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For years, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has tried to toe the line between gripping action and family-friendly stories. Yet the MCU’s exploration of darker themes has sometimes pushed that line further than superhero fights, to the point where many movies have rubbed up against the horror genre. Horror is a perfect way to introduce and cement a villain, or to exploit the inner or psychological turmoil of a movie’s heroes. It can be best captured through tense music, supernatural violence and gore, or even just terrifying visuals.
Several Marvel movies have explored scarier themes and ideas, both in the MCU and other adaptations of Marvel Comics. Some films provide clear indications of what movies or concepts inspired them, while others leave it up to the imagination.
10/10 The Soul Eaters Emerged As The Supernatural Evil Of Shang-Chi
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings impressed fans upon its release in 2021, with captivating martial arts choreography, a strong cast and an intriguing premise. While the story was rooted in the action, sci-fi and superhero genres, the monstrous Soul Eaters felt like they fell straight out of a horror movie.
Monsters absorbing and feeding on souls to kill their foes is a terrifying concept in itself, and the Dweller-in-Darkness took the existential dread to another level. Wenwu’s death was tragic, and the film’s slow-motion approach to his end made it worse, but his tragedy was ultimately overshadowed by how brutal the death actually was.
9/10 Doctor Octopus’ Hospital Massacre Draws On Various Evil Dead References
Sam Raimi is known as an exceptional director in horror and most of his movies set in other genres still have some scary moments. Spider-Man 2 provided a strong example of this, with Dr. Otto Octopus’ hospital scene. The chaos that the sentient tentacles massacring the medical staff provided felt like something from Raimi’s Evil Dead movies.
The controversial possessed tree scene from The Evil Dead and the possessed hand from the sequel were both channeled through Doc Octopus’ spree. Raimi’s classic POV shots were also featured and there was even a version of Ash Stevens’ chainsaw thrown into the mix. These horror references didn’t feel at all out of place in the superhero film. They enhanced the impact of his rampage.
8/10 Gorr’s Powers Were Pure Darkness & Terror
Christian Bale has been praised for his performance as Gorr the God Butcher in Thor: Love and Thunder and left many fans sad that he only got one movie. Feeling betrayed by the gods for not watching over him or his late daughter, Gorr was on a one-way journey to kill every god he could.
From his pale aesthetic and his creepy voice, Gorr was a compelling villain, and in moments of quiet even garnered sympathy from the audience. With his powers, Gorr could manipulate shadows, creating menacing monsters and tentacles to subdue his foes. The moments when he overwhelmed Thor, Mighty Thor and Valkyrie were also reminiscent of the horrifying tree scene from The Evil Dead, but with the added twist of psychological warfare.
7/10 Despair Drove Kaecilius To Dark Sorcery
Mads Mikkelsen has showcased how good he is at playing villains over the years, from Dr. Hannibal Lecter and Gellert Grindelwald to Casino Royale‘s Le Chiffre. Another to add to that list is Doctor Strange‘s Kaecilius. Kaecilius is one of many MCU villains driven by the deaths of a loved one and he ultimately turned into a formidable sorcerer.
After reading words from the Book of Cagliostro, the skin around Kaecilius’ eyes turned a disturbing dark purple and crusty silver that became proof of his newfound power. With these powers, Kaecilius was even able to destroy the London Sanctum, killing the sorcerers who would stand in his way. His dark eyes and his cruel intentions made Kaecilius feel like a horror villain through and through.
6/10 The Smiley Men Were The Most Horrifying Part Of The New Mutants
The New Mutants was a 2020 X-Men standalone movie based on the Marvel Comics team of the same name. It was rated PG-13 but was also classified as a superhero horror story. It focused on a group of mutants with tragic backstories who were being contained in a hospital facility.
Inner turmoil and a mutant who can create illusions is always going to be a recipe for disaster, and sure enough, Dani’s psychic powers caused Illyana’s fears to manifest as the Smiley Men. The Smiley Men were supernatural creatures that resembled both the Slender Man and a collection of other horror tropes rolled into one creepy being.
5/10 Wanda Brought Various Horror Tropes & References To Life In Multiverse Of Madness
Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness was released in 2022 and felt like the closest the MCU has gotten to a horror movie. In painting Wanda as a villain once again, the film explored her psyche and escalated her powers to a terrifying extent.
Multiverse of Madness‘s horror-oriented approach came as no real surprise, however, given that Sam Raimi was at the helm. The film was rife with violence and horrific deaths, with each scene seemingly taking inspiration from different horror movies. Wanda even mirrored Carrie‘s blood-soaked pose from the 1976 movie before massacring heroes and civilians in horrifying ways.
4/10 Willem Dafoe’s Green Goblin Was Inspired By Jekyll & Hyde
Sam Raimi first Spider-Man had its fair share of horror elements in it. Willem Dafoe’s performance as the Green Goblin is recognized as one of the finest in any Marvel film, but his Green Goblin’s descent into chaos was unsettling to behold.
After injecting himself with his Goblin Formula went awry, Osborn killed multiple people, before exploring his dual personas while gazing in a mirror. In this particular scene, Willem Dafoe’s chilling performance invoked Jekyll & Hyde, as well as Nicholson’s Jack Torrance from The Shining.
3/10 The Snap Wiped Out Half Of The Avengers’ Universe In One Fell Swoop
Thanos’ snap from the end of Avengers: Infinity War will always be remembered as one of the most tragic catastrophes in the history of cinema. Wielding the Infinity Gauntlet, Thanos eliminated half of the Marvel universe’s population with a single snap of his fingers.
Watching several of the franchise’s most cherished characters fade away was shocking and terrifying. While it seemed unlikely that many of these characters would remain dead, Peter Parker fading into nothing in Tony Stark’s arms was both tragic and horrifying.
2/10 Wanda Showed Off Her Terrifying Powers In Age of Ultron
Avengers: Age Of Ultron has some of the bleakest moments of the entire MCU. Yet the sequence that lingers in fans’ memory is also its most horrific. Tony Stark’s nightmare sequence was generated by Wanda Maximoff, showing off her nightmarish powers for the first time.
Here, Tony the other Avengers dead and defeated, and knew it was all his fault. While it was a short scene lifted from a fabricated reality, it didn’t stop it from being unsettling and terrifying for both Iron Man and the audience.
1/10 Spider-Man: Far From Home Brought Up Plenty Of Trauma & Horrors
Spider-Man: Far From Home also made the most of illusions and added a layer of horror to its proceedings in the process. Jake Gyllenhaal’s Quentin Beck was presented as the superhero Mysterio but was quickly exposed to the audience as a fraud with a lot of dramatic flair and a creative team behind him.
Mysterio’s illusions were captivating and convincing and he sent Spider-Man into his own mind with some seriously nightmarish visuals. From seeing MJ killed to being trapped in a hall of mirrors, it felt like there was no way out for Spider-Man. The icing on this sequence’s horror cake was a reanimated Tony Stark rising from the dead, with spiders crawling out of his eyes. Who said superhero movies can’t be scary?
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