Spoiler Alert: This article contains spoilers for the MCU.Beginning with Iron Man back in 2008, the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) has presented the world with one of the biggest entertainment franchises in history. The franchise has had ups and downs; some films drastically outshine others. Still, one thing is certain: the narrative intricately constructed and woven through each movie in the MCU is ever-growing. It creates a much larger story than its individual parts that ensures fans will watch every installment regardless of its ratings or acclaim. Hence, no one misses out on the big picture. However, the elaborate narratives intertwined in the MCU are not limited to the silver screen either. With the MCU expanding into television series like Ms. Marvel, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, and the upcoming Secret Invasion, it has become an all-encompassing, multi-headed beast. The MCU lore is a bit different from the comics, but this is on purpose, as Kevin Feige wants to create something unique and not simply a rehashing.

Updated June 27, 2023: This article has been updated to reflect the recent entries in the MCU and the characters we lost along the way.

In 2023, the MCU entered Phase 5, and over the course of the first four phases, there have been many losses along the way. Then again, some were not so tragic since most of the villains had it coming. The point is that death has been a big part of the MCU thus far. No popular superhero movie, or blockbuster, really, is much good without stakes. There have been a few "fake deaths" throughout the years, such as Nick Fury in Captain America: Civil War or characters that died and came back to life, like Marc Spector in Moon Knight. In this list, the focus is on the ones who stayed dead, or at least are still. Many major characters have officially died across all the MCU's films and series (and counting). And who knows? Maybe some names on this list won't stay dead in the near future. Look at what happened during Avengers: Endgame, half of all life in the universe was finally brought back.

To that point, and as previously stated, anyone who has died and was brought back to life, such as everyone dusted away in Avengers: Infinity War, will not be included on this list, as they are now alive. With that aside, here is a current list of every major death that has happened in the MCU:

Ho Yensen

The first major death in the MCU is one of the most important. Ho Yensen was a fellow scientist who was captured by the Ten Rings and helped Tony Stark build his Mark 1 Iron Man suit. Yensen sacrifices himself to give Tony Stark a second chance at his life and tells him not to waste it. This heroic act sends Tony Stark down the path to becoming Iron Man, which will change the MCU forever.

Obadiah Stane

Tony Stark's ally and friend of his father, Obadiah Stane, turned out to be the main villain in Iron Man. Stane, played by Jeff Bridges, ended up meeting his demise in the movie's climactic battle.

Ivan Vanko / Whiplash

Played by Mickey Rourke, Ivan Vanko was the primary antagonist of Iron Man 2. While Sam Rockwell's Justin Hammer made it out alive, the same could not be said for Vanko. The villain blew himself up in the movie's final battle, marking a definitive end for the baddie.

Dr. Abraham Erskine

Played by Stanley Tucci, Dr. Abraham Erskine was the man responsible for ensuring Steve Rogers was the man chosen to be America's super soldier. Unfortunately, the man responsible for making Captain America also died at the hands of Hydra in Captain America: The First Avenger.

Phil Coulson

Played by Clark Gregg, Phil Coulson was a highly decorated S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, as well as Nick Fury's right-hand man and his liaison to the Avengers. Agent Coulson died after being literally stabbed in the back by Loki with the Scepter in Marvel's The Avengers. Although the character seemed to be resurrected in ABC's Agents of SHIELD, it was later revealed that the series was no longer canon to the MCU. Phil Coulson is officially dead, as confirmed in the season premiere of Loki.

Aldrich Killian

Guy Pearce's Aldrich Killian was at the center of the action in Iron Man 3. While the great Ben Kingsley's The Mandarin was positioned as the villain in the trailers, it was Killian who was pulling the strings. But Tony Stark defeated Killian, who, pretty definitively, died in a fiery blaze.

Frigga

Frigga was Thor's mother in the MCU. Played by Rene Russo, she was the God of Thunder's rock in many ways. Whereas Odin had to impart tough lessons to his Asgardian son, Frigga was a motherly, though the quite powerful, figure in his life. Sadly, Frigga was a major casualty of Thor: The Dark World.

Though not widely considered to be one of the stronger entries in the franchise, to say the least of it, Frigga's death had a lasting impact. Even though she died in the movie, we did get to see Russo in the role once more in Avengers: Endgame during the time heist. But make no mistake, she is dead.

Kurse (Algrim the Strong)

Portrayed by Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Algrim the Strong was a lieutenant of the Dark Elves' leader Malekith. He did not hesitate to sacrifice his own life to be transformed into the last of the Kursed to gain revenge on Asgard in Thor: The Dark World. In his final moments, Loki activated one of Kurse's black hole grenades on his belt and destroyed the Kursed monster's body once and for all.

