Is Loki due for another untimely death? Could Spider-Man be swinging
into another cinematic universe? Phase 5 of the MCU is upon us,
but heroes beware, not everyone is going to make it out alive.
Hulk, and by extension Bruce Banner, is one of the MCU's oldest characters. He first made his
debut in the 2008 film "The Incredible Hulk" a month after "Iron Man," and had a starring role
in 2012's "The Avengers." Outside of a select few superheroes, such as Thor and Hawkeye,
that also makes him one of the only characters who has survived up until this point. With most of his
fellow heroes from Phase 1 of the MCU gone, it could be that Hulk's story is near an end.
Of course, the timing would make some sense as Bruce has essentially reached a balance in his
life. Both his personalities have effectively merged into one individual, giving birth to the
"Smart Hulk" figure we see in "Avengers: Endgame." This character combines the strength of the Hulk
with the intelligence of Banner and sees an end to the internal struggle the hero has been
enduring for several years. Now that his story has come full circle, it could be a good time
for him to leave the MCU, especially since he has helped train She-Hulk as a potential replacement.
There's also a rights issue that looms over the Hulk, stopping Disney and Marvel
Studios from being able to create a standalone movie. Actor Mark Ruffalo
explained that Universal owns the rights to any film focusing entirely on the Hulk,
meaning Disney is limited in what it can do with him.
Vision has had a rough ride in the MCU. Created by Ultron, Tony Stark, Thor, and Bruce Banner,
the synthezoid was brought to life with the help of the Mind Stone. After battling alongside the
Avengers against Ultron in Sokovia, he and his fellow heroes decided to destroy the
Mind Stone in an attempt to stop Thanos from capturing it — a process that led to Vision's
death at the hands of his lover Wanda Maximoff. Unfortunately, Thanos reversed time and brought
Vision back to life only to kill him a second time by forcibly removing the Mind Stone from his head.
A recreation of the character was brought into existence by Wanda using Chaos Magic
in "WandaVision," while S.W.O.R.D. developed their own version, known as White Vision,
by reassembling his parts following the Battle of Wakanda. Considering how the character has
been killed multiple times already, a more final death sooner rather than later seems in the cards.
"So long, darling."
At the moment, it still isn't clear what the future holds for Vision. White Vision,
now believes himself to be the true version of the hero, is the only remaining Vision,
and his whereabouts are unknown following the events of "WandaVision." Paul Bettany
also confirmed in 2022 that he doesn't have a contract with Marvel Studios,
so his character's days appear numbered, although a show featuring White Vision may be in the works.
Although he hasn't been as important to the wider MCU as some of his counterparts,
Hank Pym is a significant player in the "Ant-Man" films.
"Yes. I'm still alive"
He is set to appear in the third entry in the series, "Ant-Man and the Wasp:
Quantumania," in early 2023 in which he'll explore the Quantum Realm with Scott Lang,
Hope van Dyne, and Janet van Dyne. Trailers have revealed that the group will encounter
Kang the Conqueror in the Quantum Realm, which might not be good news for Pym.
After all, Kang was first introduced in "Loki" in 2021 as the next big villain in the form
of He Who Remains, a variant who dedicated his life to stopping more evil variants of himself
from being able to take over all of existence. Marvel Studios revealed Phase 6 will conclude
with two "Avengers" movies, with the first being "Avengers: The Kang Dynasty." This suggests that
Kang the Conqueror will be similar to Thanos and prove to be a major villain going forward.
If that's the case, there would be no better way to introduce him to movie-going audiences
as a huge threat than if he killed a major character. Pym would fit the bill in that
sense. He is already an older figure and has passed on most of his knowledge to Scott,
Hope, and Janet. His death could provide the heroes of the MCU with plenty of motivation
to take on the time-traveling supervillain Kang the Conqueror.
James Rhodes, also known as War Machine is one of the most senior members of the Avengers. He made
his debut in "Iron Man," where he was portrayed by Terrence Howard before being replaced by Don
Cheadle in "Iron Man 2." While he's played a somewhat significant role in the franchise,
he has never had a standalone film or been the main focus of a movie or
television show. In fact, Rhodes has been largely absent since "Avengers:
Endgame" except for a small role in "The Falcon and The Winter Soldier."
