Killing characters off can be a tricky business when you’re trying to build a franchise that depends on these faces to survive. However, it is true that the stakes in the Marvel Cinematic Universe decrease every time a hero leaves a battle mostly unscathed. After all, how menacing can these villains really be if they’re constantly defeated?
Reddit has taken the discussion to the masses by posing the question of who else should not have made it to the second saga of the MCU. The answers are shockingly disrespectful of the original six Avengers, but considering what the Multiverse Saga has done to their legacy since, we kind of get it.
The first one on the chopping block is the Avenger which, by now, has had the most screen time of any other MCU character barring Mr. Tony Stark. Thor was one of the more popular answers among Redditors, who seemed convinced the world was better off without Thor: Love and Thunder. It’s hard to disagree, but the rumored fifth Thor movie might make his survival justifiable yet.
Another recurrent casualty is Don Cheadle’s Rhodey. Side characters are usually sacrificed in order to further the main hero’s story and serve as either deterrents or motivators in their quests. Rhodey has been the subject of more than one death scare, but the fact that he’s repeatedly made it out alive has definitely made each survival less impactful. Not to mention the headache that the developments introduced in Secret Invasion have caused in regard to his development.
In the same vein, fans believe Hulk would have been better off dying a hero than living to become yet another comic relief silly side character.
Yet, the most popular reply, with over 160 upvotes, is the one that names Drax as the missing Infinity Saga sacrifice. The lovable idiot played by Dave Bautista had a very satisfying conclusion to his arc in 2023’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, but many people agree that trying to stop Thanos, the man who killed his family, would have been a more fitting way to go.
Endings are always the toughest part of a story to get right. It’s also important that they’re permanent, otherwise, they will lose any importance. And while we’re very happy Loki has come back from the dead about a million times, we’re equally satisfied with the likes of Tony, Natasha, and Steve having a chance to find an organic conclusion to their individual journeys. Death can be a fantastic narrative device, and Marvel would do well to remember that more often — no matter how popular or famous a character or actor might be.