In My Villain Era

Chris Hemsworth is the latest Marvel hero to turn evil. It rules.

When I was six or seven or eight years old—time is tough to grasp at my old age—I used to go to this day camp over the summers called Robin Hood. Many things happened. I got stung by a bee there (for the first and not last time in my life). I tried out archery and rocket pops. And I did my first theatrical production.

As far as I can remember, it was a musical of sorts in which all of us kids played storybook characters come to life. It comes as no surprise to anyone that I got the very important part of the Big Bad Wolf from the timeless classic “The Three Little Pigs.”

I wasn’t a Daniel Day-Lewis type. More of a natural who was able to turn it on and off at a moment’s notice. And yet, it was still fun as hell to sneak up behind my “unsuspecting” fellow thespians and scare them during the show. It was a critical role and my life truly hasn’t been the same ever since.

The reason I tell you all this, other than to bolster the word count, is because I want to tell you that I get it. I didn’t pursue acting like fellow actors and chums Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Robert Downey Jr. and Chris Evans, but I get it. I too understand what it’s like to play a villain on the stage/big-screen. It’s quite the rush.

Ever since escaping from the Marvel Machine, these four actors almost immediately changed it up and went evil. It’s some of the best performances of each of their respective careers, with Chris Hemsworth as the most recent villainous portrayal in Furiosa.

The movie’s unbelievable. Hemsworth is having the time of his life. We should all hope to get a Big Bad Wolf-esque part one day or another. Let’s look at these four ne'er-do-wells and project what should be next for a few other Marvel heroes.

Chris Evans in Knives Out (2019)

Let’s just get this out of the way. Yes, I own that same sweater because of this movie. Yes, I pull it off better than Chris Evans. Nevertheless, Evans is chewing the scenery in all the right places here in Knives Out. The spoiler warning for a 2019 hit film is over now, so I’m more than fine to say that Evans has a great heel-turn in this one as Hugh Ransom Drysdale, the man behind the “accidental” death that kicks all of this off. Evans seems at ease playing a nepo-baby of sorts and just an all-around piece of shit. It’s delightful as he tricks Ana de Armas’ Marta Cabrera time and time again until he turns himself around.

Robert Downey Jr. in Oppenheimer (2023)

Is there anything more evil than being a politician? The answer to that is most definitely … no. Robert Downey Jr., in a real movie for the first time in what feels like decades, didn’t just win over critics and viewers, he won over awards-bodies. Most notably with his first Oscar win. The guy leaves Marvel for one second and immediately has a gold statuette. That’s what it’s all about. RDJ plays Rear Admiral Lewis Strauss with aplomb and gravitas and the teensiest bit of fear underlining every action he makes. Although his section of the movie is in black and white, it’s not all black and white for Strauss. He’s doing what he thinks is right but loses himself in the double-crossing. It’s a stellar performance and goes to show you that if you make a good movie, it’ll be rewarded. Well, sometimes.

Mark Ruffalo in Poor Things (2023)

I’m more than content with RDJ winning an Oscar but if I had my druthers, it all would’ve been about Mark Ruffalo, who gave my favorite performance as Duncan Wedderburn in Poor Things. A hapless, sexual rube, Wedderburn is a stand-in for all men in this Emma Stone-starring vehicle. He’s an asshole, a know-nothing who thinks he holds all of the world’s secrets. He gets worse and worse as the movie progresses and he loses control of Stone’s Bella Baxter, ultimately losing his sanity and betraying everything he once held dear. Also, Ruffalo is having so much damn fun in this Yorgos Lanthimos movie, getting to ACT, dance and go repartee-to-repartee with Stone. Much less green CGI in this one.

Chris Hemsworth in Furiosa (2024)

Perhaps the most ruthlessly villainous of this pack, Chris Hemsworth takes what makes his Thor: Ragnarok character so enticing and drags that energy and wit to the dark side. What else could one want? Hemsworth plays Dr. Dementus, a warlord leader and impetus for Furiosa’s rage. There’s a bit of pain deep, deep within himself which we get to see erupt as rage and violence. I love Hemsworth’s grasp of the character and inability to find himself in the wasteland once things get tough. At a certain point, if he can’t have hope, he can’t allow anyone else to have it. It’s a hell of a showing from one of the top Chrises. Also, check out Bad Times at the El Royale where Hemsworth gets to test out his villainous ways. I currently think I have 1. Hemsworth 2. Evans 3. Pine 4. Pratt.

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If we’re looking at other Marvel heroes that deserve their chance in the darkness, might I suggest…

-Scarlett Johansson as a serial killer who has to complete a hit put out on her family

-Brie Larson as an enticing but cruel cult leader

-Paul Rudd as a cold and uncaring lawyer who assassinates anyone who gets in his way

-Bradley Cooper as a different raccoon, this time he’s evil though

-Elizabeth Olsen as a crime reporter who commits the crimes she covers

Okay. That’s all I’ve got this week. Go see Furiosa.