Malekith

Played by Christopher Eccleston, Malekith was the cruel and malevolent leader of the Dark Elves. He led his people in a war against the Asgardians, using an ancient weapon known as the Aether. During the final battle in Thor: The Dark World, Malekith was crushed by his own warship and died once and for all.

Jasper Sitwell

The S.H.I.E.L.D. agent who was secretly a Hydra agent, Jasper Sitwell, portrayed by Maximiliano Hernandez, died at the hands of The Winter Soldier in Captain America: The Winter Soldier. That's what he got for giving Steve Rogers some crucial info.

Alexander Pierce

As portrayed by the legendary Robert Redford, Alexander Pierce served as the head of S.H.I.E.L.D. Nick Fury's closest ally died in Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Pierce was actually at the top of Hydra's ranks and was bested by his former friend Nick Fury. Pierce was shot multiple times on screen. Though he appeared in the time travel section of Avengers: Endgame, Pierce is good and truly dead.

Groot

As for Groot, the adult Groot fans knew in Guardians of the Galaxy sacrificed himself to save his friends at the end of the movie. However, Rocket ended up planting a piece of the deceased Groot to grow into a new Groot. So he is alive, it's just not technically the same one audiences got to know in the first film.

Ronan

Ronan was the main villain in James Gunn's film Guardians of the Galaxy. Given Thanos' brief appearance, it's hard to call him the biggest baddie in the film, but he was the central focus. In the end, Star-Lord and the gang managed to defeat Ronan through slightly unconventional means, as the whole battle started with a dance-off. It ended with the evildoer being destroyed by the Infinity Stone he coveted so dearly.

Baron Wolfgang von Strucker

Thomas Kretschmann's Strucker was a member of Hydra responsible for helping to create Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver. He did not get a lot of screen time, dying by Ultron's hand in Avengers: Age of Ultron.

Quicksilver

This is one of the few major superheroes who died and stayed dead in the MCU. Aaron Taylor-Johnson played the brother of Elizabeth Olson's Wanda Maximoff, aka Scarlet Witch. The two started as allies of Ultron, seeking vengeance against Earth's Mightiest Heroes. But they eventually switched sides, teaming up with the Avengers to defeat Ultron and his robot army.

In a selfless and daring moment, Quicksilver swooped in to save the life of Hawkeye and a young boy who were about to be mowed down in a hail of gunfire. Quicksilver was killed in a courageous act. He has yet to return to the MCU as of this writing, and there is no real indication his death is ever going to be reversed.

Ultron

Tony Stark and Bruce Banner had good intentions in Avengers: Age of Ultron. They wanted to provide the world with a suit of armor for the next time it faced a threat from another world, much like with Loki. But the whole thing backfired, and Ultron, portrayed by James Spader, was created. Tony's evil creation caused a lot of collateral damage in the process but, in the end, the Avengers, with the help of the newly-created Vision, were able to conquer Ultron. The villain has stayed dead since his on-screen demise, though it is not impossible to imagine Ultron, in some shape or form, returning to the MCU at some point.

Crossbones

Played by Frank Grillo, Brock Rumlow was a HYDRA infiltrator who had been posing as a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent and STRIKE's team field commander. After suffering several horrific facial scars, he assumed a new codename of Crossbones. He died by blowing up his own bomb vest in an attempt to kill Captain America during Captain America: Civil War.

Peggy Carter

There aren't many examples like that of Peggy Carter in the MCU. Not only did Hayley Atwell's character go on to become a true fan favorite, but she didn't die a horrible death at the hands of a villain. She didn't die heroically in battle, either. Peggy Carter, Steve Rogers' best girl, died of old age in Captain America: Civil War. Peggy lived a long, successful life. She helped to found S.H.I.E.L.D. and ascended the ranks of the government; in the end (and in Avengers: Endgame, to be specific), she got to live out her life with Steve Rogers. She is one of the few characters in the world of superhero movies who will have the chance to go out like this. Peggy Carter lived one hell of a life in the MCU.

Related: Marvel TV: How Each Show Fits Into the MCU

A variant of Peggy Carter also died in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, where she was the superhero Captain Carter and was killed by the Scarlet Witch.

