10 Biggest Death Fake-Outs in the MCU (We All Wish #7 Was Real)

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Marvel Comics is famous for rarely letting characters stay dead – the exception being Uncle Ben. For decades, heroes and villains have been brought back to life through dramatic plot twists, whether it’s a full resurrection, a reimagined origin story, or the reveal of a double. The Marvel Cinematic Universe continues this trend, constantly finding creative ways to avoid permanent death for popular characters. Through resurrections and the concept of the multiverse, the franchise suggests that death is rarely the end.

A common trick in the Marvel Cinematic Universe is to make characters *seem* dead, only to bring them back later. When done well, this can add depth to a character’s story and create exciting new plotlines. But sometimes, it feels like a disappointing reversal of a meaningful event, lessening the emotional impact. These unexpected returns have led to some of the most surprising, appreciated, and, at times, irritating moments in the franchise.

10) Foggy Nelson (Daredevil: Born Again)

A short clip from *Daredevil: Born Again* shown at New York Comic-Con proved that Elden Henson will return as Foggy Nelson. However, it’s still unknown *how* he’ll appear – whether in a flashback, a dream, or as a real part of Matt Murdock’s (Charlie Cox) life in the show’s second season. This uncertainty leads many to believe the show might adapt the comic book storyline where Foggy seemingly dies, but is later revealed to be alive and in hiding. While that storyline was a clever twist in the comics, repeating it in *Born Again* could lessen the impact of Foggy’s death in Season 1, which significantly shaped Matt’s journey. Until we know for sure what happens to Foggy, it’s hard to say how important this plot point will be.

9) Red Skull (Captain America: The First Avenger/Avengers: Endgame)

The end of *Captain America: The First Avenger* made it seem like Johann Schmidt, a.k.a. the Red Skull (Hugo Weaving), was truly gone. He reached for the Tesseract, was hit with a strange energy, and appeared to vanish – a fitting fate for someone playing with forces he didn’t understand. So, it was a big surprise to see him again in *Avengers: Infinity War*! It turned out he hadn’t died, but was instead sent to the planet Vormir. There, he was forced to become the ghostly protector of the Soul Stone, a lonely job for the once-powerful leader of Hydra. This was a clever storytelling move: it explained his disappearance in a satisfying way and tied his story into the larger story of the Infinity Stones.

8) Kingpin / Wilson Fisk (Hawkeye/Echo)

The last episode of *Hawkeye* featured a dramatic showdown between Maya Lopez and Wilson Fisk, also known as Kingpin. Maya found Kingpin and pointed a gun at him, and the scene cut away with a gunshot, leaving viewers unsure if he was dead. This seemed to suggest Kingpin’s death, which was surprising so soon after he reappeared in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. However, as many comic book fans predicted, *Echo* later confirmed he survived, though he was seriously injured in the eye. While his return wasn’t a huge shock, the scene in *Hawkeye* was a skillfully created cliffhanger. It gave Maya’s story a powerful ending and still allowed one of Marvel’s biggest villains to potentially return.

7) Darren Cross / Yellowjacket (Ant-Man/Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania)

Darren Cross, played by Corey Stoll, had a particularly brutal defeat in the first *Ant-Man* movie. After Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) damaged his Yellowjacket suit, Cross was shrunk down and seemingly destroyed within the Quantum Realm. It appeared to be a permanent end, but he surprisingly returned in *Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania*. Saved by Kang the Conqueror (Jonathan Majors), Cross had been horribly transformed into M.O.D.O.K. – a monstrous, mechanically enhanced being. This twist was widely disliked by fans, as it took a once-threatening villain and turned him into a somewhat silly character. The revival felt forced and didn’t capture what made either Yellowjacket or M.O.D.O.K. interesting, ultimately disappointing fans of both.

