1. Wilson Fisk (Daredevil)

Half the success of a good hero is in how good the villain is and in season one of Daredevil one of the best aspects of the series was Vincent D’Onofrio’s Wilson Fisk, AKA Kingpin. His journey was fascinating, from his powerful grip over the criminal elements of New York City to his mesmerising relationship with Vanessa, he often stole the show from the titular hero. And with moments like the ‘car door scene’ in episode four, to the epic showdown with the Man Without Fear in the finale, D’Onofrio brought the physical presence to perfectly manifest the character from page to screen.

But what makes him greater than Loki? Quite simply the depth of his character explored over those thirteen episodes. The serialised format allowed Daredevil  to explore his tragic childhood and the murder of his father and his relationship with Vanessa in tender detail. What made him so brilliant is that he is not fully evil; he is child in a giant’s body, socially awkward and terrified that he might lose his powerbase, easily enraged when things didn’t go his way. His unpredictability is what made him so dangerous and what kept audiences on edge to the very end. Let’s just hope there is room to explore Fisk further in season two…

Perhaps the most interesting thing is that some of the best Marvel Cinematic Universe villains are the very human characters. Do you agree? Are there other choices you would have picked? Do you find characters like Loki of Killgrave overrated? And what villains are you most looking forward to? Let us know in the comments below…