T'Chaka

Black Panther is a mantle that is passed down. There is no one person associated with the protector of Wakanda. As we saw in Captain America: Civil War, T'Challa, played by the late Chadwick Boseman, had to watch his father, T'Chaka, die at the hands of Zemo. As a result, T'Challa took up the mantle of Black Panther, seeking vengeance for his father's murder. Though he did not have a ton of screen time, T'Chaka's influence carried over into Black Panther, which went on to become one of the biggest and most important films in the history of the MCU, so his passing was unquestionably major.

Howard Stark and Maria Stark

Howard Stark has been a big presence in the MCU since the beginning. Maria Stark, though not as prominent on screen, was Tony Stark's mom. As Tony Stark so eloquently put it when he found out that his parents were both killed at the hands of Bucky Barnes in Captain America: Civil War, "I don't care, he killed my mom."

The death of Tony's parents became the turning point in this movie, and the fact that Cap's oldest friend had committed the murder added true conflict, driven by emotion, on both sides. While Tony and Cap were at odds over the accords, it was the reveal of the death of Howard and Maria Stark that drove the Avengers apart in the end. These deaths were at the very center of one of the biggest events in the MCU to date. It doesn't get much more major than that.

The Ancient One

Doctor Strange would not be Doctor Strange without The Ancient One. Controversially played by Tilda Swinton in 2016's Doctor Strange, she quickly asserted herself as one of the more powerful beings we had encountered in the MCU to date. With a masterful understanding of the Mystic Arts, The Ancient One was one of the true protectors of Earth. But even through her questionable use of dark magic, a sorcerer this powerful could not stop her own death.

As we saw, she had been able to look through time and was never able to see beyond the moment of her passing. There was a reason for that. It was simply her time to go. This helped fuel Stephen Strange to fulfill his destiny and become The Sorcerer Supreme. Luckily, we got a little more time with The Ancient One in Avengers: Endgame, though chronologically speaking, she is still dead.

Ego

Played by Kurt Russell in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Ego, aka "The Living Planet," turned out to be Star-Lord's father. That's why the half-human from Earth was able to wield the power of an Infinity Stone for as long as he did without it killing him. But, as we came to find, Star-Lord's alien dad had an evil side to him. As a result, the Guardians had to band together to defeat him. There was no saving the universe without killing Ego. But, as we'll discuss here in a minute, Ego may have been Star-Lord's biological father, but he wasn't his real daddy.

Yondu Udonta

One could easily make the argument that Yondu, portrayed by Michael Rooker, is the most impactful death we have seen in the MCU to date. The character was introduced in the first Guardians of the Galaxy as more of an adversary, though he had a soft spot for Peter Quill, aka Star-Lord. In Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, director James Gunn provided a great deal of depth to Yondu, positioning him as a caring, complex father figure.

To save Star-Lord, Yondu heroically sacrificed himself. Speaking of Ego, after swooping in to save the day, Yondu says, "He may have been your father boy, but he wasn't your daddy." This paves the way for the intensely emotional Ravager funeral sequence that closes out the movie. Let us never forget that before Yondu died a hero's death, he got the now-infamous line, "I'm Mary Poppins, y'all."

Odin

Similar to Peggy Carter, albeit in a very different way, after leading a very different life, Thor's father Odin, played by the legendary Anthony Hopkins, got to go out on his own terms in Thor: Ragnarök. He was not killed by Hela, and he did not die in a blaze of bloody glory defending Asgard. Once Loki and Thor located their father on Earth, it was simply his time to go. After some 5,000 years or so, Odin got to gracefully disappear into the wind in a touching moment. It was, in some ways, the calm before the storm as Hela arrived to claim Asgard for herself in Odin's absence. That adds even more weight to Odin's passing, aside from the fact that Thor's father, a truly powerful figure within the MCU, had moved on.

The Warriors Three (Fandral, Hogun, Volstagg)

Thor's closest allies, Fandral, Hogun, and Volstagg, appeared in both Thor and Thor: The Dark World. But they didn't last long once Hela arrived in Thor: Ragnarök. They all died brutally, though Hogun, in particular, gave it a noble effort.

Skurge the Executioner

Unfortunately, Karl Urban wasn't in the MCU for long, either. He played Skurge in Thor: Ragnarök. After having a change of heart at the end of the movie, Skurge died trying to save some of his fellow Asgardians.

Hela

Speaking of Hela, no matter how powerful Thor's estranged sister, the Goddess of Death, was, she couldn't escape death. Following a heroic battle to save the people of Asgard, Cate Blanchett's Hela and Thor had a big, epic fight, which resulted in Thor losing his eye. It was realized that the only way to save Asgard, a people, not a place, they had to destroy Asgard. The wrath of Surtur was called upon to demolish the home of the Asgardians, and Hela went down in flames with it. There is no reason to think, powerful though she may have been, that Hela could have survived that grand finale.

