Random Saddest Deaths In MCU (17 items)

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  (#5) Loki

  • Thor: The Dark World, Thor, The Avengers, Thor: Tales of Asgard, Hulk Vs, Marvel Universe

  Loki has perished more than once over the course of his appearances in the MCU. Most notably, the pseudo-villain faked his own demise in a tear-inducing moment in Thor: The Dark World. That was part of Loki's appeal. Although he acted as the villain on more than one occasion, he also had many redeeming qualities. You never knew if he was going to fight for the good guys or the bad guys, which made his actual passing all the more heartbreaking. 

  When Thanos boarded Thor's Asgardian ship to take the Infinity Stone from the Tesseract, Loki used his mischievous ways to try and outsmart the villain. He offered himself to Thanos as a guide on Earth that would help him find the remaining Infinity Stones. Viewers were almost sure that Loki would turn to evil once again in order to save his own skin, as was his pattern in the past. However, he surprised everyone by trying to take out Thanos, only to be caught before he could strike and choked out. 

  In the end, Loki proved where his true loyalties lay. He showed Thor that he loved and cared about him and hadn't forgotten the legacy of their father. Beyond that, Loki was simply a lovable character. He was relatable in his constant need to be accepted, even if he often looked for belonging in the wrong places. Fans were excited to see what would come next for this dynamic character. His demise left a hole in the MCU and in Thor's heart that will never truly be mended.
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  (#3) Black Widow

  • Ultimate Avengers, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, The Avengers, Ultimate Avengers 2, Iron Man 2, The Avengers: Age of Ultron, Marvel Universe

  Black Widow's end came as a true surprise in Avengers: Endgame. While fans expected popular characters like Iron Man and Captain America to make a sacrifice for the greater good, no one considered that Natasha Romanoff might end her time as a member of the Avengers. However, when she and Clint Barton were forced to make a sacrifice on Vormir to obtain the Soul Stone and undo the effects of the Snap, Black Widow refused to let her best friend fall to his doom. Although Clint tried to sacrifice himself in her place, Natasha saved him before he could fall and forced him to let go of her hand, willingly throwing herself off the cliff in his place. 

  Black Widow was the original example of a strong female character in the MCU. Over the course every subsequent MCU installment after her initial appearance, the Avengers became more than just a job to her. She was willing to sacrifice herself to bring millions of people back to life, knowing that without the Soul Stone, the Avengers would fail. Not only that, she also made sure that Clint could return to his family. Their close relationship was a bright spot in the dark world of the MCU, and the fact that Clint was the one who had to watch her fall made her passing all the more heartbreaking.
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  (#13) Howard Stark

  • The Invincible Iron Man, Iron Man, Iron Man 2, Captain America: The First Avenger, Marvel Universe

  Although Tony Stark believed his parents perished in a simple car accident, Captain America: Civil War revealed the truth. While pursuing the Winter Soldier, Helmut Zemo manipulated Stark into watching the footage of his parents' end, which revealed that the Winter Soldier ran Stark's parents' car off the road and slayed both Howard and Maria before escaping with the new Super Soldier Serum. 

  The loss of Tony's parents had a resounding impact on him throughout his entire life. He felt guilty about how he left things with his father, and much of his egotistical behavior was simply a front to hide his inner pain. Stark watched the video next to Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes, and his agony was obvious. The truth broke him, and it broke the Avengers. Steve refused to abandon Bucky and Tony refused to forgive him. Howard and Maria's end created a rift between the Avengers that was never fully fixed, making it a defining moment in the MCU.
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  (#1) Iron Man

  • Iron Man: Armored Adventures, The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes, The Super Hero Squad Show, The Incredible Hulk, Ultimate Avengers, Next Avengers: Heroes of Tomorrow, Iron Man 3, Iron Man, The Avengers: Age of Ultron, The Avengers, Iron Man 2, Planet Hulk, The Invincible Iron Man, Ultimate Avengers 2, Marvel Universe

  Although dedicated MCU fans expected Iron Man's end in Avengers: Endgame, it didn't make the actual moment any easier to watch. The action-packed final fight against a past version of Thanos was full of emotion, but the most terrifying moment occurred when Thanos prepared to complete the Snap again, undoing all the Avengers’ hard work. Knowing that using the gauntlet would finish him, Iron Man transferred the Infinity Stones to his own hand using nanotech technology. Before wiping out Thanos’ army with a Snap of his own, Tony Stark uttered his final words: “I am Iron Man.”  

  As the first member of the Avengers and the leader of the team, Iron Man's passing marked the end of an era. Without him, the Avengers will never be the same again. Not only that, but his sarcastic and arrogant personality will always be a missing piece in future MCU movies. 

  What made this loss particularly difficult, however, was the people he left behind. Peter Parker was the first to find him and immediately burst into tears when he realized the condition of his beloved mentor and father figure. Peter was followed by Pepper Potts, who assured Tony that everyone would be okay. Lastly, Tony left behind his young daughter, whom he adored and cared about more than anyone in the world. Even with all those many sacrifices, Tony still decided to be a hero and to protect the world. It was an end fitting of a superhero of Iron Man's caliber, but one that tugged at the heartstrings and drew more than a few tears.
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  (#12) Erik Killmonger

  When Killmonger, also known as N'Jadaka and Erik Stevens, arrived in Wakanda for the first time, he was already filled with emotion. T'Chaka took out his father when Killmonger was just a boy, and the loss made Killmonger mean. He dedicated his life to finding his way to Wakanda so he could dethrone his cousin T'Challa and use the kingdom's riches and weapons to cease the oppression of people of African descent all across the world. In his mind, Killmonger was doing the right and noble thing. However, he still wanted to cause loss and destruction across the world in order to liberate his people. 

  During the final fight against T'Challa, Killmonger had a moment to contemplate his end after being pierced with his own spear. He sat beside T'Challa, overlooking the Wakandan kingdom and reflected on his decisions. Making one last statement about his noble mission, Killmonger rejected T'Challa's offer to heal him and pulled the spear from his own chest, choosing death over bondage. 

  Killmonger was an impactful character largely because his vengeful traits came from a desire to free his people from oppression. He truly believed in what he was fighting for until the very end, and he wasn't wrong. While the chaos he wanted to leave in his wake was unforgivable, his mission was still noble. His end felt both fair and unjust at the same time, which made processing his passing all the more difficult.
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  (#7) Heimdall

  • Thor: The Dark World, Thor, Marvel Universe

  Although his passing seemed like a throwaway moment, Heimdall made an impact on Marvel fans. The devoted, all-seeing and all-hearing guardian of the Bifrost Bridge always did the right thing, even if that meant disobeying the order of his king. Knowing that he was too powerful and loyal to be tricked, Loki banished Heimdall from his position while ruling Asgard as Odin. Instead of disappearing, however, Heimdall stayed close by. When Hela went after the kingdom, Heimdall put himself in danger to guide the Asgardians to safety. He helped the citizens of Asgard hide from Hela and eventually escape on Thor's ship. Despite his resounding impact on the kingdom of Asgard, Heimdall passes at the start of Avengers: Infinity War. 

  Heimdall's demise was so impactful because he passes while still trying to do the right thing. Despite being hurt and in pain after Thanos' rampage, he channels his magic one last time and sends the Hulk to Earth to warn the other Avengers of Thanos' impending arrival. He's gutted for his action. Had he only kept quiet, he may have made it off the ship alive. But in typical Heimdall fashion, he put his duty to protect the universe above his own well-being. It's a choice that's perfectly in line with this character, but heartbreaking nonetheless.

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