The deaths of characters like Tony Stark and Natasha Romanoff in Avengers: Endgame, Yondu in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Aunt May in Spider-Man: No Way Home, and Loki in Avengers: Infinity War were deeply impactful moments for both the characters within those films and for the audience watching. These were major characters, and their deaths – even when not permanent, like Loki’s – significantly shaped the stories that followed. This raises a question: were there any character deaths in Marvel’s TV shows that carried the same emotional weight and had a similar effect on the overall narrative?
Many on-screen deaths in the Marvel Cinematic Universe have been surprisingly impactful, both on Netflix and Disney+. Because shows like Daredevil: Born Again aren’t limited to PG-13 ratings, some of these deaths have been particularly shocking and intense. Here are 10 that were especially heartbreaking.
10) Foggy Nelson in Daredevil: Born Again
Many fans are wondering if Elden Henson will reprise his role as Foggy Nelson in the upcoming season of Daredevil: Born Again. According to IMDb, he is set to appear in the season finale, titled “The Southern Cross.”
However, that previous storyline feels like a thing of the past. We’re confident we won’t be proven wrong, but it would be very unlike this show to revisit it. While Born Again shares the same universe as films like Avengers: Endgame, it’s much more realistic and down-to-earth. In the first episode, “Heaven’s Half Hour,” Foggy Nelson was killed by Bullseye, and that event has had a major impact on the characters. It’s made this new take on Daredevil feel genuinely unpredictable, dangerous, and serious.
9) Talos in Secret Invasion
Ben Mendelsohn’s portrayal of Talos was arguably the most brilliantly deceptive villain in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Sadly, the series Secret Invasion, his final appearance in the MCU, didn’t live up to Captain Marvel, which was already a fairly standard superhero film – though Mendelsohn’s performance consistently elevated it.
Talos, similar to another character on this list, is killed by Gravik, who isn’t one of the most memorable villains in the series. While it was good to see Talos reconcile with Nick Fury, and his death did impact Fury’s story, we wish Talos had been featured in a stronger project before his character ended.
8) He Who Remains in Loki
Okay, so the first season of Loki ends with a huge twist. Sylvie stabs He Who Remains, thinking she’s won, but he just laughs and says, “See you soon.” It’s a chilling moment because we quickly realize what he meant: his death doesn’t solve anything. In fact, it breaks open the timeline, connecting it to the entire Multiverse. And that’s bad news, because it allows the Council of Kangs – a whole bunch of dangerous variants – to finally get their hands on everything. It’s a cliffhanger that sets up a massive, multiversal war, and honestly, it left me reeling.
It all started with Kang’s appearance in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania and Victor Timely in Loki Season 2, but looking back, this storyline hasn’t quite lived up to its initial promise and doesn’t feel as impactful as it once did.
7) Commissioner Gallo in Daredevil: Born Again
While previous Netflix Marvel shows featured violence, Daredevil: Born Again marked the first truly shocking death in the MCU. Kingpin brutally killed Commissioner Gallo by crushing his head, dislocating his jaw in a way reminiscent of Pedro Pascal’s character’s death in Game of Thrones.
This scene proved the Marvel Cinematic Universe was becoming more comfortable with mature, R-rated content, even beyond what we’ve seen in Deadpool & Wolverine. More importantly, it solidified Kingpin’s position as a ruthless and powerful ruler, effectively the leader of New York City, and made it clear that no one would challenge his authority.
6) Nico the Flag Smasher in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier
It’s clear throughout The Falcon and the Winter Soldier that John Walker isn’t a good fit to take over for Steve Rogers. He tends to act impulsively and can be quite unstable.
When Walker’s friend, Lemar Hoskins, is unexpectedly killed by a member of the Flag Smashers named Nico, his true, violent side emerges. Walker’s decision to kill Nico marked the start of a storyline that continued in Thunderbolts. While he’s become slightly less intimidating since then, it was still a shocking act that revealed a darker side to a significant character.