Surtur

Portrayed by Taika Waititi and voiced by Clancy Brown, Surtur was a Fire Demon and lord of Muspelheim. During Thor: Ragnarök, Surtur fulfilled the prophecy of Ragnarök by destroying Asgard along with Hela and himself in the process.

Ulysses Klaue

Andy Serkis got to be on-screen, in the flesh, in the MCU as Ulysses Klaue. This is a relative rarity for the actor, who is known for his brilliant motion-capture work with characters like Gollum in Lord of the Rings, Caesar in Planet of the Apes, and Snoke in Star Wars. Here, Serkis got to have some fun and go off the rails as a shameless, ruthless arms dealer.

We first met Klaue in Avengers: Age of Ultron, where he lost his hand in dealing Vibranium to Ultron. Klaue got a much larger role in Black Panther as a secondary antagonist alongside Killmonger. Ultimately, after evading T'Challa, Klaue is killed by Killmonger. It wasn't glamorous, but the gunshot that did Kalue in was definitive. It is very unlikely we'll see Serkis again in the MCU unless he comes back as another character entirely.

Zuri

One of T'Challa's most trusted allies, Forest Whitaker's Zuri became a quick casualty of Killmonger's takeover after he revealed himself as the one who betrayed Kilmonger's father.

Erik Killmonger

The primary villain in director Ryan Coogler's groundbreaking Black Panther was Killmonger, as portrayed by Michael B. Jordan. The MCU is not always known for having great villains, but Killmonger is largely considered to be one of the best of the bunch. A Wakandan by blood, Eric Killmonger was essentially abandoned by his people as a child. He spent his life as a mercenary, learning how to become a lethal killer.

Eventually, he returns to Wakanda to take the throne away from T'Challa. His plan works, and further, Killmonger hoped to have Wakandans rule the world to bring about a more civilized age. T'Challa was revived with the help of M'Baku. After a brutal battle, Killmonger was stabbed and on his deathbed. T'Challa offered to help his Wakandan family member. However, Killmonger opted for death, saying, "Bury me in the ocean, with my ancestors that jumped from the ships, because they knew death was better than bondage."

Heimdall

Heimdall is, or at least was, one of the most powerful figures in the MCU. Not only did he prove himself to be deadly in combat, but Idris Elba's Asgardian character was the man in control of the Bifrost, in addition to being all-seeing and all-hearing. But even someone that powerful has limits. When the Asgardian refugee ship was attacked by Thanos and the Black Order, as witnessed in the opening of Avengers: Infinity War, Heimdall became a casualty of the battle.

In a last-ditch effort to help save the universe, he called upon the Bifrost one last time to send Hulk/Bruce Banner to Earth to warn his fellow Avengers about the impending arrival of Thanos. Understandably, the Mad Titan did not take kindly to this and killed Heimdall with a brutal stab. But without Heimdall's last action, who knows if the Avengers had been able to, eventually, stop Thanos once and for all. Heimdall did return in a small cameo in the post-credit scene of Thor: Love and Thunder, where it was revealed that his spirit resides in Valhalla.

Loki

The opening minutes of Avengers: Infinity War were brutal. Heimdall, near-countless Asgardians, and yes, Thor's mischievous brother Loki all died at the hands of Thanos and his Black Order. Tom Hiddleston's Loki always existed in a gray area. At times, a straight-up villain, like in The Avengers. Other times, he was an ally, like at the end of Thor: Ragnarök, and a kind of antihero on TV.

In his final moments, Loki attempted, nobly and foolishly, to pull one last trick and kill Thanos. But it didn't pan out. Thanos detected Loki's deception and stopped the trickster god's blade before it hit his neck. Instead, Thanos strangled Loki to death in a particularly brutal fashion. While a variant of Loki is alive in the MCU, the Loki audiences had grown to love is truly dead.

Gamora

This is somewhat ambiguous. Gamora did die in Infinity War, but because of time travel, her variant version of herself from the past returned in Endgame. So, technically, the original Gamora is dead, but a variant of Gamora is alive in the MCU and recently appeared in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. It's complicated.

The Black Order

The Black Order, also known as the Children of Thanos, was an elite team comprised of powerful individuals who used their abilities to serve their adoptive father Thanos. All members were killed in Avengers: Infinity War before returning in Avengers: Endgame due to time travel and then... died all over again.

