The Marvel Cinematic Universe is getting ready to go big in the next year, but that could include some shocking deaths along the way. 2024 was one of the slowest years for the MCU, especially given how the franchise has been releasing projects constantly since the start of the Multiverse Saga. While it has become one of the MCU's best movies, Deadpool & Wolverine was the only Marvel Studios film released this year.
That will change in 2025, as Marvel has three movies scheduled for release. Marvel Studios also recently shared a teaser for all the 6 series set to come in the next year, which include both live-action and animated projects. With many MCU TV shows and movies being released in 2025, the year will see the return or debut of major Marvel characters. However, things can take a dark turn for some of them, with shocking deaths possible.
10
Red Hulk
Captain America: Brave New World (February 14, 2025)
First off is Red Hulk. It would be a shame to lose the character when he finally debuts, but Red Hulk is one of the members of Captain America: Brave New World's cast who is not safe. After William Hurt's passing, Marvel recast the role with Harrison Ford as Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross. He makes his MCU debut in Anthony Mackie's first movie as Captain America.
As Ford is 82, the actor might not want to hang around for too long, so a prominent role as Red Hulk in one movie could be enough for him.
Ross will be important to the movie in multiple ways, as he is now the President of the United States and will also become the Red Hulk and fight Sam Wilson in the film. While it is nearly impossible for the new Captain America to kill the Red Hulk, the film's shadowy villain, the Leader, could be the one to murder Ross after the new Hulk finishes serving a purpose. As Ford is 82, the actor might not want to hang around for too long, so a prominent role as Red Hulk in one movie could be enough for him.
9
The Leader
Captain America: Brave New World (February 14, 2025)
Tim Blake Nelson is finally returning to the MCU after 17 years. The actor debuted in the franchise as Samuel Sterns in 2008's The Incredible Hulk. At the end of the movie, his character becomes one of the Hulk's biggest villains in the comics, the Leader, after being exposed to Bruce Banner's blood. After a long time, Captain America: Brave New World finally reveals what the Leader has been up to.
The character has not appeared much in the new Captain America movie's trailers, but it does seem like the Leader will be behind Harrison Ford's Thunderbolt Ross becoming Red Hulk. However, with a being so powerful as a Hulk, the Leader might be in for a rude awakening if he is not able to control the character. Given how a new Hulk movie is unlikely, giving the Leader a major role and killing him off to wrap up his story could be the plan.
8
Karen Page
Daredevil: Born Again (March 4, 2025)
Daredevil: Born Again was not originally going to be as close to Netflix's Daredevil series as it ended up being. After a major creative overhaul, Marvel hired The Punisher writer Dario Scardapane to serve as Daredevil: Born Again's showrunner, also bringing back many actors from the original Netflix series. That is how Deborah Ann Woll's Karen Page and Elden Henson's Foggy Nelson found their way back to the screen.
Daredevil: Born Again arrives in March, and the upcoming MCU series could take some lessons from Netlifx's Daredevil & The Defenders Saga to be great.
The first image of the Daredevil trio together in the MCU series has been released, but it might be one of the few times that happens. The reason for that is Daredevil: Born Again is set to feature many villains who could take out Matt Murdock's best friends to hurt him, like Kingpin, Muse, and Bullseye. Adding to that, Karen is reportedly in three out of nine episodes, so she might bite the bullet.
7
Foggy Nelson
Daredevil: Born Again (March 4, 2025)
While Karen Page could be in danger in Daredevil: Born Again, Foggy Nelson is undoubtedly the character who has the most chance of dying between the two in the new MCU series. Unlike Karen, Foggy's episode count on the series has not yet been revealed, and that might have to do with the fact that the character will be gone after a single episode.
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After Charlie Cox's cameo appearance in Spider-Man: No Way Home and supporting role in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, Daredevil: Born Again gives Matt Murdock his first show set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Daredevil: Born Again, composed of 18 episodes, serves as the spiritual successor to Netflix's three-season Daredevil series and adapts its characters to the MCU's main continuity while establishing a new beginning for the superhero lawyer.
Release Date
January 1, 2024
Seasons
1
Streaming Service(s)
Dis
When Daredevil: Born Again's new showrunner came aboard, the MCU series shot a new pilot episode. Daredevil: Born Again set photos and videos of that episode made their way online, and they did not make things look good for Foggy. Wilson Bethel's Bullseye could be seen shooting in the direction Karen and Foggy were in, with the latter being seen bloody on the ground. As such, Bullseye might kill Foggy in Daredevil: Born Again.
6
Bucky Barnes
Thunderbolts* (May 5, 2025)
Sebastian Stan is one of the MCU's longest-running stars, but 2025's Thunderbolts* could mark his final time in the franchise. No other possible death in the MCU movie would be bigger than that of Bucky Barnes, and for a project where characters are expendable, that might not bode well for the former Winter Soldier. In fact, Bucky was seemingly set to die in an early draft of the script.
The new Thunderbolts* trailer has a moment that might have revealed the meaning behind the MCU movie's asterisk, and it could connect to the Avengers.
It has been reported that the Thunderbolts would have supposedly died on their mission by the end of the MCU movie. However, since rewrites have happened, it is likely that not all characters will die, even if the team faces the all-powerful Sentry. As Bucky is the leader of the Thunderbolts, his death could come as a sacrifice to save the rest of his team, which would be honorable.
5
Red Guardian
Thunderbolts* (May 5, 2025)
Like Bucky, the other character on the Thunderbolts who could die by sacrificing himself for the team is Red Guardian. David Harbour's MCU character is mostly used as comedic relief, but Alexei Shostakov had his fair share of emotional moments in Scarlett Johansson's Black Widow movie. With Red Guardian and Yelena Belova united again in Marvel's Thunderbolts*, Harbour's character could make one of the MCU's most emotional sacrifices.
