The MCU has been going for more than ten years now. Along the way, the Marvel movies have introduced us to some of the most reprehensible villains in cinematic history. We’re thinking of the genocidal Thanos, the murderous Hela, and the devious Loki.
The new Marvel series Ironheart, though, will introduce possibly the worst MCU character yet (and not necessarily in a good way). New photos from the TV series set show Anthony Ramos is playing the MCU’s version of The Hood, aka Parker Robbins. The Hood is sort of like a mash-up of Doctor Strange and a random mugger.
Robbins was an ordinary thug until he had a chance encounter with a “Nisanti demon”. Killing the demon with a gun (someone should have told Father Karras that was an option), Robbins stole the monster’s magic cloak and boots, gaining powers in the process. Renaming himself The Hood, Robins then set out to build his own criminal empire in New York City.
The Hood has been a divisive character among comic book fans. While few had a problem with the character when Marvel introduced him, The Hood quickly wore out his welcome. Marvel was clearly keen on making Robbins the next big villain, and fans were annoyed that he was being treated with the same respect as the Spider-Man villain, Green Goblin and other high-profile bad guys.
Check out the photos of The Hood here.
Still, the MCU has made a name in recent years for redefining villains in new and exciting ways. Take The Vulture (Michael Keaton) in the Spider-Man movie Homecoming; that version of the character is far more complex than the comic’s version of Adrian Toomes.
We’re confident then that Marvel can work its magic again and make us like The Hood (and it helps that Ramos is pretty charming). Ironheart will tell the story of Riri Williams, a supersmart teen who becomes the new Iron Man after the death of Tony Stark.
The show is set for release in the Autumn of 2023. If you want to know more about the MCU’s future, check out our guide to Avengers 5, or if you liked Ramos’s appearance in In The Heights, we have a list of the best musicals.