Vision

Another major casualty of Avengers: Infinity War, and one that stuck, Paul Bettany's Vision, possessed the Mind Stone. It was part of him. As such, that put him right in the crosshairs of Thanos, as the evil being needed all six Infinity Stones to wipe out half of all life in the universe. The Wakandans were looking to remove the Mind Stone from Vision so that he could live and they could better protect the stone.

But the plan failed as Vision ultimately did his best to help fight the good fight. Unfortunately, Thanos was able to use the Time Stone to ensure he could strip the Mind Stone from Vision, leaving him for dead. Wanda tried her best to save him, but she couldn't fight the power of time. Vision was not resurrected in Avengers: Endgame because of the way he died. Things are a bit dicey now as he's returned in WandaVision on Disney+. Though, so far as we can tell, he might actually be alive again as the White Vision.

Mar-Vell

A Kree Scientist under the alias of Dr. Wendy Lawson, Mar-Vell was Carol Danvers' mentor. She spent her time on Earth working on Project P.E.G.A.S.U.S. attempting to harness the power of the Tesseract. After betraying the Kree to help the Skrull refugees, she was shot to death by Yon-Rogg in Captain Marvel.

Black Widow

There are few deaths in the MCU that have ever likely hit audiences as hard as the death of Black Widow. Everyone always knew that the stakes would be high in Avengers: Endgame. Be that as it may, it was still hard to believe that Marvel would kill off Scarlett Johannson's Natasha Romanoff. But the Avengers needed the Soul Stone, or their plan to undo Thanos' snap would fail. While Natasha and Clint fought valiantly to keep one another alive, it was Black Widow who gave her life so that half of the universe could live.

Thanos

Part of the issue with villains in the MCU is that many of them are one-and-done. Thanos, on the other hand, was a long-term play, first appearing in the post-credits scene of The Avengers. Over the years, he appeared here and there before finally arriving, in true fashion, in Avengers: Infinity War. Thanos, played by Josh Brolin, was on a quest to gather all of the Infinity Stones so that he could restore balance to the universe. Or, to put it another way, murder half of all life in the universe.

Thanos succeeded and disappeared at the end of Infinity War, paving the way for the Avengers to try and undo his snap in Endgame. Thor beheaded Thanos, rather surprisingly, in the opening minutes of the movie. But then, during the time heist, Thanos from the past got wind of their plan, so the heroes had to contend with the Mad Titan once more. After a harrowing and lengthy battle, Tony Stark got the Infinity Stones and did a little snap of his own, dusting Thanos and his army. Thanos died not once but twice, and he's gone for good. But his death came at a great cost.

Iron Man

The MCU doesn't exist unless Iron Man happens in 2008. Such a huge thing sprang from such an unlikely place, and that is in large part thanks to Robert Downey Jr.'s performance as Tony Stark. That role started this huge franchise and helped carry it for more than a decade. But all great things must end at some point. For Stark, that journey came to an end in Avengers: Endgame.

Easily the biggest death in the MCU to date, when Tony Stark snapped his fingers with all six Infinity Stones in hand, saying his famous last words, "I am Iron Man," he saved the universe, quite literally. The selfish, arrogant man we originally met went out with a truly selfless act. We may never see Tony Stark in the MCU again, but it's hard to argue against the impact and meaning of his death.

Mysterio

Played by Jake Gyllenhaal, his character Mysterio seemingly died at the end of Spider-Man: Far From Home. Seemingly. But this is Mysterio we're talking about here, the master of illusion. Especially considering the frame job he pulled on Peter Parker, revealing his identity to the world and making it look like Spider-Man killed Mysterio, there is no telling if the villain is truly dead. As of this writing, though, the indication is that Quentin Beck was bested by Spidey.

Maria Rambeau

Introduced in Captain Marvel as a friend of Carol Danvers before she got her powers, Maria was a major part of the film's climax and helped save the Skrulls from the Kree threat. She stayed on Earth with her daughter Monica as Carol Danvers flew off into space to help the Skrull find a new home. She went on to help found the organization S.W.O.R.D.

WandaVision reveals that Maria had cancer and died during the five-year time jump between Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame, with her daughter Maria being one of the victims of the Blip, so when she returned, she was not there at her mother's passing. A variant of Maria was seen in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, where she got Captain Marvel's powers instead of Carol. She was killed by the powerful Wanda Maximoff (Scarlet Witch).

