The Marvel Cinematic Universe has expanded in plenty of unexpected ways in recent years, with Disney+ proving itself the perfect platform to add heaps of new characters to this world. Of course, with literally thousands of great characters at their disposal, there's never going to be room to tell all their stories, but Marvel Studios has still 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 returned again and again, this lot should have never met their maker when they did.
With that in mind, we're taking a look back at 10 huge deaths in the MCU that came too soon and robbed Marvel Studios of the opportunity to tell some incredible stories. Imagine Ultron factoring into Avengers: Endgame or Crossbones taking aim at his old foe, and new Captain America, Sam Wilson!
To take a look through this feature, all you guys need to do is click the "Next" button down below!
10. Alexander Pierce
Revealed as the true leader of HYDRA in the present day, Alexander Pierce managed to infiltrate the U.S. Government, the World Security Council, and S.H.I.E.L.D.
Shot and killed by Nick Fury at the end of Captain America: The Winter Soldier, the villain's story ended far too soon, as did HYDRA's. Having him escape or continue to pull the organization's strings from inside prison would have been a nice way to keep this subplot going in the MCU.
Robert Redford, who has now retired from acting, made a surprise return in Avengers: Endgame which was welcomed, but that was when the heroes travelled back to 2012.
We can't help but wish Marvel Studios had given more thought to the future before killing Pierce.
9. Ikaris
We might be jumping the gun here, but Eternals 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 very satisfying to watch play out.
He could have even become a villain, albeit one less two-dimensional than most.
There's always a chance Ikaris could return, of course, and we'd hope that's in the works given what an immense talent Richard Madden is.
8. Skurge
Played by the talented Karl Urban, Skurge proved himself so much more than just Hela's heavy.
Clearly conflicted about what his new employer was doing to Asgard, "The Executioner" ultimately decided to do the right thing, and paid for it with his life. It was a heroic, memorable moment in Thor: Ragnarok, but we can't believe there wasn't some way he could have been allowed to live.
As an ally to the God of Thunder, Skurge might have brought a lot to the table, especially if he was setting out to redeem himself after everything he did at Hela's behest.
Skurge's death is the perfect example of a missed opportunity.
7. 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 it appears that's the end of 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 better than this. On the plus side, What If...? did at least give us a glimpse at what his final form could have looked like!
6. The Warriors Three
Taika Waititi delivered one of Marvel's best films with Thor: Ragnarok, but 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 favors for 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.
5. Obidiah Stane
For the longest time, a recurring trope in superhero movies was killing off the bad guys. It seems studios just didn't know what to do with them once they were defeated, and poor Obidiah Stane was a victim of that frustrating trend.
After very nearly defeating Tony Stark, Iron Monger was electrocuted, and that was the end of that.
Had he been put behind bars, an eventual alliance with Justin Hammer might have been on the cards, while Stane factoring into the upcoming Armor Wars series on Disney+ would have been a fitting next step.
We can only hope his son returns to menace heroes like Ironheart and War Machine. Right now, the prevailing theory is that Anthony Ramos could be playing Iron Monger's son...
4. 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 received her fair share of the spotlight since, 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, but we'd later learn he was actually an actor in Westview called Ralph Bohner who Agatha Harkness had taken control of in order to toy with Wanda Maximoff.
3. 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 ended up being put back on the shelf.
Just think 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 missed a trick here, and this stands as one of the few missteps made by the Russo Brothers in the MCU.
2. Baron Strucker
Baron Strucker is a recurring villain in the Marvel Comics Universe, and he once even managed to brainwash Wolverine and use him as a HYDRA agent.
The MCU's version was responsible for creating Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch, but after easily being defeated by Earth's Mightiest Heroes in Avengers: Age of Ultron, he was killed in his prison cell by Ultron. It was a fitting enough arc for the villain, but one that also underwhelmed.
We're not saying he was going to be a big bad in the MCU, but it was strange he didn't even have a role to play in Captain America: The Winter Soldier.
It's hard not to think about what might have been with this one.
1. Ultron
Ultron is one of the greatest comic book villains ever created, and among the most formidable foes the Avengers have ever faced.
Making him a one-and-done bad guy in Joss Whedon's sequel was an unusual decision, even if his final scene delivered a far more poignant end than we're used to seeing in superhero films. The Vision, the son, destroying Ultron, the father, was both fitting and tragic in equal measures.
Five years on, it's still surprising there hasn't been a single hint about Ultron's survival, but that could and should change as we head into Phase 4 and beyond.
The hope had been that WandaVision might do something to set the stage for the villainous android's return, but unless he's buried somewhere in the White Vision's programming, we're not banking on it (especially after what happened in What If...? with "Infinity Ultron").