Top 20 Most Brutal Over the Top Deaths in the MCU

Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the Top 20 Most Brutal Over-the-Top Deaths in the MCU. For this list, we’ll be looking at the most violent demises seen in this universe. While we’ll include Disney+shows, we won’t be counting the Netflix releases. Since we’re dealing with violent endings, beware major spoilers ahead. Which death did you think was the most brutalt? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

#20: Obadiah Stane

“Iron Man” (2008)

The demise of the MCU’s first villain is delectably ironic. Obadiah Stane cemented his villain status when he pulled the miniature arc reactor keeping Tony alive out of the billionaire’s chest. So, it was only fitting that the same tech that led to the villain‘s downfall. While Tony and Stane were engaged in a deadly battle, they found themselves standing above a giant arc reactor. Iron Man then asked Pepper Potts to overload the device. This caused Stane to get electrocuted before he fell a few stories and perished in a giant explosion. Honestly, SHIELD might have lied about the villain’s cause of death solely because it was so excessive.

#19: Shocker

“Spider-Man: Homecoming” (2017)

This minor villain’s name is pretty apt considering his death came as a surprise to both audiences and the person who killed him. The first Shocker worked to spread alien tech on the black market under his boss Adrian Toomes. But when he drew too much attention to the operation and threatened to tell his superior’s wife, the Vulture laid down the law with an alien weapon. When he fired it, everyone was surprised to see that Shocker had been turned into a pile of ash. The funniest bit is that Vulture thought he was holding an anti-gravity gun the whole time. While Toomes didn’t mean to go such extremes, the kill was in line with his ruthless nature.

#18: Queen Ramonda

“Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” (2022)

When Namor led a surprise attack on Wakanda, many innocent citizens perished in brutal ways. But their queen may have gotten the worst of it. By using specially designed water bombs, Namor is able to completely flood the room that the royal is standing in. Although Queen Ramonda survived the initial blast, she died while getting her ally Riri to safety. The character’s reactions to the royal’s death are simply heartbreaking. While the Queen’s method of death wasn’t as physically over-the-top as other demises, her passing made for a brutal gut punch. Wakandans could do nothing but mourn as they lost yet another one of their leaders.

#17: Hela

“Thor: Ragnarok” (2017)

The Goddess of Death causes a lot of chaos throughout “Thor: Ragnarok.” So, it’s only fitting that she goes out in a completely over-the-top way. During the movie’s climactic battle in Asgard, the heroes figure out that the goddess can only be stopped by destroying Asgard. This prompts the characters to unleash the fire giant Surtur. When Hela attempts to destroy the destructive deity, he reduces her to dust with his gigantic sword. Just in case anyone thought she survived, Asgard explodes for good measure. Hela’s extremely thorough demise ensured she wouldn’t be coming back for any future family reunions.

#16: Billy Fitzgerald

“Moon Knight” (2022)

Even if you don’t remember his name, you probably remember his death. Billy Fitzgerald was a corrupt police detective that supported the villain Arthur Harrow. While the cop was on the big bad’s payroll, he followed his boss into a tomb. Unfortunately for Billy, he got captured by an ancient priest. The sinister holy official then proceeded to relieve the detective of his organs while the cop was still alive. While we don’t see all the gory details, we can hear what this impromptu operation sounds like. Although Billy wasn’t the greatest guy, we’re still not sure if he deserved such a harsh ending.

#15: Ajak

“Eternals” (2021)

We were sad to see Gilgamesh go out in such a horrible way while he was defending his friends (Xref). However, the team’s original leader got a more brutal demise. After Ajak and her team of Eternals killed the vicious deviants, her subordinate Ikaris let her know the creatures were back. But he didn’t just want to give her a heads up. After taking his boss to the deviants, Ikaris betrays Ajak and pushes her into a pit of the creatures. She’s savagely attacked by a wolf-like beast before her lifeforce gets completely drained. This death is especially harsh because she didn’t die doing something heroic. In the end, Ajak had a painful demise because one of her former allies had lost their way.