6) Bucky Barnes (Captain America: The First Avenger/Captain America: The Winter Soldier)

In *Captain America: The First Avenger*, the apparent death of James “Bucky” Barnes (Sebastian Stan) was a pivotal moment for Steve Rogers (Chris Evans). His fall from the train seemed like a genuine, heartbreaking sacrifice, establishing him as a World War II hero. However, his return decades later as the Winter Soldier – a brainwashed assassin – was one of the most surprising and well-done twists in the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe. Hydra kept Bucky alive through experimentation and then froze him between missions for 70 years. This reveal wasn’t just shocking; it became the central emotional conflict of the entire *Captain America* trilogy, forcing Steve to grapple with the loss – and eventual return – of his best friend. It turned a sad backstory into a defining struggle that played out across several movies.

5) Groot (Guardians of the Galaxy)

Groot’s death in the first *Guardians of the Galaxy* is one of the most touching scenes in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He shields his friends from a crashing ship, saying “We are Groot” before being destroyed. Seeing a small plant sprout from one of his branches felt like a hopeful new beginning. However, director James Gunn has explained that this isn’t the original Groot – it’s his son, who doesn’t remember his father’s life. While technically not a misleading moment, the film initially presented it as a full revival, making his death easier to accept and opening up possibilities for a younger version of the character. This also emphasizes how final the original Groot’s sacrifice truly was.

4) Nick Fury (Captain America: The Winter Soldier)

As a huge MCU fan, I remember being absolutely stunned when Nick Fury seemingly died in *Captain America: The Winter Soldier*. It happened so fast – an ambush by Hydra, led by the Winter Soldier, and then… he was gone, right there on the operating table with Maria Hill watching. It felt like a massive blow to the whole universe! But then, the big twist! Turns out, Fury wasn’t really dead. He’d used a special drug created by Bruce Banner to basically slow his heartbeat to almost nothing, faking his death. It was a classic spy movie move, and honestly, it was brilliant. It allowed him to go undercover and work from within S.H.I.E.L.D. to finally take down Hydra. It was a risky plan, but it totally paid off and made the movie even more exciting.

3) Vision (Avengers: Infinity War/WandaVision)

Vision’s death in *Avengers: Infinity War* was a particularly shocking and upsetting moment. He didn’t just die once, but twice: first when Wanda Maximoff tried to destroy the Mind Stone within him, and then again when Thanos brutally took the Stone back. The image of his lifeless body powerfully showed how badly the Avengers had failed. Later, *WandaVision* revealed that S.W.O.R.D. had recovered his body and rebuilt him as the cold, emotionless White Vision. At the same time, Wanda created a new Vision within her magical sitcom world, based on her memories and feelings of grief. This complicated return was a clever twist, using his death to deeply explore themes of loss and what makes a person who they are.

2) Phil Coulson (The Avengers/Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.)

The death of Agent Phil Coulson (Clark Gregg) at the hands of Loki (Tom Hiddleston) in *The Avengers* was a key event that brought the superhero team together. Nick Fury cleverly used Coulson’s sacrifice – and some collectible cards – to inspire the heroes and launch the entire initiative. So, when Coulson returned as the leader of *Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.* (a show that deserved more attention!), it was a huge surprise. It turned out Fury had secretly brought him back to life through Project T.A.H.I.T.I., which involved the blood of an alien from the Kree race. While moviegoers saw Coulson’s death as a powerful moment, those who watched the series realized it showed the MCU often avoids letting characters stay dead.

1) Loki (Thor: The Dark World)

Loki (Tom Hiddleston) is famous for his incredible ability to convincingly fake his own death. Throughout his appearances, he’s ‘died’ several times, only to return, but his most brilliant deception happened in *Thor: The Dark World*. He appeared to die a heroic death, being impaled while fighting with Thor (Chris Hemsworth) and passing away in his brother’s arms – seemingly bringing his story to a satisfying close. However, the movie had one last surprise: Loki was actually still alive! He had disguised himself as Odin (Anthony Hopkins) and taken over as the ruler of Asgard. This was a masterful trick, completely changing how the ending was viewed and solidifying Loki’s reputation as someone who always manages to survive.

What MCU character death fooled you the most? Share your thoughts in the comments and join the discussion on the ComicBook Forum!

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2025-10-14 01:14