The Marvel Cinematic Universe has expanded in unexpected ways since the Multiverse Saga began, and the Disney+ TV shows have added heaps of new characters to the franchise. Of course, with literally thousands of heroes and villains at its disposal, there's never going to be room to tell all their stories, and Marvel Studios has subsequently killed off some heroes and villains way too soon.
Whether it's a character with the potential to be one of the greatest Avengers ever or a villain who could have become a standout recurring threat, the characters listed here should have never met their maker when they did.
Below, we're taking a look back at 10 huge deaths from the Infinity and Multiverse Sagas that came too soon, robbing Marvel Studios of the opportunity to tell some incredible stories. Imagine Jane Foster being confirmed for Avengers: Doomsday or Crossbones targeting Sam Wilson in Captain America: Brave New World.
To take a look through this feature, all you need to do is click the "Next"/"View List" buttons below.
8. Ikaris
Despite it being clear that an Eternals sequel isn't coming, the movie ending with the apparent death of Ikaris was one of Marvel Studios' biggest blunders in the divisive 2021 movie.
After first turning on his fellow immortals and then helping them stop the Emergence of a new Celestial, the conflicted hero flew into the sun in a moment that was far too on the nose for our liking. There were still so many places to take the character, and a redemption arc would have been incredibly satisfying to watch play out.
He could have even remained a conflicted villain, and one less two-dimensional than most of the MCU's offerings. There's always a chance Ikaris could return, and we remain optimistic that Marvel Studios will find something for Richard Madden.
7. Jane Foster
We're guessing Natalie Portman only wanted to make a one-off MCU return, though it's a shame it had to happen in a movie as disappointing as Thor: Love and Thunder.
The actress looked awesome as the Mighty Thor and had some standout moments throughout the course of a blockbuster, which largely dropped the ball on this character's story. Ultimately, her sacrifice was effective, but it came far too soon.
There's a chance she could return in a future project (especially after that post-credits scene), but Taika Waititi dropped the ball here, and it's far from a safe bet. Fingers crossed that Portman at least gets a second chance as part of a Multiversal Thor Corps in Avengers: Secret Wars.
6. Arnim Zola
Arnim Zola only played a small part in 2011's Captain America: The First Avenger, but The Winter Soldier delivered a real fan-pleasing moment a few years later when he returned in robotic form.
He didn't get up and start walking around, though that idea was considered by Marvel Studios (that Zola nearly had a cameo role in Ant-Man). Instead, he was blown to smithereens in an attempt to kill Steve Rogers and Natasha Romanoff, and that was seemingly that for the HYDRA devotee. It's possible he could return, but this felt like a definitive end for the villain.
Perhaps Marvel felt that a walking, talking robot was just too goofy, but Zola is one of Captain America's best villains and someone who deserved more than this. On the plus side, What If...? did at least give us a glimpse at what his final form could have looked like.
5. The Warriors Three
Thor: Love and Thunder underwhelmed, but Taika Waititi delivered one of Marvel's best films with Thor: Ragnarok. However, his decision to kill The Warriors Three still stings.
Hela had already done enough to establish herself as a threat to Thor and Asgard, and making such short work of Volstagg and Fandral (Ray Stevenson and Zachary Levi) did no favours to anyone. It just wasted a couple of talented actors and two characters who had been overlooked from the start.
Hogun (Tadanobu Asano) got a slightly better ending, but this was a confusing move by Marvel Studios, and likely a rushed way to take them off the table ahead of Avengers: Infinity War. Like Sif, they should have been M.I.A. from Asgard, setting up a future return. Then again, her Love and Thunder comeback also disappointed, so perhaps not.
4. Kang The Conqueror
The controversies surrounding Jonathan Majors aside, he did a fantastic job as He Who Remains, Victor Timely, and Kang the Conqueror. However, Marvel Studios massively dropped the ball by killing the latter in Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania.
Before his firing, there was likely something to be said for the theories that this Kang Variant would return as The Beyonder after being imbued with the powers of his Multiversal Engine Core. Even so, the MCU still wasted the "main" Kang...in an Ant-Man movie.
An earlier cut of the threequel saw him escape, so perhaps Marvel Studios simply wanted to subvert expectations. It didn't really work, anyway, and we think this character death played a big role in why so many fans started to become disillusioned with the Multiverse Saga.
3. Quicksilver
Quicksilver was introduced in Avengers: Age of Ultron less than a year after a different version of the mutant showed up in X-Men: Days of Future Past. Fox's version, played by Evan Peters, managed to overshadow Aaron Taylor-Johnson's, but the latter never really got the chance to shine after being killed off so soon.
His sacrifice was in equal parts heroic and memorable, but we'd have loved to see Pietro become a full-fledged Avenger. His sister Wanda has since received her fair share of the spotlight, but Quicksilver could have been a key player in the MCU.
WandaVision did bring the speedster back, of course, but not in a way that satisfied fans. Peters got to play Pietro, only for us to later learn he was an actor in Westview called Ralph Bohner, whom Agatha Harkness had taken control of (it was a fun reveal, but with the Multiverse in play, this could have been an easy recast).
2. Crossbones
With his origin story playing out in Captain America: The Winter Soldier, it made sense for Brock Rumlow to return as Crossbones in Civil War. Set photos teased an impressive costume design, but little did we know his screentime would be limited to a brief fight with Cap before being blown up by the Scarlet Witch.
With that, his story ended, and one of the hero's best baddies was placed back on the shelf. It's a real shame, too, especially when you stop and imagine how cool it would have been for Crossbones to come after the new Captain America, Sam Wilson.
Sin could have even joined him, but Marvel Studios wasted a villain with huge potential. This stands as one of the few missteps made by the Russo Brothers in the MCU, and robbed Captain America: Brave New World of a far more effective villain than the forgettable Sidewinder.
1. Captain Carter
Hayley Atwell returned to the MCU as Peggy Carter in What If...?, transforming into Captain Carter (Captain Britain, for all intents and purposes). So, when she suited up in live-action for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, it was undeniably exciting. Until it wasn't.
This Variant—not the same Peggy we'd met in animation—was made short work of by the Scarlet Witch, sliced in half by her own shield. Not only was that a dismal way to treat this character, but it has now inevitably lessened the impact of any other version of the Captain we see on screen.
Marvel Studios either should have saved this Variant or left her alive to fight another day. We're not expecting live-action versions of any Marvel Animation character in the next Avengers movies, so Captain Carter has been well and truly wasted with her brutal death scene.