the superpowered is still consistent.
The MCU adaptation was the orchestrator of the fight between Iron Man and Captain America in 2016's Captain America: Civil War. Zemo's hatred for the Avengers and what they did to his country and his family are what drive him to hatch the plot to destroy them from the inside. Ultimately, it was his actions that drove Steve and Tony apart and indirectly helped Thanos to defeat the Avengers in Infinity War (2018), given that Tony and Steve weren't on speaking . A lot of villains have plans, but not all of them execute them as well as Zemo.
Kingpin
Wilson Fisk is the most ruthless crime lord in the Marvel Universe. Kingpin is raw muscle and can go toe-to-toe with Spider-Man and Daredevil.
In the Daredevil series, Kingpin pays off the FBI which allows him to live in a luxurious penthouse. Fisk is able to pull the strings from afar, allowing his underlings to do all of the dirty work. Much of the series involves the main characters just trying to catch up to all of the built-in advantages that Fisk has at his disposal. The Kingpin pays off a grand jury in a key trial, foiling Matt Murdock, and he also uses Bullseye to keep Daredevil busy, proving his traits as a superb strategist. When Daredevil and Kingpin do physically clash, Murdock is able to best him, but not after the two have a brutal brawl. Kingpin is the perfect mix of brains and brawn and all with no superpowers.
