THE Marvel cinematographic universe has been wasted a villain again that has been wasted five times during the 17 years since the start of the franchise. Despite all its praise, the chronology of the MCU has long faced a recurring criticism: its bad guys rarely obtain the spotlights they deserve. Many and many times, Marvel introduces antagonists with immense potential, to kill them immediately.
With only a handful of exceptions, the villains of the MCU were not allowed to develop on several films, not to mention the type of comic strips of status that comic fans associate with recurring enemies. Even those who have survived often come back in modified, more sympathetic than threatening roles, leaving the franchise with a shortage of truly durable threats.
This created a model where the public obtains only a taste of convincing characters before being thrown. Few bad guys highlight this problem more clearly than that. Whoever Marvel has managed to waste five different ways over 17 years, including the series of unavoidable superheroes of 2025.
2025 marks the last in several ways that the MCU wasted 1 villain
Spoiler alert! This article contains spoilers for Marvel Zombies Episode 2.
The latest example of a waste of villain comes with Marvel zombies Episode 2 in 2025, which presents Xu Wenwu in all its formidable glory – only to kill it almost instantly. Its reappearance briefly shows how powerful and fascinating it is, but In a few moments, he was sentClosing the door again on potential scenarios.
It is emblematic of the way Marvel has missed the character from the very beginning. The seeds were planted Iron (2008), where the terrorist organization of the ten rings was teasing as part of the origin of Tony Stark. Advice continued Iron Man 2 And even AntQuietly building a mystical around the dark group.
Instead of reimbursing this directly, Iron Man 3 (2013) pulled a bait and a switch with the infamous Twist Mandarin. SO Shang-chi and the legend of the ten rings (2021) finally delivered the real mandarin, renamed Xu Wenwu, as A complex magnetic figure. It really showed the potential of the villain, before being killed without ceremony.
Its appearances in What if …? were just as frustrating. “What if … Hela found the ten rings?” presented Wenwu’s immense potential. However, he was largely relegated to the touch, and he even leaning towards a heroic representation Rather than fully exploring his wickedness.
Later, in “What if … Strange Supreme intervened?”, He appeared just long enough to put the ten rings back to Kahhori during a massive battle. Many and many times, Marvel finds means of Tack how vital wenwu could be, to undermine it. Marvel zombies Continue this model in the most steep way to date.
The death of the Zombies Zombies of Xu Wenwu is a particularly powerful waste
Marvel zombies Episode 2 finally prepared the field for a dramatic return of Wenwu. While the survivors were desperately fought against the living dead, the helicopters carrying the ten rings appeared, crying the firepower on the horde. From there, Xu Wenwu himself went down to combat, commanding the rings with his signature authority. It was An exciting reintroduction.
The scene really Afflicted how great he could be and commander As a fighter and chief. The episode even offered an emotional meeting between Wenwu and his son Shang-Chi. However, in a few seconds, Wenwu uses the rings to save Shang-Chi, leaving him defenseless to the swarm of the living dead.
In less than a minute of screen time, the story has further reduced it. This is one of the most flagrant examples of the MCU giving Wenwu the opportunity to shine before removing it just as quickly. It is become almost a joke in progresswith Marvel zombies Have a ridiculously sudden reversal of the heroic entry of macabre defeat.
Since his main arc has already ended Shanghai-chiThe brevity of his Appearance of marvel zombies underlines how was wasted the character’s potential. Wenwu could have served as a recurring multi-film antagonist. Instead, the public continues to see them from its brilliance before the MCU Close the book on him.
- Release date
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2025-2025-00-00
- Network
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Disney +
- Directors
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Bryan Andrews
