As the MCU’s multiverse expands, the villain Whiplash could make a comeback as a significant hero due to his similarities to Tony Stark.
The Marvel Cinematic Universe has had its share of compelling villains, including Loki, Killmonger and, of course, Thanos. But audiences also had their share of cookie-cutter villains who only worked to obtain more power, such as Malekith, Ronan and Kaecilius. However, with the introduction of Marvel’s multiverse, viewers have seen interesting stories play out in things like Disney+’s What If…? And with all the possibilities of an endless multiverse, it’s possible that one particularly forgettable MCU villain could become one of its newest and most important heroes.
Iron Man was arguably the most popular hero within the MCU, and the presence of Tony Stark, even after his sacrifice in Avengers: Endgame, can be felt in so many other Marvel projects, particularly in the Tom Holland Spider-Man films. But Tony took time to grow into a noble hero. He started out as a pompous playboy who also led to the creation of many villains, including Mysterio, Vulture and Aldrich Killian. A lot of people have beef with Iron Man, but none of them came as close to replicating what made Tony special as much as Ivan Vanko, the Russian physicist also known as Whiplash.
Whiplash’s Fight for the Arc Reactor
Through Mickey Rourke’s Iron Man 2 villain, audiences learn that Anton Vanko, Ivan’s father, and Howard Stark came up with the initial designs for the arc reactor together. But while Howard’s intentions were noble — hoping for a clean energy source for humanity — Anton tried to sell the work to get rich. That resulted in his deportation back to the Soviet Union and subsequent exile to Siberia when he couldn’t deliver the technology on his own, fueling the rage of his son, Ivan. But even with Howard’s intentions for the arc reactor, Tony didn’t share the same ideals as his father until after his kidnapping by the Ten Rings Organization.
In 2008’s Iron Man, Tony Stark was a self-indulgent playboy who paid no attention to the affairs that Obadiah Stane, Stark Industries CEO, was conducting. Tony knew his company sold weapons but didn’t know all the details of who was purchasing them and how they were being utilized. He lived for high profits, fast cars and carefree flings and only realized his negative impact on the world after his traumatic capture. But if Tony was a man who didn’t care what his weapons did and whose hands they got into until his change of heart, how is that any different from Anton and Ivan? The character arcs are almost identical, but Tony got to complete his, with his time in the cave being a catalyst for change and leading to the growth of a hero who saved the entire universe.
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Marvel’s multiverse could propose an alternative timeline where Ivan successfully completed the arc reactor and continued to improve and rework the technology. Ivan would then experience a catalyst for change that allowed him to see the error of his and his father’s ways. In this timeline, it could be Whiplash who grew to become an Avenger, a mentor to Spider-Man and the one who protected the universe from intergalactic threats. In fact, instead of a Superior Iron Man introduction, a rumor that floated around during the buildup to Doctor Strange and The Multiverse of Madness, maybe audiences could have seen a benevolent Vanko, a Superior Whiplash.
As Jonathan Major’s Kang gets explored in upcoming films like Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania and Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, many heroes from different timelines will unite against the new threat. Mr. Fantastic, Professor X and Captain Carter are among the heroes fans know are waiting in their respective universal rings. But despite being up against those heavy hitters, a heroic Whiplash shouldn’t be off the table.
