8 Screen Villains Who Deserve A Wicked Origin Story Treatment

Every hero needs a villain — someone they can defeat and prove how good can prevail over evil. Yet, as a kid, watching countless movies that adhered to such a formula, I very rarely considered what made all of these villains evil to begin with. Were they always this way, or did tragic circumstances lead them down this unfortunate path? That is a large part of what made the Wicked story such an intriguing (and highly successful) Broadway production. Exploring the origin story of The Wicked Witch long before she inherited that title and understanding what motivated her actions forces you to look at the character in an entirely different way. Because, as it turns out, the idea of good and bad isn’t as black and white as you thought. Life can get complicated, even in the wonderful world of Oz.

So, in honor of the highly anticipated movie adaptation of Wicked, I thought it would be fun to consider what other popular villains deserve their own origin story treatment. Odds are that Elphaba isn’t the only baddie who’s been given a bad rap for all of these years. In fact, maybe some of these characters aren’t bad at all but simply misunderstood. It’s easy to root for a hero — but if you find yourself rooting for a villain? Now that’s cinema!

I say it’s time we gain a different perspective on some of the entertainment world’s most iconic villains and give these antagonists the spotlight they deserve.

Captain Hook (Peter Pan)

The 2015 film Pan gave viewers a taste of what a young Hook was like before he was ever the captain of the Jolly Roger and indicated that the swashbuckling pirate was actually a decent guy for a while. However, the movie ended before we got to see what caused him to change and become the infamous buccaneer we all love to hate. Sure, losing your hand to a crocodile would be enough to make anyone kinda grouchy, but he became Peter’s nemesis long before then since they were dueling when it happened. I need the details of how exactly this transformation occurred. Perhaps we’d discover that Peter had a hand (pun intended) in Hook’s downward spiral.

Ursula (The Little Mermaid)

Look, I’ve been trying to defend Ursula the sea witch for a while now, so I’d be very interested in an origin story for my tentacle-clad queen. A deep dive into when and why she was exiled from Atlantica in the first place could be really exciting to explore. Are there other switches like her, and if so, what became of them? How did she come into her powers? These are all details that could help to explain her future actions. It may not exonerate her completely (she was turning mermaids into polyps, after all), but it could help to humanize — or, um, sea creature-ize? — her in a way like never before.

Jafar (Aladdin)

Sure, we could assume that Jafar’s motives were as transparent as they appear: He’s simply a dude who desires money and power. But what if there’s a lot more to it than that? Was Jafar or his family formerly mistreated by the palace at some point, which led him down a path of revenge? I beg of you: Give this guy some more depth!

Agatha Trunchbull (Matilda)

Forcing someone to eat an entire chocolate cake in front of the whole school, spinning a girl by her braids, and launching her into the air — this woman didn’t just like to torture children; she was damn creative about it. I’m not sure what exactly happened to her to make her kill her brother and despise kids (while also choosing a profession that makes her be around them all the time), but you better believe I want to know. Then again, maybe I just have a soft spot for baddies named Agatha.

Lady Tremaine (Cinderella)

When it comes to the evil stepmother troupe, no one does it better than this woman. Regardless, it’d be worth exploring what her marriage was like to Cinderella’s father prior to his death. Were they really in love? Because anyone who’s experienced real grief knows how deep of an impact it can have, which may have played a part in Lady Tremaine’s behavior after he died. Not that it would excuse her actions, of course. But information is a powerful thing and could definitely change how she’s perceived moving forward.

The Queen of Hearts (Alice in Wonderland)

You know you're a badass when your signature catchphrase is "Off with their heads!" Seriously, she shouts this at people for even the most minor infractions. She is truly the OG boss bitch of Wonderland, and we love her for it. But, I mean, there's gotta be a story behind that, right? This girl must be obsessed with head removal for a reason, and I am dying to know what that reason is.

Judge Doom (Who Framed Roger Rabbit)

This guy hates tunes and makes a point of destroying them. And yet, he himself is a toon. That feels like some deep-rooted self loathing that is just asking to be explored further.

Scar (The Lion King)

There's no denying that this guy is bad news. Killing his brother and then sending hyena assassins to kill his nephew so he can take over the kingdom is inexcusable villain behavior. And yet, I still somehow kinda… love the guy?! Maybe it's because of his iconic solo number "Be Prepared," or perhaps it's just his snide, sassy one-liners. Either way, Scar is the true prima donna of Pride Rock, and I'm desperately looking for an excuse to root for this diva. Was Mufasa mean to him as a cub? Were they both in a lion band together (may I suggest the name Pride Rock and Prejudice?) until Mufasa broke it off to go be king? Is his name really Scar, or is that his emo way of expressing his wounds from the past? Disney, ~please~ give this diva the attention he's been craving.

Perhaps with a little understanding and encouragement, these screen villains' actions and reputations could be changed... for good.