George R.R. Martin Opens Up About Marvel Studios' Villains: Tired of the Bad Guy Having the Same Powers as the Hero



George R.R. Martin knows a thing or two about writing and developing villains. Just look at Game of Thrones where his villains are not simply a means of a hero to fight and defeat.

Meanwhile, there is a trendy online topic with Marvel Studios films where more people are taking notice of its recurring villain trope. Martin included as he wrote the following on his blog:

“I am tired of this Marvel movie trope where the bad guy has the same powers as the hero. The Hulk fought the Abomination, who is just a bad Hulk. Spider-Man fights Venom, who is just a bad Spider-Man. Iron Man fights Ironmonger, a bad Iron Man. Yawn. I want more films where the hero and the villain have wildly different powers. That makes the action much more interesting.”

This shouldn't surprise any Marvel Studios fan because most should have already had a conversation (or two) on this topic. I've had this convo at least two or three times over the past few years. I've also written about it a few times here on the site, but mainly because I am a fan of villains and enjoy seeing a villain character developed beyond being a simply stereotyped antagonist. 

When a villain has time to be developed an attachment will form with the audience. Marvel Studios' Loki and 20th Century Fox's Magneto are the two most recent and perfect examples of how to develop a villain for sustained appearances. Hopefully Phase 3 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe will add another villain to this list. Maybe it's Thanos, or maybe it's someone else lurking in the shadows of the MCU.