Which Marvel Villains Deserve Their Own Disney+ Series After The Penguin’s Success?

Why Are Villain-Led Series Gaining Popularity in Modern Superhero Storytelling?

The massive success of HBO’s The Penguin has demonstrated that villains can carry prestige television when given complexity, vulnerability, and narrative depth. According to Variety, Colin Farrell’s portrayal of Oswald Cobblepot reshaped expectations for antagonist-driven stories, proving that audiences crave morally layered perspectives rather than simple “good vs. evil” tropes.

Disney+ has already successfully explored character-driven storytelling through projects like Loki and WandaVision, and the platform is well-positioned to expand into darker, villain-centric narratives. Several Marvel villains possess the emotional history, trauma, and ambition needed to anchor their own high-budget series.

How Could a Baron Zemo Series Explore the Fall of a Sokovian Aristocrat?

Baron Helmut Zemo remains one of the MCU’s most grounded and intellectually formidable antagonists. The Falcon and the Winter Soldier only scratched the surface of his transformation from a grieving father into a strategic mastermind. As The Hollywood Reporter notes, Daniel Brühl’s nuanced acting brings a level of sophistication that is rare in the genre.

A Zemo series could explore his aristocratic upbringing, Sokovia’s tumultuous history, and the generational trauma that shaped his worldview. It would allow for a slow-burn psychological drama centered on the intersection of guilt, revenge, and political manipulation.

Why Would Loki Variants Offer Infinite Storytelling Possibilities?

Marvel’s Loki introduced the concept of variants, opening the door to exploring alternate versions of the God of Mischief who made wildly different life choices. A variant-focused anthology could examine Lokis who successfully conquered worlds, Lokis who remained loyal to Asgard, or those who never learned the truth about their Frost Giant origins.

Each version offers new psychological territory, expanding the multiverse’s emotional depth while allowing Tom Hiddleston (or new actors) to reinvent the character through different lenses of fate and free will.

How Could a Kingpin Series Chronicle the Rise of a Crime Lord?

Wilson Fisk’s transformation from a troubled child into the feared Kingpin of Crime is a narrative that deserves its own standalone series. A show centered on Vincent D’Onofrio’s Fisk—building on his legendary performance in Daredevil—could explore his early criminal enterprises, the depth of his relationship with Vanessa, and the ruthlessness that built his empire.

A Kingpin series would give Disney+ a grounded urban crime drama rooted in the “street-level” MCU, focusing on the dark themes of trauma, ambition, and the corruptive nature of absolute power.

What Would a Norman Osborn Origin Series Reveal About the Green Goblin?

Norman Osborn’s descent from a driven, visionary businessman to the psychotic Green Goblin is rich material for psychological horror and corporate drama. A series could follow the rise of Oscorp, Norman’s scientific obsession with the “Goblin Formula,” and the mounting pressures that pulled him toward mental instability.

Crucially, exploring his strained relationship with his son, Harry, would provide a tragic emotional core to his eventual villainous transformation, making his presence in the wider MCU even more impactful.

How Could a Doctor Doom Series Present a Villain Who Believes He Is a Hero?

Victor von Doom is a unique archetype: a man who combines genius-level intellect, ancient sorcery, and absolute political authority. A series set in Latveria could examine his rise from an orphaned outcast to a monarch. It would be a fascinating opportunity to showcase a villain who genuinely believes his authoritarian rule is the only way to save humanity from its own flaws.

Doom’s mix of profound trauma and overwhelming brilliance makes him the ideal candidate for a prestige narrative that blurs the lines between savior and tyrant.

Why Does Magneto Deserve a Full Origin Series Rooted in Trauma and Ideology?

Erik Lehnsherr’s survival of the Holocaust and his subsequent evolution into Magneto forms one of the most powerful and socially relevant arcs in comic book history. A dedicated series could portray his early encounters with mutant prejudice, his initial friendship and subsequent ideological split with Charles Xavier, and his gradual shift toward militant leadership.

This series would offer a poignant exploration of how trauma shapes ideology, a theme that has made Magneto one of the most relatable and enduring antagonists ever created.

What Stories Remain Untold About the Winter Soldier’s Past?

Although Bucky Barnes has evolved significantly toward heroism, his decades spent as the brainwashed Winter Soldier remain largely unexplored. A series could follow “forgotten” Cold War missions, fragmented memories, and the intense psychological battles of a man fighting to reclaim his humanity from the shadows of Hydra.

By focusing on the “Manchurian Candidate” aspects of his past, Marvel could deliver a gritty spy thriller that addresses the weight of past sins and the grueling road to redemption.