Marvel fans have a surprising pick for the "most brilliant" villain in the MCU – and it's an underrated character

Marvel fans are sharing the love for an underrated MCU villain: Helmut Zemo, played by Daniel Brühl.

"Can we talk about how Zemo is lowkey one of the most brilliant villains in the MCU?" wrote one Reddit user. "He didn’t need a fancy suit, superpowers, or an alien army. He literally broke the Avengers with nothing but strategy, patience, and a well timed video. I mean, the guy is dangerous because he’s so real. No world domination plans, no big speech just pure vengeance and a crazy amount of discipline."

Zemo first appeared in 2016's Captain America: Civil War and returned for the 2021 Disney Plus series The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. He's a Baron of Sokovia who sought out revenge against the Avengers after his family died at the hands of Ultron.

"I liked Zemo as a more cerebral type of villain in Civil War and then I liked him even more when they fleshed out his personality in Falcon and Winter Soldier," another user replied. "Hope to see him again someday."

Another wrote, "To this day, he absolutely endures as one of the MCU’s best villains. His conversation with T’Challa at the end of Civil War is brilliant, just oozing with character and insight into who this guy is."

"I love how they set it up to make you think he has something to do with Bucky’s backstory or the other super soldiers in Siberia but then he’s just a guy who had a family in Sokovia and hated the Avengers and wanted to send a message," added someone else. "Civil War really is one of the best in the series."

Next up for the MCU is Captain America: Brave New World, which arrives in theaters on February 14 as part of Marvel Phase 5. In the meantime, check out our guide to all the other upcoming Marvel movies and shows on the way in 2025 and beyond.