Battlestar

Sergeant Major Lemar Hoskins was a member of the United States Army and John Walker's partner. Once Walker became appointed as the new Captain America, Hoskins stood by his side as Battlestar in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. During their skirmish with the Flag Smashers, Karli Morgenthau punched Hoskins with enough force that he was sent flying into a column, killing him.

Flag-Smasher

Karli Morgenthau was the leader of the anti-nationalist group Flag Smashers. In the wake of the Blip, the GRC reinstated world borders along with the careers and homes of those who had disappeared during the Snap, causing a surge of people to become displaced refugees, including Morgenthau. Morgenthau attempted to prevent the ratification of the Patch Act in New York City but was ultimately killed by Carter. However, Captain America convinced the GRC to abandon the Patch Act, partially fulfilling Morgenthau's goals despite the Flag Smashers' defeat.

Dreykov

In Black Widow, General Dreykov was a Soviet Armed Forces officer. He was a high-ranking official who had a covert operation. He oversaw the Red Room, also known as the Black Widow Program. This program was centered on taking young women and training them to be elite assassins and spies known as Black Widows. He attempted to control the Black Widows, but it all went wrong. His demise came when Yelena Belova blew up an aircraft with him in it.

Classic Loki Variant

After surviving Thanos' attack by hiding as a piece of debris, Classic Loki lived a full life isolated and alone for centuries. When he tried to reunite with his brother Thor, he was pruned by the TVA and sent to The Void. He fulfilled his glorious purpose by sacrificing himself to buy time for Loki and Sylvie, distracting Alioth, who consumed him shortly after.

He Who Remains

Nathaniel Richards was the first Variant who came into contact with alternate universes and other Variants of himself. When some of these Variants, such as Kang the Conqueror, attempted to conquer other realities, a Multiversal War ensued, which Richards ended by weaponizing Alioth. Under the moniker of He Who Remains, he founded and ruled the Time Variance Authority to preserve the Sacred Timeline and prevent the rise of his counterparts. Residing at the Citadel at the End of Time for eons, he eventually met Loki and Sylvie Laufeydottir, where he was killed by the latter.

Xu Wenwu

Played by Tony Leung Chiu-wai, Xu Wenwu was a legendary and nearly mythical figure who rose to power after discovering a set of mythical rings and founded the army known as the Ten Rings. Wenwu established himself as a powerful warlord who conquered kingdoms over the millennia, the rings' power gifting him immortality. His soul was devoured by Dweller-in-Darkness during the final battle in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.

Ajak

Portrayed by Salma Hayek in Eternals, Ajak was the wise and spiritual leader of the community of genetically-engineered Eternals who came to Earth. Created by the Celestials in the World Forge, Ajak was sent to Earth in 5,000 BC to progress the planet's societal development and protect it from the Deviants. Although having confided her opposition to Ikaris, she was ultimately betrayed by him and lured to a pack of Deviants in Alaska for her to be murdered.

Gilgamesh

Gilgamesh was the strongest and kindest member of the community of genetically-engineered Eternals who came to Earth. He was exiled alongside his de facto partner Thena due to her suffering Mahd Wy'ry. As a fierce warrior, he was known to be legendary for his fights with the Deviants throughout history.

Related: Where The Eternals Could Show Up Again in Marvel's Multiverse Saga

Gilgamesh accompanied his teammates to locate Druig, though when the compound came under attack from the Deviants, he stayed behind to defend against the attacking monsters in order to protect Thena. Gilgamesh was then overwhelmed and killed by the Deviant Kro.

Kro

Kro was the leader of the Deviants and the enemy of the Eternals. Kro came to Earth thousands of years ago but was trapped in ice for millennia. Due to glacial melting, he and a legion of Deviants were set free. After killing Gilgamesh during the Ambush at Druig's Compound in the Peruvian Amazonia, Kro gained a sentience that was never before experienced by a Deviant. Kro came to realize how both Eternals and Deviants were being used, motivating him further to kill all Eternals. He followed them as they tried to stop the Emergence but was ultimately killed by Thena after failing to absorb her powers.

Ikaris

Ikaris was the former tactical leader of the community of genetically-engineered Eternals. Ikaris helped reassemble the other Eternals in preparation for the Emergence but was singled out when they learned of their true purpose and opposed Arishem's plan as well. When the revelation of Ajak's death came to light, and the team became divided on whether to protect humanity, Ikaris betrayed his friends. He was outmatched by his former allies, who were able to kill Tiamut and effectively avert the Emergence. Guilt-ridden over his actions and having failed to live up to his life's purpose, Ikaris dies by suicide, flying into the Sun.

