10 Most Powerful Characters Who Died in the MCU

Since its launch, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has brought many of Marvel Comics’ most famous characters to life on film. As the franchise has become increasingly popular, the number of heroes and villains has also grown, with new faces joining the MCU every year. However, the MCU films don’t just introduce new characters; it’s quite common for characters to die permanently in the intense storylines. While some casualties are expected in a world with incredibly powerful beings, the characters who become victims aren’t always who you’d anticipate.

Throughout the MCU timeline and in the various realities shown in its TV series, we’ve seen many incredibly strong characters die. These deaths have served different purposes – sometimes for a powerful emotional moment, sometimes as the result of a brave act against a villain, and sometimes just as a shocking surprise. The MCU has demonstrated it won’t hesitate to eliminate even its most formidable heroes. In a universe where power dynamics are always shifting, it appears that no character, no matter how powerful, is truly safe.

10) Ikaris

Richard Madden joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe in 2021 with Eternals, and his character, Ikaris, quickly established himself as one of the strongest heroes the MCU has seen since Avengers: Endgame. However, the MCU version of Ikaris wasn’t quite the hero everyone expected. The story in Eternals showed that he chose to support Arishem instead of his fellow Eternals. Focused on safeguarding the emerging Celestial, Tiamut, the other Eternals had to battle Ikaris, and he demonstrated he was potentially the most powerful of them all.

Knowing he couldn’t defeat the combined power of the other Eternals, Ikaris decided to fly directly into the sun, which resulted in his death. However, the way the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) portrays the Eternals leaves the possibility open for him to return. Still, given that Ikaris is often seen as Marvel’s version of Superman, his sudden death in Eternals was a significant moment, as it meant a very powerful MCU character died on screen.

9) Ego the Living Planet

Starting at the conclusion of the MCU’s Phase 1, the series has significantly increased the power level of its antagonists. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 featured Kurt Russell as Ego the Living Planet, who was revealed to be the biological father of Peter Quill, also known as the MCU’s Star-Lord. In the film, Ego proclaims himself a Celestial, and his capacity to command and alter every facet of life within his planet-sized form makes him incredibly strong, particularly when measured against other villains in the MCU.

Ego is an MCU villain who likely would have defeated the original Avengers, primarily because of the sheer power he possessed. However, in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Ego is ultimately destroyed. This happens after he reveals to Quill that he caused the death of Peter’s mother many years earlier. Despite his incredible abilities, the less powerful Guardians manage to plant explosive devices within Ego’s core, which leads to his demise.

8) Doctor Strange

When it comes to pure strength, Doctor Strange isn’t typically considered among the most powerful heroes in the MCU. However, throughout his journey in the franchise, he’s gained some understated power boosts, such as utilizing the Darkhold and its dangerous effects. Furthermore, Strange’s imaginative application of his magical skills makes him a crucial hero within the franchise, allowing him to defeat opponents who are significantly stronger than he is.

Doctor Strange has faced death on numerous occasions throughout the many timelines of the MCU. We see this happen in live-action in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, with one version of Strange dying in the very first scene and another being secretly executed by the Illuminati. The animated series What If…? also depicts Strange’s death, showing how his own reckless actions involving alternate timelines lead to his demise, demonstrating that even the MCU’s strongest heroes aren’t invincible.

7) Captain Marvel

Captain Marvel is widely seen as one of the most powerful heroes in the MCU. Carol Danvers possesses incredible cosmic abilities, making her a versatile hero with a wide range of powers. These include flight, super strength, the power to fire blasts of cosmic energy, and exceptional durability. While her story in live-action films hasn’t been as extensive as some of the MCU’s main characters, she’s become well-established as one of the strongest heroes currently fighting within the franchise’s timeline. She’s a force to be reckoned with. Many fans consider her potential limitless.

Although Captain Marvel survived the events of the MCU’s main timeline, she has died in alternate versions of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. For example, in the What If…? series, an episode explores a scenario where Ultron wins, and he immediately targets and kills Captain Marvel. Furthermore, the Marvel Zombies storyline quickly showed that Carol Danvers was among the first heroes to succumb to the zombie virus, demonstrating that even with her immense power, she isn’t invincible.

6) The Hulk

As a longtime fan of the MCU, I’ve seen quite a few versions of the Hulk since he first appeared back in 2008. But for me, the original will always be the most memorable. Bruce Banner’s big green alter-ego has really been a constant presence in Marvel stories from the very beginning. Everyone always talks about how the Hulk is one of the most powerful characters in the Marvel Universe, and I think the movies have subtly shown that in a lot of his storylines. It’s been fun to see how they’ve developed him over the years, and I’m excited to see what future adventures he has!