A close associate of Tony Stark, War Machine will take on an important role in Phase 5. Samuel L.
Jackson confirmed that Cheadle would appear in the upcoming Disney+ series "Secret Invasion."
Meanwhile, the character has been confirmed to star in the television series-turned-movie "Armor
Wars." So James Rhodes certainly has a future in the MCU. It's just unclear for how much longer.
The actor has confirmed he is no longer under contract with Marvel,
which might well be a hint that his future in the MCU franchise is in doubt. War Machine has
faced death before, most notably during the airport battle scene in "Captain America:
Civil War," and he may not have that many lucky escapes left in him. His death would certainly
be a major event, especially following the passing of his close friend Iron Man.
"See you on the other side, man.”
"Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3" has something of a finale feel to it,
and fans have been speculating for some time that it could see the deaths of several key
characters. Chief among them is Rocket Raccoon, the cynical sentient animal that has been at
the center of the ragtag team of mercenaries throughout all of their appearances in the MCU.
Director James Gunn spoke about the new film acting as a way of wrapping up Rocket's story
and exploring his origins. A trailer for the film appears to show a young Rocket and features the
hero saying that he is "done running." Combine that with the fact that Gunn has previously said
that he would explore Rocket's gruesome origin story, which he described in "MCU Exchange" as:
"...a little bit more horrible than what it is in the comics when you come down to it."
"Guardians of the Galaxy 3" will be Gunn's last MCU project for the foreseeable future,
as he's now in charge of the DC film universe for Warner Bros. All this, plus the fact that
"Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3" appears to have a more somber tone might mean that fans should
get the tissues ready. At the very least, seeing Rocket's full story unfold won't be easy viewing.
Nebula is another member of the Guardians of the Galaxy who could see her time in
the MCU come to an end during Phase 5. You could argue that the adoptive daughter of
Thanos has had one of the most redemptive story arcs of any character in the series,
having gone from a single-minded antagonist who wanted nothing more than revenge on her stepsister
Gamora to reconciling with Gamora and joining the heroes in their fight against the Mad Titan.
Exactly what Karen Gillan's situation is in terms of her contract with Disney for
the MCU hasn't been made public. However, she has spoken about how much she enjoys
playing the character in an interview with "The Hollywood Reporter," saying
"I really like playing her, so I'm not eager to finish."
However, that doesn't mean she will get to continue portraying Nebula in the future,
and Gillan has even suggested in an Instagram post
that "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3" could be the final outing for Nebula.
Considering everything that has gone on between Gamora and Nebula,
it might be fitting to have one of them sacrifice themselves for the other. If that were the case,
the sensible bet would be for Nebula to take the fall as it would best suit her
overall narrative as someone who has changed so much over the last decade.
Drax is another longtime member of the Guardians of the Galaxy and a familiar face in the MCU.
He also has one of the more tragic backstories of any hero in the franchise. That's primarily
because his beef with Thanos was far more personal than many others, as Ronan the Accuser killed his
wife and daughter as part of his alliance with the Mad Titan. That means that his entire motivation
and everything he has done in the "Guardians of the Galaxy" films has been tinged with sorrow.
Despite finding a new family in the Guardians of the Galaxy,
Drax the Destroyer clearly still mourns the loss of his family,
and it seems almost certain that he will reunite with them at some point. Having that happen at
the conclusion of "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3" would be a fitting end for a warrior who has
stood against some of the biggest threats the universe has seen. It would also give him the
chance to perhaps save his new family in some sort of heroic act before going to his final reward.
"And in the end, I will see my wife and daughter again."
Throw in the fact that actor Dave Bautista has been very clear about
the next film being his last in the MCU, and it seems almost certain that Drax will meet
his end as the character's story comes to a natural conclusion.
Thor is somewhat unique in the MCU. Not only is he one of the few characters who has been
around since "The Avengers" in 2012, but he has also had four solo movies,
with the most recent being "Thor: Love and Thunder." Yet,
he still hasn't had a defining moment to say goodbye like Captain America or Iron Man.
That could well change in the future, with Chris Hemsworth telling "Vanity Fair" that
any future appearances in the MCU would "probably be the finale" for the Norse god.
