The heroes of Marvel Cinematic Universe and other Marvel films sometimes don’t survive the events of their own films. The long history of Marvel films predates the MCU film timeline, with many characters from the comics adapted for the big screen over the years. With so many different stories to adapt and different film continuities, there have been many occasions where heroes have died as a result of their heroic duty.
Over the course of the MCU films, the continued potential of a shared universe has caused death to become less frequent and often impermanent. However, that’s not to say that no MCU heroes die, as some meet their end during a film’s climax only to return in a sequel. In fact, many heroes have been killed off on the big screen in various franchises, and here are 10 examples of times Marvel movies killed off the hero in the end.
10
Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)
Mercury Didn’t Survive the Battle of Sokovia
Avengers: Age of Ultron saw the Maximoff twins’ full debut in the MCU, first serving as villains before becoming a hero in the third act. Wanda and Pietro – or Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver – joined the Avengers to help stop Ultron from wiping out humanity, with the speedster in particular proving to be an important hero during the Battle of Sokovia. In one of the most surprising moments in the MCU, Quicksilver died saving Hawkeye’s life in the last stages of the film.
Quicksilver’s death was a shocking twist, especially since it came so soon after his introduction. However, her heroic sacrifice redeemed her previous villainous actions and proved to be an important part of Wanda’s character arc. He is also one of the few MCU heroes whose death appears to have been permanent, coming at the end of Age of Ultron and has not reappeared since.
9
Black Widow (2021)
Black Widow’s death occurred after the events of her solo film
Black Widow’s death occurs in a bizarre place in her MCU timeline, as it actually occurred before her final appearance in the franchise. After being introduced in 2010 in Iron Man 2Natasha Romanov’s Black Widow became a founding Avenger and one of the franchise’s most prominent heroines, leading to her eventual death in Avengers: Endgame to obtain the Soul Stone. However, she reappeared on the big screen two years later in a solo film set before the events of End of the game.
Naturally, Black Widow was alive during her own film. Although she survived the events of the film, Black WidowThe post-credits scene jumped forward in the timeline to show Natasha’s grave, meaning she was actually dead at the end of the film. It was an interesting way to explore the future of the MCU and Black Widow’s legacy, quietly confirming that the film was the last appearance in the Romanov franchise.
8
Thor: Love and Thunder (2022)
Jane Foster’s illness cost her life in the end
After nearly a decade of absence from the MCU, Jane Foster returned as part of the cast of Thor: Love and Thunder. Not only did Foster return, but he returned as the Mighty Thor, his heroic alter ego armed with Mjolnir and capable of controlling Thor’s power. The film saw her fight alongside her former Asgardian love interest while also battling a terminal illness.
After chasing Gorr, the Butcher of Gods, into Eternity, Jane and Thor were unable to stop the villain. Thor: Love and ThunderJane’s finale succumbs to illness, passing away in Thor’s arms and awakening in Valhalla in the film’s post-credits scene. Although her time as a hero in the MCU was relatively short-lived, Love and thunder I finally saw Jane Foster die at the end from his first appearance as Mighty Thor.
7
X-Men: The Last Stand (2006)
Professor X was killed by the Phoenix
X-Men: The Last Stand is often considered one of the worst films in Fox’s X-Men franchise. The film’s mishandling of several X-Men stories from the comics earned the ire of many, and also saw the unceremonious deaths of two of the film’s most prominent mutant characters. Marvel Universe. The first comes at the beginning of the film, when Cyclops is killed off-screen by the Phoenix. The other comes later, as the third act of the film begins with the death of Professor X.
Professor X’s death is what sets off the final battle, in which the mutants attack Alcatraz Island and the source of the mutant cure. The last Standthe inexpressive way he dealt with Xavier’s death was short-livedas the final moments of the film tease his survival through telepathic means. However, as his physical body was completely disintegrated by the Phoenix, it is fair to say that The last Stand it certainly killed him.
6
Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)
Groot died protecting his friends
Guardians of the Galaxy was one of the MCU’s most surprising hits, as the 2014 film adapted one of Marvel Comics’ lesser-known teams for the big screen. James Gunn’s first MCU film was able to capture the imagination of a wide audience and was praised for its comedy as well as its surprising emotional pull. Leading the film’s climactic battle, Groot sacrifices himself to protect his friends.
