The MCU has seen plenty of heroes fighting villains, but every now and the franchise shows an antagonist instead opting to help their heroic nemesis.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe has built its formula around the classic heroes-versus-villains narrative, but occasionally the franchise sees an antagonist choose to help the heroes instead. The superhero genre relies on simple tropes, many of which center on the struggle between the forces of good and evil. As they adapt many of the characters and stories of Marvel Comics, the movies of the MCU most often feature at least one hero and at least one villain. However, over the course of the franchise, there are occasions when things are a little murkier in a moral sense.

Not all villains are purely evil. The complexities of the relationships between the MCU’s heroes and villains have seen many antagonists switch sides, helping the heroes instead. Sometimes this comes about as the result of a redemption arc, whereas others are just brief moments in the MCU’s movie timeline that see the motivations of a villain and hero align. Whatever the reasons, there have actually been many times when the villainous characters of the franchise have been able to work to the benefit of its heroic characters. Here are 10 times MCU villains actually helped the heroes.

10Nebula Eventually Joined The Avengers

Avengers: Infinity War (2018)

After first appearing in Guardians of the Galaxy as a secondary antagonist, Thanos’ daughter Nebula gradually found redemption in the MCU. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 saw her take steps away from her initial villainous nature by acknowledging her relationship with Gamora and better explaining why her hatred for Thanos fueled her villainy. Eventually, Nebula joined the Avengers in Avengers: Infinity War to oppose Thanos, and later helped fight against him in Endgame. Her transition from villain to hero was a slow one, but was also reinforced with emotional weight.

9Ghost Reformed To Work With Scott Lang

Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018)

Ant-Man and the Wasp saw the titular heroes face off against Ghost, a quantum-powered villain who was phasing in and out of physical being. However, Ghost’s backstory made her something of a tragic figure: her parents were killed in the same accident that caused her abilities, which were also slowly killing her. After the hero managed to help Ghost stabilize her powers, effectively saving her life, the film confirmed that she reformed and later began working with Ant-Man. Ghost is set to return as part of the cast of Marvel’s Thunderbolts, acting once more as something of an anti-hero.

8Quicksilver Died Fighting Ultron With The Avengers

Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)

The Marvel Comics character Quicksilver may not be a villain, but his MCU counterpart was introduced as one. Pietro Maximoff’s arc starts with him working for Hydra, then helping Ultron due to his animosity towards the Avengers. Despite spending most of his time in the MCU acting as a villain, Age of Ultron sees Quicksilver take a heroic turn, laying down his own life to save Hawkeye while fighting Ultron in Sokovia. Though his arc was much shorter than most MCU characters’, he still went from villain to hero in the space of just one movie.

7Abomination Offered Emotional Support To She-Hulk

She-Hulk: Attorney at Law (2022)

After acting as a villain in The Incredible Hulk, the Abomination – A.K.A. Emil Blonsky – found redemption in one of the MCU’s TV shows. She-Hulk: Attorney at Law shows a reformed Blonsky, who has spent his time in prison learning to be a better, calmer, and more emotionally stable person. After Jennifer Walters represents Blonsky at his parole hearing, he becomes her friend and would-be counselor, offering the hero some sage emotional advice and prompting some much-needed self-reflection. Abomination role in She-Hulk is much more as a friend to the hero than a villain, showing that even the MCU’s most monstrous villains can be redeemed.

6Vulture Chose To Keep Spider-Man’s Identity Secret

Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)

Spider-Man: Homecoming pits Tom Holland’s Spider-Man against the Vulture, with the supervillain learning his secret identity over the course of the film. However, even after the hero captures the Vulture and the villain is incarcerated, Toomes actually chooses to help the hero. Instead of sharing Spider-Man’s identity with fellow villain Scorpion, Vulture keeps the information to himself, protecting Peter Parker in the process. It’s more a gesture of respect for the young hero than it is an active attempt to help him, but by keeping his secret, he actually does Spider-Man a rather large favor.

5Baron Zemo Helped Stop The Flag-Smashers

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (2021)

After acting as the evil mastermind behind the Avengers’ struggles in Captain America: Civil War, Baron Zemo returned in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier to act as more of an anti-hero than an outright villain. The enhanced individuals known as Flag-Smashers were causing chaos around the globe, prompting Sam Wilson and Bucky Barnes to attempt to stop them. Despite his villainous past, Zemo actually helps the heroes stop the Flag-Smashers owing to his own disdain for those with superpowers. It’s a case of the villain’s values matching up with the heroes’ needs, and it allowed an MCU antagonist to actually fight alongside the good guys.

4Doctor Octopus Actually Fought The Other Multiverse Villains

Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)

Spider-Man: No Way Home brought multiple Spider-Man villains into the MCU from previous Spider-Man movies. The first of these villains was Doc Ock, followed by the Green Goblin, Electro, Sandman, and the Lizard. After Peter Parker’s attempts to reform the villains goes awry, he and two of his variants must fight them to save the city. However, Peter succeeds in freeing Octavius from the influence of his burnt-out nanochip, restoring the villain’s rationality. This actually sees the former antagonist fight alongside the heroes to stop No Way Home’s remaining multiversal villains.

3MODOK Helped Ant-Man Beat Kang

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023)

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania introduced MODOK into the MCU, albeit in an unorthodox manner. The franchise’s MODOK is none other than Darren Cross, who was mutated by his trip to the Quantum Realm after his Yellowjacket suit malfunctioned. Despite having been the antagonist of the first Ant-Man movie, Quantumania gives him a redemption arc. In a final heroic moment, MODOK joins Ant-Man in the fight against Kang, sacrificing himself to help the heroes stop the dangerous villain. It may have been an unexpected turn, but it also offered a redemptive ending to a former villain.

2Surtur Saved Thor From Hela

Thor: Ragnarok (2017)

In Thor: Ragnarok, the God of Thunder learns of an older sister he never knew he had. However, it also turns out that Hela is a dangerous villain, and wants nothing more than to seize and enslave Asgard out from under him. After confronting her and realizing he wasn’t able to overpower the villain, Thor instead brought in an even bigger antagonist. Surtur appeared to destroy Asgard, robbing Hela of her new kingdom and killing her in the process. Though Thor may have lost the battle, with the help of a villain, he actually managed to save the Asgardian people.

1Loki Joined Forces With Thor To Stop Malekith

Thor: The Dark World (2013)

After spending most of the MCU’s Phase 1 as a major villain, Phase 2 swiftly gave the character of Loki some redemption. His arc continued in Thor: The Dark World, when the Dark Elf Malekith assaulted Asgard in search of the Aether and killed Frigga, Thor and Loki’s mother. It spurred the two brothers to put their differences aside, with Loki instead choosing to help Thor stop Malekith. It marked the beginning of Loki’s transition from a villain into one of the most popular antiheroes in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, with him having helped the franchise’s heroes many times since.