If it comes to a choice between saving Yelena — his daughter — or surviving, Red Guardian is bound to sacrifice himself to make sure that the MCU's new Black Widow lives. Besides his connection to Florence Pugh's character, Thunderbolts*'s trailers have shown that Red Guardian is excited to be part of a team after finding himself disillusioned with his life. As such, the veteran character could put his team's well-being ahead of his.
4
Valentina Allegra De Fontaine
Thunderbolts* (May 5, 2025)
While Sebastian Stan's Bucky Barnes is the field leader of Marvel's Thunderbolts, he was not the character who put the team together. That role was reserved for Julia Louis-Dreyfus' Valentina Allegra De Fontaine, who acted as a kind of darker version of Nick Fury, slowly assembling the Thunderbolts over multiple Multiverse Saga projects like Samuel L. Jackson's Nick Fury did in the Infinity Saga.
Confirmed Thunderbolts Cast Member
Character The Actor Plays
Sebastian Stan
James "Bucky" Barnes, A.K.A. The Winter Soldier
Florence Pugh
Yelena Belova, A.K.A. Black Widow
Wyatt Russell
John Walker, A.K.A. US Agent
David Harbour
Alexei Shostakov, A.K.A. Red Guardian
Hannah John-Kamen
Ava Starr, A.K.A. Ghost
Olga Kurylenko
Antonia Dreykov, A.K.A. Taskmaster
Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Contessa Valentina Allegra De Fontaine
Harrison Ford
President Thaddeus Ross
Lewis Pullman
Bob (Rumored to be Sentry)
Geraldine Viswanathan
Unconfirmed
Interestingly, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever revealed that Valentina is the Director of the CIA, making her decision to assemble the Thunderbolts more curious. She has also bought Avengers Tower, showing how much power and wealth she possesses. However, that might not be enough for Valentina to make it out of Thunderbolts* alive. If she betrays the team, the Thunderbolts can band together to take her out. Likewise, it seems like Sentry — Bob in Thunderbolts*'s trailers — was locked up on her orders, and after breaking free, the powerful character could kill Valentina.
3
Ghost
Thunderbolts* (May 5, 2025)
Hannah John-Kamen has so far only appeared once in the MCU as Ghost. The actress played Ava Starr in Ant-Man and the Wasp, where her character served as a villain to Paul Rudd and Evangeline Lilly's title heroes for most of the MCU movie. However, by the end of the film, Ghost stopped being a foe after her "molecular disequilibrium" was stabilized.
Thunderbolts* finally shows what Ghost has been up to since her MCU debut. The character's skills as a thief and assassin are perfect for Valentina Allegra de Fontaine's new shadowy team. However, beyond a possible Thunderbolts* sequel, there does not seem to be a clear path for how Ghost could continue to appear in the MCU. Given how Sentry will reportedly be taken over by his dark side, the Void, Thunderbolts members should die, and a minor one like Ghost is one of the most likely to go.
2
Taskmaster
Thunderbolts* (May 5, 2025)
Taskmaster had her tragic past revealed in Marvel's Black Widow movie. With Yelena Belova and Red Guardian returning from the film, it will be interesting to see how Antonia Dreykov is doing after Natasha Romanoff freed her from the Red Room's mind control. Sadly, Taskmaster's new life might not last long, as the character is perhaps the most likely member of the Thunderbolts to die in the MCU movie.
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Marvel's Thunderbolts* is a superhero movie based on the comic team of the same name. The movie acts as a part of the MCU's fifth phase of films. The film sees the likes of Bucky Barnes, Yelena Belova, Wyatt Russell, the Red Guardian, and more as an unlikely group of heroes and villains brought together to fight for good.
Director
Jake Schreier
Release Date
May 2, 2025
There are a few factors that make Taskmaster look like cannon fodder. The character was not met with positive reception when she debuted in Black Widow. Besides that, Taskmaster barely appears in Thunderbolts*'s trailers. Not only does she barely appear, but whenever Taskmaster is shown, it seems like the shots of Olga Kurylenko's character are coming from the same scenes. As such, Taskmaster could die early in the movie to build up the stakes.
1
Silver Surfer
The Fantastic Four: First Steps (July 25, 2025)
Finally, The Fantastic Four: First Steps will introduce the MCU's versions of Galactus and the Silver Surfer. However, the latter will not be the classic take on the character, as Ozark star Julia Garner plays the Shalla-Bal version of Silver Surfer in the MCU movie. Shalla-Bal's Silver Surfer comes from a different Earth in the comics, which is why her appearance in the Fantastic Four reboot makes sense.
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The Fantastic Four: First Steps is the first MCU movie to feature Marvel's First Family in the same live-action universe as the Avengers. It introduces the Marvel Cinematic Universe's version of Reed Richards, Sue Storm, Ben Grimm, and Johnny Storm, and precedes Phase 6's Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and Avengers: Secret Wars.
Director
Matt Shakman
Release Date
July 25, 2025
Writers
Josh Friedman
, Jeff Kaplan
, Ian Springer
Marvel Studios' first Fantastic Four film takes place in a different universe, with Pedro Pascal's Reed Richards and the rest of the team living in a retro-futuristic New York City set in the 1960s. There are two ways in which Garner's Silver Surfer could die. Either she turns on Galactus to help the Fantastic Four escape to the main MCU Earth and is killed by him, or Silver Surfer dies as her universe is destroyed by an incursion, connecting the film to the rest of the MCU's Multiverse Saga in a major way.
Custom image by Felipe Rangel
English (US) ·