10 villains who were ruined by TMI

TwitterFacebook

It’s Villain Week here at Mashable. In honor of the release of Venom, we’re celebrating all our favorite evildoers from film and TV all week long. Spooky, scary!


We’re all in on onscreen villains, but their backstories don’t always turn out so compelling. So it goes in pop culture, when ever-expanding franchises, sequels, and reboots build out entire plot lines and character traits we never wanted or needed. 

A little mystery can go a long way in a villain-driven franchise (related: we are terrified for the Joker movies), but the names on this list were ruined with too much background. Read more…

More about Entertainment, Television, Movies, Villains, and Villain Week

View More 10 villains who were ruined by TMI

9 times Villanelle from ‘Killing Eve’ was the most terrifying TV villain

TwitterFacebook

It’s Villain Week here at Mashable. In honour of the release of Venom, we’re celebrating all our favourite evildoers from film and TV all week long. Spooky, scary!

Warning: Contains blood-splattered spoilers for Killing Eve.

Creating a character that’s genuinely terrifying is probably just as hard as creating one that’s genuinely funny. But creating one that ticks both of those boxes is truly impressive.

Enter Villanelle, the highly eccentric — and highly unnerving — assassin from the BBC’s recent thriller Killing Eve

Played expertly by Jodie Comer, Villanelle manages to switch from funny to frightening in the blink of an eye — and she’s all the more scary for it. Read more…

More about Uk, Bbc, Villain Week, Killing Eve, and Entertainment

View More 9 times Villanelle from ‘Killing Eve’ was the most terrifying TV villain

What loving Severus Snape taught me about myself

TwitterFacebook

It’s Villain Week here at Mashable. In honor of the release of Venom, we’re celebrating all our favorite evildoers from film and TV all week long. Spooky, scary!

I remember the precise moment I finally understood my dark fascination with Professor Snape — that greasy-haired, hook-nosed, black billowing robe of terror who stalked the halls of Hogwarts.

The Occlumency lessons with Harry backfired for the first time in Order of the Phoenix, and suddenly we were in Snape’s memories. And for the first time, I glimpsed the boy that would grow into the terrifying Potions Master:

It was just a passing image, but my throat clenched, breath caught. Because here was this scene I’d seen play out so many times in my own life. And an experience I never imagined I shared in common with the foreboding, formidable man I thought I knew after four lengthy books. Read more…

More about Entertainment, Harry Potter, J.K. Rowling, Severus Snape, and Villain Week

View More What loving Severus Snape taught me about myself

Marvel had a huge villain problem. Then Phase 3 happened.

TwitterFacebook

There is no point in a hero without a villain. 

Captain America is just a guy in a suit if he’s not championing the ideals of truth, honor, and freedom against someone who believes the opposite. Spider-Man needs to do more than web up muggers — he needs to take down the head honcho whose greed is causing all of the crime. 

A good villain can make a hero more heroic by comparison. A bad one can feel like a total waste of a hero’s time. 

Until Phase 3 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, most of their villains felt like wastes of time. 

More about Guardians Of The Galaxy, Black Panther, Thor Ragnarok, Villain Week, and Marvel Villains

View More Marvel had a huge villain problem. Then Phase 3 happened.

What do Ross Geller and Scott Pilgrim have in common?

TwitterFacebook

It’s Villain Week here at Mashable. In honor of the release of Venom, we’re celebrating all our favorite evildoers from film and TV all week long. Spooky, scary!


There are a lot of male protagonists in pop culture that aren’t actually heroes. They think they’re heroes. We’re supposed to think they’re heroes. But they actually suck.

I’m talking about characters like Ross Geller from Friends, Scott Pilgrim from Scott Pilgrim. Guys who think they’ve done nothing wrong and everything right, but in actuality they’ve caused a lot of pain and problems.

More about Friends, Scott Pilgrim, Villain Week, Entertainment, and Movies Tv Shows

View More What do Ross Geller and Scott Pilgrim have in common?

Could Cruella De Vil’s serial killer grandfather appear in Disney prequel?

TwitterFacebook

It’s Villain Week here at Mashable. In honor of the release of Venom, we’re celebrating all our favorite evildoers from film and TV all week long. Spooky, scary!


Believe it or not, 101 Dalmatians can get way darker than puppy murder—a disturbing fact that might make Disney’s upcoming prequel even better than expected. 

In January 2016, the first rumors of Emma Stone starring in Disney’s Cruella De Vil origin story hit The Hollywood Reporter. And the internet went barking mad. 

Black and white fan art plastered Tumblr. Dozens of tweets predicted what fresh hell the fur-wearing witch would raise. And Disney lovers across the board eagerly awaited hitting “purchase” on Fandango.  Read more…

More about Disney, Emma Stone, Prequel, Villain Week, and Cruella De Vil

View More Could Cruella De Vil’s serial killer grandfather appear in Disney prequel?