The ending of "Thor: Love and Thunder" provided some closure to a character who has been on
a constant search for meaning since his first appearance. Now a father to his adoptive daughter
Love, he may have found his true place in the universe and be able to settle down. Of course,
having his arc come to an end might also mean he could die, causing his legacy to
live on in those he considers part of his family, including Korg and Love.
His story will have to come to an end at some point, and having him involved in a
battle with Kang the Conqueror would be a perfect way to do it. The actor has
also announced that he is taking a step back from acting following his recent
discovery that he carries an increased risk of developing Alzheimer's disease later in life.
At the beginning of the MCU, Nick Fury was a staple that helped hold all of the
various films and television series together. He has been involved in 11 MCU movies and was
responsible for creating the Avengers Initiative. Yet, Fury has largely been
absent from the franchise in recent years outside of brief appearances or cameos.
All that is about to change with the release of the television series "Secret Invasion" and the
movie "The Marvels," which will see Samuel L. Jackson reprise the character in starring
roles. Still, while Fury will no doubt have an important part to play in those two projects,
his influence over events in Phase 5 still isn't clear. And with his significance seemingly waning,
it may be time for the former Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. to meet his maker.
After all, Fury has already come close to death on several occasions and could
provide a lot of inspiration to the heroes left behind — many of whom he has close
relationships with — if he was killed. It would be appropriate to have Fury
fall now that he has such a legacy built up that will last long after his demise.
Few people would have thought that Loki would become the beloved character he has
since his introduction. Yet, his story in the MCU is a bit hard to follow,
mainly due to his complicated timeline within the franchise. The character has gone from villain to
anti-hero to a devoted ally of Thor in his fight against Thanos. Yet, he has also been killed
by the Mad Titan and lives on in the form of a variant who starred in the Disney+ series "Loki."
The God of Mischief's story is set to continue in "Loki" Season 2,
although it's unclear how much of a role he'll play in the rest of Phase 5. Marvel Studios still
hasn't confirmed that the character will appear in any other projects. That's despite the fact
that Tom Hiddleston has confirmed he would like to keep playing Loki for as long as possible.
Taking into account that Loki has already been killed and will no doubt have to
confront Kang the Conqueror after he and his female variant Sylvie unleashed the
villain upon the multiverse, then it seems likely he could die. Of course,
there wouldn't be anything stopping other potential variants from continuing.
Spider-Man is one of the MCU's biggest and most successful heroes. He's become a significant
figure in the franchise, working alongside Iron Man, Doctor Strange, and the rest of the Avengers.
But the ending of "Spider-Man: No Way Home" effectively made everyone forget
that Peter Parker exists. This not only gave the hero the anonymity to
operate as an independent figure outside of the Avengers but also allows Sony to
remove him from the MCU altogether. Sony and Disney have had difficulty working together
and only struck a last-minute deal to keep Holland in the MCU back in 2019.
"I don't want to go, I don't want to go…"
It's possible that Peter's Spider-Man could depart the MCU at some point, but others could follow in
his web steps. Apart from a brief Easter egg reference in "Spider-Man: Homecoming," Miles
Morales has been entirely absent from the MCU. But the latest movie did introduce the idea of
different versions of the web-slinging hero, so it's possible Miles could show up. He could even
be a potential replacement for the MCU's Peter Parker in the event that Holland's Spidey dies.
The Winter Soldier, otherwise known as Bucky Barnes, has gone through one of the
biggest transformations of any character within the MCU. Once a friend and ally of
Steve Rogers, Barnes was transformed into a super-soldier assassin by H.Y.D.R.A. However,
he was eventually able to overcome his programming with the help of Captain
America and King T'Challa of Wakanda. Now a hero in his own right, he has most recently
fought against the Flag Smashers alongside Sam Wilson in "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier."
In an interview with "Uproxx," Sebastian Stan revealed that he
feels Bucky has earned himself a comfortable death, stating:
"Hopefully at this point, it would be in a nice warm bed as a 200-year-old
man with a family. That's his way now, I think he's earned that."
Of course, that doesn't mean that's how it will go down, and with the character confirmed to
be part of the "Thunderbolts" movie, his team-up with the likes of Red Guardian,
Taskmaster, and U.S. Agent in 2024 may not be smooth sailing. Exactly what is in store
for Bucky following his redemption isn't obvious, so he may end up dying as a way
of passing the torch onto a new group of heroes now that his story has been told.