The MCU introduced us to so many characters this year. Some compelling, while bland. From troubled FBI agents to an evil alliance of alien siblings under Thanos, there’s a lot to love with these newcomers. You’ll notice that most of these characters are villains which goes to show how far the MCU has come with its baddies.

Bullseye

By far, one of the best villains of the TV side of the MCU is Bullseye. While he hasn’t quite become is comic book counterpart yet, Daredevil Season 3 introduced a more interesting take on the character than I could imagine. I truly hope that he returns for future seasons, despite Netflix cancelling the show. Here’s hoping. – Curtis Johnson, Feature Writer

Ebony Maw

For me, Ebony Maw was an unexpected gem from Infinity War. The character was intriguing, terrifying, and powerful all at the same time and for a film so jam packed with characters, managing to stand out is incredibly impressive. – Alex Lurie, Feature Writer

Bushmaster

A personal new addition to the MCU this year was Bushmaster in Luke Cage’s second season. He may not have gotten the finale we have hoped for but the theme that Cage actually met an equal match was great. His performance was memorable and it offered an additional look into the cultural landscape that is New York City. – Joseph Aberl, Editor

This was a tough one, but I’m going against the grain and picking Bushmaster despite the fact that we’ll likely never see him again. Mustafa Shakir’s portrayal of the character really carried Season 2 of Luke Cage for me, especially considering the character’s relatively insignificant comic history. I had low expectations for this particular season, but he singlehandedly made it one of my highlights for 2018. – KJ Callahan, Feature Writer

Killmonger

The Rookie of the Year for me goes to Erik Killmonger. While seeing great commercial and critical success prior to 2018, the MCU had always had a villain problem. Many past villains were two-dimensional at best, a cutout of evil for the hero to prevail against. Enter Killmonger in February of 2018, a villain who is not only well rounded and fully fleshed-out, but who is actually correct in many ways. While his ideas and motives have become radicalized, his intentions cause our heroes to actually question their own actions and create a change in the characters in the end. Michael B. Jordan was perfect in this role, and Director Ryan Coogler used their previous working relationship to craft what is possibly the greatest villain the MCU has seen. His death scene is the cap to an amazing character with a fully completed arc, and you just might see me talking about that moment further in one of our future lists… – Kevin Carter, Editor

To me, it was either going to be Killmonger or Agent Nadeem from Daredevil Season 3. Ultimately had to give it to Erik Killmonger, whose haunting last words – Bury me in the ocean with my ancestors – was the slam dunk that made Black Panther one of the most significant films of the decade. – Charles Villanueva, Editor-in-Chief

Shuri

Who else? No saw her coming, no one could expect that one of the most talked about things of Black Panther would be T’Challa’s sister. If you told anyone that Shuri would become one of the MCU’s most beloved characters with so little screentime, few would have believed you. But she did, and now all we can do is hope to see her come back from the snap. – Tiago Fiszbejn, News Writer

Who are you favorite newcomers in the MCU this year? Let us know in the comments below!