5) Ben Urich in Daredevil
Before taking out Commissioner Gallo, Kingpin killed Ben Urich during the first season of the Netflix series Daredevil. This shocking act proved that this part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe wasn’t afraid to take risks and show darker storylines.
This scene confirmed that the Kingpin in the Marvel Cinematic Universe wouldn’t be a toned-down version of the often-brutal character from the comics. It also set Karen Page on a path to becoming a determined investigative reporter, much like Ben Urich.
4)White Tiger in Daredevil: Born Again
Since actor Kamar de los Reyes passed away before the first season of Daredevil: Born Again came out, his character, White Tiger, was always intended to be written out of the show, rather than replaced with another actor.
Despite appearing in only two episodes, Season 2 of Born Again has kept the character relevant, largely by focusing on his niece, Angela Del Toro, who has taken on the role of the new White Tiger.
3) Captain Britain aka Captain Carter in What If…?
Hayley Atwell has been involved with the Marvel Cinematic Universe almost from the start, but she’s truly had a leading role in only a couple of projects: Captain America: The First Avenger and her series, Agent Carter. Despite this, she consistently made a strong impression even in her smaller appearances in films and shows like Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Avengers: Age of Ultron, Ant-Man, Avengers: Endgame, and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.
However, the What If…? series truly showcased Hayley Atwell’s character. It gave her the chance to play Captain Carter, also known as Captain Britain, a total of eight times across the first three seasons. The series finale delivered a powerful moment when Captain Britain sacrificed herself to send her teammates to Strange Supreme’s universe. While What If…? featured many different stories, it could be argued that Captain Britain was the central character throughout the series.
2) Vanessa (We’re Assuming) in Daredevil: Born Again
We started this list by mentioning Foggy Nelson, and his fate has been a major concern throughout the Born Again series. That feeling continued in the latest episode, “Gloves Off.”
Dex (also known as Bullseye) is still focused on taking down Wilson Fisk. He’s deeply troubled by Foggy’s death and is trying to make amends. The episode culminates in Dex attempting to kill Fisk again, but Vanessa intervenes and shoots him. Fisk then smashes a glass ornament with his championship belt, and the broken glass fatally wounds Vanessa. While her death isn’t explicitly shown, she appears to have lost a lethal amount of blood.
1) Maria Hill in Secret Invasion
Cobie Smulders first appeared as Agent Maria Hill as a key ally to Nick Fury, and her introduction couldn’t have been more impactful. She’s one of the very first characters we meet in The Avengers, a film that was a massive event when it came out in 2012.
Cobie Smulders had significant roles in Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Spider-Man: Far From Home, with smaller appearances in Age of Ultron, Infinity War, and Endgame. Sadly, her character was killed off by Gravik in the very first episode of Secret Invasion. While it raised the stakes of the show, it was a frustrating end for such a memorable character. On the bright side, she didn’t have to endure the rest of Secret Invasion, which was…rough.
Which character death had the biggest impact on you? Share your thoughts in the comments and join the discussion in the ComicBook Forum!
Read More
- The Super Mario Galaxy Movie: 50 Easter Eggs, References & Major Cameos Explained
- 10 Best Free Games on Steam in 2026, Ranked
- Surprise Isekai Anime Confirms Season 2 With New Crunchyroll Streaming Release
- Sydney Sweeney’s The Housemaid 2 Sets Streaming Release Date
- Why is Tech Jacket gender-swapped in Invincible season 4 and who voices her?
- Welcome to Demon School! Iruma-kun season 4 release schedule: When are new episodes on Crunchyroll?
- Preview: Sword Art Online Returns to PS5 as a Darker Open World Action RPG This Summer
- Skate 4 – Manny Go Round Goals Guide | All of the Above Sequence
- PS5’s Ace Combat 8 Will Be the Most Ambitious Game in the Series Yet, and We Can’t Wait
- The Super Mario Galaxy Movie Is An Amusing Sequel (And an Improvement) [Review]
2026-04-10 19:15