Despite his incredible strength, the Hulk has been killed in the MCU’s Multiverse. In season 1 of What If…?, the Avengers were systematically eliminated as part of Hank Pym’s plan for revenge, and the Hulk suffered a uniquely violent – and somewhat darkly humorous – fate. Pym used a chemical that caused the Hulk to continually grow larger while transformed, ultimately leading to him exploding. Though the Hulk seems virtually unkillable, the MCU demonstrated a way for the powerful hero to die within the Multiverse.

5) Vision

Some Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) characters aren’t as strong on screen as they are in the comics, and unfortunately, Vision is one of them, largely because of how his storyline unfolded in the films. Initially presented as an android created with the immense energy of the Mind Stone, Vision was a significant and powerful addition to the Avengers during the later parts of the Infinity Saga. However, even though he *is* the physical form of the Mind Stone’s power, Vision wasn’t completely indestructible.

Even a body constructed from vibranium and fueled by the Mind Stone couldn’t save Vision from dying, and he actually met his end twice. He initially perished in Avengers: Infinity War after asking Wanda Maximoff to destroy the Mind Stone to prevent Thanos from succeeding, but Thanos managed to turn back time. Then, Thanos forcibly removed the Mind Stone from Vision’s forehead, effectively killing him once more. Despite how strong Vision was shown to be, this moment demonstrated that no one was truly secure within the MCU.

4) Kang the Conqueror

As a critic, I have to say that Kang the Conqueror’s journey in the MCU was surprisingly cut short, especially considering how powerful he was established to be – arguably one of the biggest threats since Avengers: Endgame. Originally, he was supposed to be *the* big bad for the entire Multiverse Saga, but some behind-the-scenes issues changed things. This meant his appearance in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania ended up being a more definitive conclusion than anyone initially expected. Kang’s comic book history paints him as a truly terrifying foe for the Avengers, and the MCU version was really starting to live up to that reputation.

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania featured Scott Lang, as Ant-Man, meeting Kang the Conqueror while both were in the Quantum Realm-Kang had been trapped there. The film ended with Kang apparently dying, and Marvel seems to have abandoned plans to continue his storyline. This strongly suggests Kang’s death is final, and while it may have been necessary for Marvel, it’s another instance of a powerful character being killed off in the MCU.

3) Odin

Odin is arguably the most impactful character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe to ever use Thor’s hammer, making him a key figure in the franchise. He first appeared in Thor in 2011, and initially served a supporting role in the first two films, focusing on the stories of his sons, Thor and Loki. During this time, Odin was presented as the intelligent and strong leader of Asgard, earning respect throughout the Nine Realms thanks to his incredible powers and his position as the All-Father of the Norse gods.

Despite his immense power, Odin wasn’t unbeatable. His abilities diminished after a long time spent on Earth, and he died peacefully in Thor: Ragnarok following a last conversation with his sons. The Marvel Cinematic Universe didn’t directly show Odin at the peak of his strength, but his position as a respected and authoritative leader to both Thor and Loki clearly defined the power structure in Asgard. This solidified Odin’s place as one of the MCU’s strongest characters, which made his death all the more unexpected.

2) Thanos

The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) started with a few separate stories and has evolved into a large, interconnected world that has become very popular. During this time, the Infinity Saga became known as the first major storyline in the MCU, and Thanos was developed as the central villain throughout Phases 1 to 3. Even though the Mad Titan didn’t fully appear until Avengers: Infinity War, he was already well-known as a formidable and powerful enemy.

While Thanos’ exact strength in the MCU wasn’t clearly defined, his mastery of all six Infinity Stones was incredibly impressive. He defeated powerful heroes like Thor, Hulk, Captain America, and Iron Man with ease, and even proved more cunning than many of the MCU’s strongest magic users. Despite his immense power, Thanos couldn’t avoid death, and was ultimately defeated by the MCU heroes twice in the live-action film Avengers: Endgame, and on several occasions throughout the animated series in the Multiverse Saga.

1) Scarlet Witch

Following her time as a key magical hero in the Infinity Saga, Wanda Maximoff’s path changed in the MCU television series WandaVision. The show depicted Wanda dealing with the loss of Vision and being controlled by Agatha Harkness, ultimately leading her to become a villain and fully embrace her identity as the Scarlet Witch. This transformation made Wanda one of the most powerful characters in the entire MCU, with her strength increased by the dark magic of the Darkhold.

Despite Wanda’s incredibly strong control over chaos magic, she still met her end in the MCU. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness concluded with the Scarlet Witch’s death following the failure of her attempt to get her sons back. Furthermore, Wanda was depicted as either deceased or undead in various animated series within the MCU’s Multiverse Saga. Even after death, Wanda remains a formidable force, as demonstrated in the story of Marvel Zombies, which proves that her powers persisted beyond her lifetime.

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2025-10-05 18:17