May Parker

Maybelle "May" Parker was the aunt of Peter Parker and the widow of the late Ben Parker. She took on the responsibility of raising Peter alone, as she stood by him during Tony Stark's mentorship while unaware of how he became an intern at Stark Industries. In 2024, Parker met Norman Osborn, a mentally-ill scientist who had come from another universe and suffered from a personality disorder.

Parker convinced her nephew to cure the Multiversal villains of their ailments, but the duo were attacked by Osborn's alter-ego, the Green Goblin. In an attempt to save Peter's life and cure Osborn, she was mortally wounded by the Goblin Glider and succumbed to her injuries during Spider-Man: No Way Home.

Arthur Harrow & Ammit

Arthur Harrow is the antagonist in season one of Moon Knight. He is the Avatar of the Egyptian God Ammit. Ammit is a crocodilian goddess who opposes how people should be punished for what Khonshu (Marks Avatar) believes. In the end, Arthur is apprehended and placed in a psychiatric ward. Just before the final episode ends,

Arthur is unexpectedly rolled out in a wheelchair by a mysterious man. It turns out to be one of Mark's multiple identities that Mark is not aware of. Jake Lockley is the cold-blooded killer of the personalities and shoots Harow killing him.

Black Bolt Variant

In Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Wanda Maximoff kills the members of the Illuminati on Earth 833, so while these are not the main MCU versions, she still kills many highly regarded characters, including the king of the Inhumans, Black Bolt (played by Inhumans series star Anson Mount) by sealing his mouth shut so that his sonic voice kills him from the inside.

Mr. Fantastic Variant

The second member of the Illuminati to be killed is Reed Richards, aka Mr. Fantastic of the Fantastic 4. This incarnation is played by John Krasinski, who Wanda tears apart like a piece of paper.

Captain Carter Variant

Another member of the Illuminati is Captain Peggy Carter. She was brutally cut in half with her own shield by Wanda immediately after saying that she could do this all day.

Maria Rambeau Variant

This variant of Maria Rambeau is the Captain Marvel of Earth 838. Wanda drops a statue on her head to kill her during her invasion of the Illuminati HQ.

Professor X Variant

The final member of the Illuminati to die at the Scarlet Witch's hand is Professor X, the leader of the X-Men. This version is an amalgamation of the Fox X-Men movies and the animated series incarnation. Wanda snaps his neck in the astral plane, killing him in reality. This marks the third time audiences have watched Patrick Stewart die as Professor X following X-Men: The Last Stand and Logan.

Scarlet Witch

Scarlet Witch has sort of a caveat. After turning to the dark side, she heroically sacrificed herself at the end of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness by bringing down Mount Wundagore. She died with the mountain collapsing on top of her. While it is difficult to imagine someone as powerful as the Scarlet Witch is dead, for the moment, the MCU seems to have closed the book on her character.

Najma

Introduced in Ms. Marvel, Najma was the leader of the Clandestine, a race of interdimensional beings who have been stranded on Earth for quite a long time. They are attempting to find a way home and think that Kamala Khan is the key. Najma and the rest of the Clandestine die when they attempt to return to their home dimension, the Noor.

Gorr The God Butcher

The primary villain of Thor: Love and Thunder, Gorr, goes on a quest across the universe to kill all the gods after they let his daughter die and left him to suffer. Gorr almost accomplishes his task, but when he gets to Eternity to grant his one wish, he is moved by the actions of Thor and Jane Foster and wishes for his daughter Love to be resurrected. One life is traded for another, and Gorr dies from his prolonged use of the Necrosword and asks Thor to protect and raise his daughter Love.

Jane Foster

This was one of the biggest and most heartbreaking deaths in the MCU. Introduced in Thor and returning in Thor: The Dark World, the character of Jane Foster had been absent in the MCU for almost a whole decade before she made her return in Thor: Love and Thunder. It is revealed Jane is battling cancer, and when she goes to New Asgard looking for help, Mjolnir grants her the power of Thor. The hammer gives her strength but is also slowly killing her, as the hammer destroys the chemotherapy. Jane suits up as the Mighty Thor one last time to help Thor save a group of Asgaridna children, knowing it will kill her.

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She dies in Thor's arms as both profess their love for one another. Thor's courage in the battle against both Gorr and cancer grants her entrance to Valhalla, where she is greeted by Heimdall.

