This Actor Died Violent Deaths in Both the DC and Marvel Universes

The list of actors who have appeared in both Marvel and DC films is quite extensive: Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool and Green Lantern, Tom Hardy as Bane and Venom, and Michael Keaton as both winged hero and villain, Batman and the Vulture, respectively. One actor who crossed over, however, not only got to experience both cinematic universes but also was on the unfortunate receiving end of two brutal deaths in both franchises. That actor? Adam Beach.

Which Characters Did Adam Beach Play?

Image via Warner Bros. Pictures

Adam Beach appeared in two comic book films that did not fair particularly well critically: 2016’s Suicide Squad and 2020’s The New Mutants. In David Ayer’s take on the Suicide Squad, Beach played Christopher Weiss, aka Slipknot, who is described in the film as “the man who can climb anything.” He didn’t get much more development than that before his demise, and the character actually became something of an Internet meme before the film’s release, given how obvious it seemed that he was going to be killed and also for his seemingly useless super-ability. In The New Mutants,Beach had a slightly more significant role in William Lonestar. William is the father of the central character, Dani (Blu Hunt). He serves an important role throughout the film as not only a big part of how the story kicks off but also as a motivator to Dani, as later on in the story, he appears to her spiritually to offer important guidance in the climactic final battle.

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How Did Slipknot and William Lonestar Die?

Image via 20th Century Studios

Both characters met an untimely end before they experienced very much on-screen action. In the case of Slipknot, after he meets the team, learns of their mission, and has a bomb implanted in the bases of his skull, he attempts to mount an escape. This is encouraged by Jai Courtney’s Captain Boomerang, who is curious about the validity of the bomb-in-skull threat. However, the escape attempt is short-lived, as is Slipknot’s screen time, as Rick Flag detonates the bomb and blows Slipknot’s head off, proving that the bombs are, in fact, both real and functional.

William Lonestar has a slightly less graphic death but is still killed off very early on in The New Mutants during the opening scene. He also has a more heroic death, as he dies trying to protect his daughter and the film’s protagonist, Dani, as their reservation is torn to pieces. The destruction is initially thought to be from a tornado but is later revealed to be the result of an amalgamation of emotions that Dani is accidentally projecting with her powers, known as the Demon Bear.

Why These Deaths Are Significant to the Films’ Stories

While these roles may seem minor in the grand scheme of both of these universes, they actually play a significant part in the narratives of both films. Slipknot’s death in Suicide Squad demonstrates the stakes for these characters. Not only does seeing the bombs in action provide a feasible motivation for these super criminals not to revolt immediately and follow Amanda Waller’s (Viola Davis) orders, but it also adds a solid amount of tension to the film, as it is now seemingly possible that any of these characters could die at any moment. However, to the film’s detriment, it never capitalizes on this opportunity to shock the audience with a major character dying suddenly and unceremoniously. This is a lesson the James Gunn sequel/soft reboot The Suicide Squad learned from, seen not only in the hilariously violent opening action scene but also in the later fate of some of the film’s major characters.

William Lonestar’s death is also of great importance to the story of The New Mutants, as it kicks off the plot (as Dani is sent to the facility where most of the film takes place). It also has thematic importance to Dani as a character. Her arc of accepting her powers and taming her fear is tied to the Demon Bear that killed her father, and his spiritual connection with her later in the film highlights this. While Adam Beach’s roles weren’t the juiciest in either of these films, he is one of few actors who can say they died gruesome deaths in both the Marvel and DC universes.

The New Mutants

Five young mutants, just discovering their abilities while held in a secret facility against their will, fight to escape their past sins and save themselves.

Release Date August 26, 2020

Director Josh Boone

Runtime 94 minutes

Writers Josh Boone , Knate Lee

Studio 20th Century Fox

Tagline It's time to face your demons

The New Mutants is streaming on Disney+ in the U.S.

Watch on Disney+