Marvel Cinematic Universe fans have witnessed their fair share of tough character deaths, and some of these deceased heroes and villains should be resurrected. Among the MCU’s saddest moments are the deaths of Tony Stark/Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), and T’Challa/Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman). Many fans would surely enjoy seeing these heroes return to the big screen, though the most obvious choices aren’t always the best ones. Beyond the MCU’s most popular characters, a number of supporting personas have been wasted, underused, and killed off far too soon. Death isn’t always permanent in a world that contains magic, superpowers, and the multiverse, so there’s a chance that some of the MCU’s most disappointing deaths could be reversed.
These seven MCU characters deserved to live longer, and they could still be resurrected to fix their stories.
1) Pietro Maximoff/Quicksilver
Pietro Maximoff/Quicksilver (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) shockingly met his end in his MCU debut. Introduced in Avengers: Age of Ultron as the brother of Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen), Pietro has amazing super-speed abilities, making him one of the MCU’s funnest heroes to watch in combat. But, Quicksilver’s untimely death during Age of Ultron‘s Battle of Sokovia dampens his legacy. The MCU’s Pietro cannot be brought back to life, but an identical variant of the character could serve a purpose in Wanda’s story in either the near or distant future. It’s a shame that the MCU never gave Quicksilver a real arc, but he should still reappear in some form. Fans were disappointed that Pietro died so quickly, so there’s a clear incentive to bring him back — even if it’s just a cameo.
2) Hela
Hela (Cate Blanchett) is among the MCU’s most underrated villains, and that’s likely due to her limited character development. The Asgardian Goddess of Death emerged in Thor: Ragnarok with plans to take over Asgard from her younger brothers Thor (Chris Hemsworth) and Loki (Tom Hiddleston) in the wake of Odin’s (Anthony Hopkins) death. When the prophecy of Ragnarok was unleashed, Hela died at the hands of Surtur (Clancy Brown) during the destruction of Asgard, swiftly ending her story. Ragnarok undoubtedly fulfilled Hela’s purpose, though it might be worth revisiting the villain in a different scenario. The MCU could enrich Thor’s corner of the franchise by fleshing out his relationship with Hela — which dates back centuries. Hela could also serve as a formidable adversary to other powerful MCU heroes. Gods are immortal, so the MCU could easily create a narrative loophole to explain how Hela survived Ragnarok.
3) Ikaris
Eternals pulled a juicy twist by revealing Ikaris (Richard Madden) as a hero-turned-villain bent on sacrificing the Earth and all its people for the Emergence of Tiamut. Ikaris did not succeed and ended up taking his own life by flying into the Sun. Eternals‘ poor reception decreases the likelihood of the titular group appearing again in the MCU, but if the Eternals ever come back, Ikaris should be with them. Given that they’re synthetic beings, the Eternals can be recreated by the Celestials. Thus, Ikaris’ death does not have to be final. Boasting Superman-like flight and laser-eye powers, Ikaris was a daunting force in battle. On the personal side of things, Ikaris shared a complicated, yet endearing, bond with Sersi (Gemma Chan), which could be explored in more depth should the characters return to the MCU.
4) Wanda Maximoff/The Scarlet Witch
Wanda was presumed dead when she brought down Mount Wundagore on top of herself at the end of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. However, the lack of her corpse and the virtually indestructible nature of the Scarlet Witch indicate that it’s unlikely she’s actually deceased. Fans are eagerly awaiting the next chapter of Wanda’s MCU arc, which has seen the character endure immense loss and trauma while wavering from a hero to a villain. Such a complex and compelling character should play a pivotal role in the MCU’s future, and she has a rich comic history involving Doctor Doom and the X-Men among many other potential storylines to inspire her resurrection. The MCU needs to prioritize the Scarlet Witch’s return and bring her back to the big screen before it loses the chance to capitalize on her popularity.
5) Gorr the God Butcher
Thor: Love and Thunder epitomizes what it means to waste a talented actor and an interesting character. Propelled on a course for revenge against the gods after the death of his daughter, Gorr the God Butcher (Christian Bale) didn’t survive the movie’s ending, as he succumbed to the Necrosword’s power. Upon reaching Eternity, Gorr used his wish to bring his daughter back to life, so this could make it possible to revive him at some point. Gorr was criminally underused in Love and Thunder and his grim demeanor clashed with the film’s over-the-top comedic tone. A tragic and layered villain, Gorr deserved a chance to shine in a bigger way. Enlisting an esteemed actor such as Bale to portray a vicious and terrifying character appeared a certain success for the MCU, but Love and Thunder‘s script undermined it all. Gorr’s hypothetical return could see him resurrected for a redemption arc or a new crusade against the gods.
6) Agatha Harkness
Not many assumed that Agatha Harkness (Kathryn Hahn) would be a top-tier MCU character when she first appeared in WandaVision. The villainous witch’s solo series Agatha All Along cemented her as a layered protagonist, who’s wicked, hilarious, and sympathetic all at once. So, it was incredibly shortsighted to kill off Agatha at the end of her own show. Agatha’s sacrifice for Billy Maximoff (Joe Locke) and embrace of her former lover Rio Vidal/Death (Aubrey) was fitting in some ways, but the MCU should have prolonged her arc beyond just two projects.
Of course, Agatha now exists as Billy’s ghost mentor, but this comes across as more of a gag than a satisfactory outcome. Despite Agatha’s ghost form originating from the comics, the MCU should have continued on its path of writing a new story for her on screen. From Agatha’s centuries-long romance with Death to her magic-stealing deeds, there are infinite possibilities for Agatha’s next chapter that don’t involve her following around a teenage boy as his ghost sidekick. MCU deaths aren’t always permanent, thus the franchise should take the first opportunity it has to return Agatha to her human form.
7) Taskmaster
Antonia Drekov/Taskmaster looked slated for a long MCU tenure upon her introduction in Black Widow, but Thunderbolts* did the unthinkable. Taskmaster died just minutes after first appearing in the movie, suffering a fatal gunshot wound from Ava Starr/Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen). Even though the MCU’s version of Taskmaster faced tons of fan backlash for deviating from the comics so dramatically, there was never a need to off her so quickly and brutally. Instead, a future project should reveal that Taskmaster’s mask blocked the bullet from reaching her skull and that she escaped the vault before the flames engulfed it. Alternatively, the MCU could introduce an entirely new, more comic-accurate, version of Taskmaster. Either way, Taskmaster needs to feature in the MCU in some capacity. With a unique power set derived from other heroes, Taskmaster has endless potential as a villain or anti-hero.
Which dead MCU characters do you want to see brought back? Let us know in the comments!
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