I do like how hands-on Steppenwolf looks in this

That's because Loki has always been a weak villain. Hulk tossed him around like a rag doll. Then again, MCU villains have always been weak. The Chitauri had no superpowers. And Ronan the Big Bad Destroyer was defeated by a Dance-Off.

That's why MCU movies are so bad. The villains are so weak that they never present any serious threat to the heroes. Unlike DECU, where Zod and the Kryptonians were a serious threat in MoS and Steppenwolf is a serious threat in Justice League that even a badass like Aquaman thinks they're all going to die.