Thanos, The Joker, and Lex Luther. What do all of these super-villains have in common? They all reigned victorious against the heroes that tried to bring them down. I have a confession to make. I secretly root for the bad guys. Now with Hollywood giving movie watchers more epic villains, it’s hard not to root for the bad guys to win.
Let’s be honest, we have all found ourselves wishing for the villain to prevail. For so long we have been shown the linear story of main characters fighting against a greater antagonist. It gets repetitive to have the same good versus evil trope. What makes movies and television shows truly memorable is connecting with the watchers on an emotional level. There is no stronger emotion than fear. Everyone remembers their reaction to when Thanos wiped out half of the Avengers. People remember when the Volturi ripped off the heads of our beloved vampires in “Twilight.” Luckily, TV and film are reimagining bad guys to make audiences hate to love them.
The latest trend in the cinema industry is sharing stories from the antagonist’s point of view. Shows like “Lucifer,” “Breaking Bad,” and “You” made us fall in love with the character even though we know they are fundamentally wrong. These main characters break the traditional mold of who the audience should root for. The change in story structure is so great that it makes us glued to the screen waiting to see what happens next. Even though the antagonist cheats, lies, and possibly kills, it doesn’t matter to the viewer. We cheer them on, scheme with them, and sympathize with what the characters had to go through.
What makes a great story is a great opposition. There is something eerily satisfying watching an anti-hero accomplish their goals. I personally believe what makes a classic villain is a dark backstory, strong motivation to achieve their goals, clever, convinced that their cause is for justice, and a splash of charm. It’s time to let villains win! Show the audience something unexpected and open up the possibilities for heroes to have greater comebacks.
I root for the villain because I’m ready to see something new. I’m curious about how the protagonist will react to a foe that has a bigger personality than them. Although I do not condone the methods anti-hero used to get their point across, they make for interesting characters. I like to analyze their thought process and study what made them lash out in a negative way.
There are a plethora of TV shows and movies that will feature the villain as the main character coming out this year. Harley Quinn and her ultimate super-villain group are back causing chaos in “Suicide Squad 2.” The movie is set to debut on Aug. 6. After being pushed back for months, the release date of the sequel to 2018’s “Venom” is set to be Sept. 17. “Venom: Let There Be Carnage” is based on two of Spiderman’s arch-nemeses. Lastly, Disney’s “Cruella” starring Emma Stone will be released on May 23. The movie will feature the origin story of Cruella De Vil, one of Disney’s most infamous villains.
Whether it’s Erik Killmonger from “Black Panther,” Deadshot from “Suicide Squad,” or Regina George from “Mean Girls,” anti-heroes capture our hearts. Don’t feel bad for siding with the villain. Next time you are streaming a show or movie, instead of solely cheering for the protagonist, allow yourself to drift into the dark side and root for the villain.