Groot’s supposed death does not make him absent from future films. A seedling of Groot was rescued from the rubble, eventually growing into a new Groot who takes a place on the team. Even so, Groot as he originally existed in Guardians of the Galaxy He didn’t make it out of his debut film alive, thanks to the heroic sacrifice he made to save his companions.
5
X2: X-Men United
Jean Gray sacrificed herself for her fellow mutants
X2: X-Men United It helped establish the superhero genre as a force to be reckoned with at the box office, but it also ended with a heroic death. After the attack on William Stryker’s base, the X-Men’s attempts to escape the dam are paralyzed by the X-Jet’s loss of power. Running out, Jean Gray uses her telepathy to lift the jet into the air and hold the water long enough to save her friends. although the water then claims his life.
Jean Grey’s death is a tragic but heroic sacrifice that happens right at the end of X2the story. Although his fitness returned in X-Men: The Last Stand Possessed by the Phoenix Force, the end of X2 marked the death of Jean Gray as a mutant hero in the initial X-Men trilogy. The film’s depiction of his death was incredibly heroic, setting a template for future films in the genre.
4
Venom: The Last Dance (2024)
Venom Didn’t Survive Its Film Trilogy
The third and final film in Sony’s Venom trilogy Venom: The Last Dancegave the titular symbiote a memorable send-off. The film saw the introduction of the powerful villain Knull, whose Xenophages invaded Earth and threatened all of humanity. After the previous two films established Eddie Brock and Venom’s symbiotic relationship and then introduced other symbiotes, Venom: The Last Dance promised a compelling conclusion to the trilogy.
As it turned out, Poison 3The end of Venom not only marked the end of the film trilogy, but also the end of Venom. The symbiote chose to sacrifice itself to stop the Xenophagessaying an emotional goodbye to his human host before dying in the most heroic way possible. While there is still potential for more symbiote-focused films in Sony’s franchise, Venom’s death at the end of Venom: The Last Dance dismisses his own chances of a cinematic future.
3
Logan (2017)
Wolverine’s healing factor eventually failed
Hugh Jackman’s role as Wolverine has been widely cited as one of the best castings in comic book movie history. After several appearances in the role, Jackman returned for what was billed as his final performance of 2017. Logan. Although the death was later undone with the MCU Multiverse facilitating Jackman’s return, Logan gave the hero an unforgettable final chapter and a suitably heroic and poetic death.
With his healing factor failing, Logan fights one last time to protect a group of young mutants fleeing persecution. Logan is forced to fight his own evil clone, with the fight eventually claiming both their lives. LoganThe ending shows Wolverine die with dignitysaving his own daughter as well as several other young mutants in a final act of heroism before taking what was originally intended to be his final bow.
2
Avengers: Endgame (2019)
Iron Man died defeating Thanos
As the franchise’s first hero, Iron Man played an important role in the MCU’s Infinity Saga. Founding Avenger and one of the team’s main leaders, Tony Stark and his inventions helped establish many heroes in the MCU. His narrative arc over the course of his multiple film appearances has seen him gradually grow from a self-centered billionaire genius to a selfless and genuinely inspiring hero.
To stop Thanos for good, Iron Man gathers the Infinity Stones during the Battle of Earth and puts the Mad Titan out of existence. Doing so takes Stark’s life, which means his final act was to save an immeasurable number of lives from Thanos’ wrath. His death occurs in the final scenes of Avengers: Endgamemarking one of the few occasions where the MCU killed off a major hero permanently.
1
Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
Thanos’ snap killed half the Avengers
In what may have been one of the most shocking twists in comic book movie history, Avengers: Infinity War ended on a devastating note. After spending the film fighting to stop Thanos from gathering and using the Infinity Stones, the Avengers are unable to defeat the Mad Titan. Thanos manages to achieve his goal, destroying half of all life in the universe, including the Avengers.
Infinity War ends with half the Avengers turning to dust before their teammates’ eyes. The final moments of the film show the surviving MCU heroes in total shock when Thanos’ plan succeeds and several heroes meet their end within seconds. Although it was later scrapped, the ending of Infinity War saw several heroes die, making it one of the darkest moments in the history of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the broader world of Marvel films.