Since its inception in the 1960’s, the Marvel brand has evolved at a rapid and occasionally frightening pace.

From cult comic strip to its emergence as a cinematic universe in its own right, it has catapulted the traditional hero into the mainstream and created an increasingly diverse audience of fans around the world.

It has also delivered a slew of spectacular sci-fi hits during the course of its eight-year Hollywood run, many of which have generated millions of dollars in revenue. Despite this, it has yet to serve up a consistently excellent supply of villains, and the lack of viable adversaries for our favourite heroes exposes a critical flaw in the Marvel game plan.

How Netflix is helping Marvel to correct this flaw

Rivalry and the age-old battle of good vs. evil is one that remains central to the type of film that Marvel produce, while it also creates a scenario where viewers invest emotionally in the outcome of individual narratives. The best films from the long-running Bond franchise tend to be those that include the most memorable villains, for example, while the classic Superman films of the 1980’s were also driven by the machinations of evil geniuses.

Marvel can testify to this themselves, with some of their best films having thrived on the cultivation of a genuine rivalry between heroes and villains. Take the The Dark Knight, for example, which was driven by the performance of The Joker and clash of good against evil. The blockbusting Avengers starred the brilliant Loki, who stole the show and elevated the movie beyond the appeal of its heroes. With this experience in mind, it seems odd that Marvel has struggled to strike gold with its output.

Despite this, there have been signs of hope for the Marvel brand in recent times, as its partnership with Netflix and the development of television franchises have led to the creation of some promising villains. Take Daredevil, for example, as the iconic kingpin Wilson Fisk was expertly portrayed by Vincent D’Onofrio.

The consistently brooding and menacing Fisk was a constant presence throughout, while his performance also served as a reminder about the importance of good vs. evil.

Our final thoughts: Can Marvel continue to prosper on the back of evil?

In many respects, it may be argued that Marvel does not need to focus too intensely on the cultivation of consistently brilliant villains.

After all, it has enjoyed stellar success and growth as a brand during the last two decades in particular, inspiring a host of memorable films, innovative television hits and even some of the most popular online slots on the market.

It is this growth that inspires and drives the pursuit of perfection, however, while Marvel has the necessary resources and talent to correct any flaws that impact on its television output. The burgeoning partnership with Netflix offers genuine hope for the future, however, and suggests that Marvel may be well on their way to creating an army of adversaries to oppose their much-loved heroes.