T'Challa

King T'Challa's sad fate came about because the legendary actor Chadwick Boseman tragically passed away in 2020. Instead of recasting, Marvel Studios made the decision to retire the character of T'Challa. He passed away from a mysterious illness. His dying unfolds at the beginning of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, as T'Challa's sister Shuri tries to save his life but fails. Shuri spends the film battling with her brother's loss, acting as a reflection of the grief many felt in real life.

Eventually, Shuri takes up the mantle to become the new Black Panther. Marvel and director Ryan Coogler handled the situation generously as they showed no CGI recreation of Boseman and had his death offscreen out of respect for the actual actors passing.

Queen Ramonda

Queen Ramonda was a strong-willed, brilliant leader who ruled over Wakanda in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. When the undersea people, the Talokan, attack Wakanda, their leader Namor hurls water bombs into a building with Queen Ramonda and Riri in it, Ramonda doesn't die at first, but upon trying to save Riri from drowning, Ramonda is unable to make it to the surface in time and drowns.

Ramonda's death also drives Shuri down a path of vengeance. Shuri eventually remembers what her mother would have wanted and spares Namor, bringing peace between Wakandan and Talokan.

Darren Cross/Yellowjacket/M.O.D.O.K.

Darren Cross goes all the way back in the MCU to the first Ant-Man, where he is the main antagonist, Yellowjacket. It turns out that when he was defeated by Scott shrinking him in the first film, he didn't die but was sent to the quantum realm. He was on the verge of death, but in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, he was found and transformed by Kang the Conqueror into M.O.D.O.K., which stands for Mechanized Organism Design only for Killing.

Despite the forbidding name, he's probably one of the most ridiculous and goofy-looking characters ever in the MCU. Ultimately, he is killed in battle when he flips sides and decides to help defeat Kang. He even dies thinking he is an Avenger.

Kang the Conqueror

Despite all his power, in the final battle of Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, Kang the Conqueror is defeated when Ant-Man utilizes Pym Particles to shrink down Kang, much like what he did to Yellowjacket. Although Yellowjacket did not die and Scott even questions if Kang is indeed destroyed, in the post-credit scene with all the other Kangs, they acknowledge he did die. Now, knowing Marvel, there's always a chance he might return, but for now, as far as we know, Kang the Conqueror is no more.

Lyla, Floor, and Teefs

Easily one of the most heartbreaking deaths in the entire MCU is of Rocket's friends, Lyla, Floors, and Teefs, in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3. This trio were Rockets' first friends and also test subjects of the High Evolutionary. When Rocket learns that the High Evolutionary plans to kill him and his friends, he plans to break them out.

Lyla is shot by the High Evolutionary, driving Rocket to attack the High Evolutionary and scarring his face. Floor and Teefs are shot by guards trying to apprehend Rocket. When Rocket flatlines, he sees his friends in an afterlife setting, and while he wishes to join them, Lyla tells him it isn't his time yet, and he must return to the land of the living. These characters' death is tragic, but it is nice to know they are at peace.

Ayesha

Ayesha is The Golden Sovereign high priestess and the creator of Adam Warlock in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3. Ayesha is one of the creations of the High Evolutionary, and she is killed when the High Evolutionary determines he wants to purge the imperfections he constructed; he destroys all life on Counter-Earth, including her.

Skrull Everett Ross

A former CIA Agent and ex-husband to Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, Everett Ross is an ally to the Wakandans, who most recently broke him out of prison. Originally working under Secretary Ross to watch over the Avengers in Captain America: Civil War, Ross was replaced at some point in the MCU with a Skrull. The Skrull version met his untimely fate in the opening scene of Secret Invasion after falling off a building. It's unknown what happened to the real Everett Ross as of now or if he was a Skrull the entire time.

Maria Hill

The right-hand woman to Nick Fury, Maria Hill has been a loyal S.H.I.E.L.D. agent in the MCU since The Avengers in 2012. An expert at espionage and former Deputy Director, Hill has been there for some of the most important moments in the MCU. At the end of Secret Invasion episode 1, the Skrull Gravik shot her in the stomach while posing as Nick Fury. Maria Hill died in the real Fury's arms with her last words letting him know that he shot her.

The MCU seems unstoppable at the moment, and with Phase 5 and 6 being meticulously planned out, it's safe to say that many more characters will die to make room for new ones (and give actors the chance to do something else for once). This list will likely need to be updated again soon. Notably, it is a pretty long list already. The MCU has already created a veritable comic book cemetery. Fortunately, many of these movies are timeless, if not onscreen, then in audience memories. Rest in Peace, everyone.