The MCU convinced me that it secretly killed off a Marvel hero offscreen without telling us

The MCU convinced me that a Marvel hero had been killed before thunderbolts* After 7 years. While the MCU timeline is known for fake-out deaths that mirror the comics, the franchise also hasn’t been afraid to kill off characters permanently when the need arises. Many heroes and villains have met in various ways, and for every character who has returned after a series of deaths, there are some who find themselves – at least for the time being – permanently dead.

However, it is worth noting that these deaths tend to be focal features of the respective movies and shows they appear in, because the usual dramatic nature of a character dying on screen adds stakes to even the most outlandish superhero stories. This makes it all the more interesting to me that the MCU seems to have killed off a noteworthy character for thunderbolts* Seemingly between their last appearance and the upcoming MCU movie.

Ghost’s Thunderbolts * Story alludes to a hero’s death

The current storyline for Thunderbolts* hints at a potential character death

in The Official Marvel Podcast episode “Hear from the cast of Thunderbolts*, The Fantastic Four: First Steps, and more!”, a series of quotes are provided by the cast of thunderbolts*And while all of them provide interesting insight into the upcoming movie, it’s Ghost actor Hannah John-Kamen who I think provides the most thought-provoking comments. John-Kamen describes Ghost as, “A lone wolf, she is a loner, she is very alone, she is a survivor.“

The focus on being alone is a noteworthy description because Ava Starr was last seen in Ant-Man and the Wasp ran off with her mentor Bill Foster – aka Marvel hero Goliath – who hasn’t appeared in the main timeline since, and isn’t in the cast for thunderbolts* Although the full list has not yet been revealed. Although Foster could simply be away doing other things during this time, given his fatherly attachment to Ghost, it seems unlikely that he would be missing from her life and the story entirely if something had happened to him.

Looking at Bill Foster’s willingness to go on the run with Ava, it seems as if Foster would have been more likely to join the Thunderbolts with his adoptive daughter rather than leave her side. This makes his absence from the team a bit potentially telling, as his incredible intelligence and technological prowess would seemingly have offered him a spot on the team, even if it was one more on the sidelines.

Jail time after cutting the pair would be another possible scenario, but even then, it would make sense for the character to get a call or a dramatic moment with Ava to emphasize the situation at hand, making him part of the cast. Since Bill Foster also dies in the comics, it seems more than likely that Ghost’s current “Lone wolf“The behavior emerges from previously losing the one person who truly cares for youAnd that the MCU will have adapted the death of Goliath in some way.

Why the MCU Killing Bill Foster Would Make Sense for Thunderbolts*

Killing off Bill Foster would make sense on several different levels for the MCU

Unlike the previous reports that claimed thunderbolts* Was set to kill the entire cast in his story, killing Bill Foster wouldn’t change the MCU drastically, but would certainly improve the emotion and stakes of his story. If Ghost has lost Foster, her attachments to the Thunderbolts become all the more significantBecause they are the only real friends she has in her life.

Similarly, it is likely that Valentina Allegra de Fontaine would be able to play on this loss to add Ava to the team much as she is shown in the Black Widow Post-credits play on Yelena’s grief over losing Natasha, justifying the character’s inclusion in the group while also adding parallels between the two stories – and perhaps setting Valentina as a more morally void figure by manipulating yet another isolated figure towards her. own means.

Since Bill Foster died in the comics during the Civil War event – and Captain America: Civil War Released in 2016 without the character appearing – using his later death to heighten the personal stakes and smooth the Ghost’s storyline would seem potentially par for the course. With so many different character stories to include in the movie, it would also make sense to only mention this passage, as Foster currently does not appear to be in the cast of the movie. However, that doesn’t mean that the prospect of the character being killed off screen wouldn’t be a waste.

Why killing Bill Foster off-screen would be a waste

Bill Foster deserves a return to MCU screens

While signs appear to point to Bill Foster having completed his story before the events of thunderbolts* Even if that happens, hopefully Foster’s story can be covered by a flashback if that’s the case. Laurence Fishburne is not an announced part of the cast, but it does not appear that the full list of actors in the movie has been released, and indeed some names may not be disclosed until after the movie debut, to leave some names. Surprises.

Featuring this character would be crucial if the MCU’s Goliath is passed, as on a narrative level, not including this moment would not only gloss over the death, but also put a major moment of the Ghost’s arc on the backburner. thunderbolts* It will be deleted his work for balancing the stories of multiple main characters, but repeating the main arguments for The Avengers And his ensemble team simply sidelining some stories is not the solution.

Even though Ghost isn’t as focal a character as someone like Elena or Bucky Barnes, a moment like her losing her mentor needs to be on screenOr else the franchise risks making you essentially the Thunderbolts version of the Hulk. Putting Ghost on a notable team but not giving her story the pathos or significance that would suggest it requires would repeat the sins of the MCU’s past in a way that would be unideal, especially since audiences will likely remember less about her arc than They will. About more central MCU figures in the first place.

Even without all of this, the quality of Laurence Fishburne’s acting alone would make Killing Bill Foster off without showing it a real waste, as the actor’s own history in the profession – including notable roles in The Matrix and John Wick – makes him a natural Candidate to have on-screen in the franchise for as much time as possible. As such, there is always the hope that thunderbolts* Bringing Bill Foster back – and possibly even giving him the spotlight – as much as some darker possibilities are currently looking quite likely from my perspective.