7 Movie Sequels That Killed Off Key Characters Prematurely

In many long-lasting series, the third film often starts by eliminating a crucial character who appeared in the previous films. This move can be effectively executed, like in one particular Avengers film, but it’s more common to see it towards the end of a trilogy. Such a decision early on sets the stage for higher stakes and, unfortunately, often foreshadows that the third movie might not live up to its predecessors. Here are some films where significant characters meet their end early in the third installment. These instances vary in success, but they all share a major character death at the start of the third film.

Avengers: Infinity War

In a stunning cinematic triumph and among the top Marvel Cinematic Universe films so far, the enormously ambitious “Avengers: Infinity War” starts off with a hard-hitting impact. The chilling act of Thanos snapping Loki’s neck (followed by the elimination of Heimdall) sets the stage for a more somber journey for the Avengers, one that ultimately claims the lives of several beloved heroes by the film’s conclusion.

Indeed, Loki managed to make a comeback. Not only does he star in his own TV show, but he’s also set to feature in Avengers: Doomsday. Although it’s not the original Loki who met his end at Thanos’ hands, the back-to-back deaths still left viewers quite startled.

Beverly Hills Cop III

Initially, it seemed as though the mediocre spin-off movie, Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F, might have marked the downfall of Axel Foley’s film series. Known for directing some of the 80s’ funniest comedies like The Blues Brothers, An American Werewolf in London, Trading Places, and Coming to America, John Landis’ work on the third Beverly Hills Cop film was a stark contrast. It was surprising to see such a dull movie given Landis and Eddie Murphy’s success in their previous comedic collaborations, but unfortunately, that is what happened with the third installment of the Beverly Hills Cop series.

The second movie, though it had a weaker script compared to the first one’s dynamic narrative, didn’t fall as drastically as the gap between the second and third films. It seems that Murphy appeared uninterested, perhaps recognizing the decline in quality, as he was not portraying the same lively Axel Foley from the earlier films. Instead, this Foley is more serious and driven. Interestingly, Inspector Todd, who had frequently reprimanded Foley in the first two movies, is killed off by the main antagonist at the start of this film. As a result, the already somber Foley transforms into a typical, revenge-focused cop, which clashes significantly with the theme park setting.

Blade: Trinity

To accommodate Whistler’s daughter, it seems that the creators of “Blade: Trinity” decided to write off Kris Kristofferson’s character, Abraham Whistler. The relationship between Abraham and Blade, played by Wesley Snipes, was a key aspect in the first two movies. The producers hoped to attract more audiences by introducing Jessica Biel and Ryan Reynolds into the cast for “Blade: Trinity”, but this move didn’t yield the desired results. In fact, it resulted in one of the most challenging productions for a superhero movie so far.

In the movie “Trinity”, the late Kirstofferson, known for his impressive on-screen charisma, is swiftly killed off. This event sets Blade up for action, providing him with a personal motive to pursue Dracula. However, it feels more like an attempt to escalate tension, rather than a meaningful plot development. Regrettably, this seems to serve the purpose of making room for Biel’s character and increasing screen time for her and Reynolds in subsequent scenes. Although Whistler didn’t have many new roles to play in a potential third film, given his contributions in the first two, it appears as though this decision was made to create space for new characters.

Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers

Absolutely! The movie titled “Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers” is the sixth film in the popular Halloween series, but its timeline has always been complex. Danielle Harris’ character Jamie Lloyd, who was the protagonist in both “Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers” and “Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers“, is older and played by a different actress in “Curse“. In this movie, she gives birth, only to be impaled against a wall immediately afterwards. This abrupt ending for the character doesn’t leave much impact, even with Paul Rudd making his debut as the lead character.

RoboCop 3

Despite some fans accepting a remake’s disappointment, they generally view “RoboCop 3” as the lowest point in the series. While other poorly-received third films may have redeeming qualities, “RoboCop 3” is not one of them, with the exception of actress CCH Pounder‘s appearance, albeit her role is brief.

In contrast to Karen Allen’s Officer Anne Lewis, Pounder’s character endures longer in the story. A pivotal figure in Paul Verhoeven’s RoboCop and its 1990 sequel, Officer Lewis was a character who should have had a more significant role than what she ultimately received in the third film. She participated in action sequences and was the only one who stood by Alex Murphy from the start. Regrettably, her character is killed off by Paul McDaggett during an attempt to stop him and his ruthless security force from attacking impoverished civilians. Similar to many other characters on this list, it’s a death primarily used as a plot device to spur the protagonist towards pursuing a specific antagonist. In essence, it represents an unsatisfying conclusion to what had previously been an intriguing, albeit secondary, character arc.

Scream 3

In the first Scream movie, Liev Schreiber’s character Cotton Weary was merely shown on TV, yet his influence was profound. He was the man falsely accused of murdering the protagonist’s mother, when in truth it was the two individuals wearing Ghostface masks. His opportunity to truly make an impact came in Scream 2, where he persistently encouraged Sidney Prescott to join Diane Sawyer’s show with him, positioning himself as a wronged and rightfully angry potential suspect.

In a different phrasing: Weary didn’t don the Ghostface mask, he was generally a good man. However, his story took an unfortunate turn when someone wearing the Ghostface mask ended his life at the outset of Scream 3. This death served as a catalyst for the plot in this trilogy’s final chapter, even though some might argue it wasn’t as compelling as the earlier films.

X-Men: The Last Stand

The Last Stand, directed by Brett Ratner, Cyclops is killed off very early in the movie, and it’s particularly disappointing because he’s killed by Jean Grey, who is at the center of a love triangle involving him and Wolverine. This brief encounter with resurrected Jean results in Cyclops’ death. Essentially, it seems like they included Cyclops only to reveal that Jean was alive, as he had the most personal connection with her among the characters.

Fans haven’t had many chances for a proper goodbye with Cyclops following his abrupt exit. His short appearance in X-Men: Days of Future Past was helpful, but hopefully, this gap will be filled now that he is expected to reappear in the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday.

2025-05-02 01:20