#14: Maria & Howard Stark

“Captain America: Civil War” (2016)

We had long known that Tony Stark lost his parents at a relatively early age. But we had no idea how dreadful their passing was. The exact nature of their deaths was revealed in “Captain America: Civil War.” During the climax, Zemo shows Tony footage of what happened to them on that fateful night in 1991. A then-brainwashed Bucky was ordered to hunt them down and intercept a briefcase holding a recreation of the Super Soldier Serum. After running them off the road, Bucky beat Howard multiple times in the head before choking Maria. This revelation is made all the more terrible by the fact that Cap knew and never told Tony. We can’t really blame him for lashing out.

#13: Kamar-Taj Librarian

“Doctor Strange” (2016)

Thanos wasn’t the first character to get decapitated in the MCU. Preceding the Glass Dimension fight, one of the best opening sequences in the franchise, Kaecilius and his followers break into Kamar-Taj’s library. But before he can get what he’s after, he disposes of the librarian. Director Scott Derrickson tapped into his Horror roots, having Kaecilius string up the poor book keeper as he screams. He then lobs his head off with silhouettes showing the grisly murder. Most disturbing shadow puppets ever. Although it’s a character we never get the name of, the cold, swift nature of it makes the scene exceptionally barbaric. And it sets the villain up as a ruthless antagonist.

#12: Gamora

“Avengers: Infinity War” (2018)

During the mad titan’s quest for the Infinity Stones, he learns that he can only get the complete set if he sacrifices something he loves on the planet Vormir. It doesn’t take Thanos long to realize that his adoptive daughter Gamora was his best option. Although she fights to get out of his grip, the mad titan drags her to a cliff in Vormir and throws her over the edge. The dramatic music and editing further emphasized how absurdly brutal her death was. And the fact that her end brought Thanos closer to his goal made it even more painful. After watching Gamora perish on Vormir, we got a second dose of this harsh death when Black Widow sacrificed herself to get the stone.

#11: Happy Hogan

“What If…?” (2021-)

While the zombie episode of “What If…?” doesn’t quite match the ferocity of its comic source material, it still has some pretty nasty moments for an animated series aimed at kids. One is the death of everyone’s favorite Stark employee, Happy Hogan. As one of the surviving team’s members without powers, Happy uses one of Tony’s repulsor gloves to fight the undead. Sadly, that doesn’t really help against a zombified Hawkeye shooting arrows from the dark. Happy is pulled into the darkness as he futilely fires towards his attacker, getting turned moments later. Sharon Carter, quick on her feet, turns the undead Happy’s glove back on him, blasting him straight in the face. We don’t see the carnage, but the sound effect is gross enough.

#10: Loki

“Avengers: Infinity War” (2018)

Until the opening scene of “Infinity War,” big bad Thanos had merely made cameos or been referenced to. But this moment signified how much trouble he’d be for the mighty Avengers. After murdering a multitude of Asgardians and physically besting the Hulk, Loki thought he’d take a literal stab at stopping the Mad Titan. Thanos isn’t one to be fooled easily, however. Seeing the fan favorite anti-hero get the life choked from him after finding redemption was tragic. Everything from Loki’s gagging sounds to his purple face is absolutely cold-blooded. Although we now have an alternate version of Loki to adventure with, that doesn’t stop this death from being impactful.

#9: May Parker

“Spider-Man: No Way Home” (2021)

In “No Way Home”, Aunt May convinces her nephew Peter to help villains like Norman Osborn live normal lives. But her kindness backfires. After Spidey gets close to curing Norman, the man is completely taken over by his Green Goblin personality. The big bad soon overwhelms Peter and leaves the hero helpless. When Aunt May tries to save her nephew, Green Goblin hits her with his glider. To make matters worse, the villain blows up the lobby she’s in. It’s unclear which painful injury was ultimately the cause of May’s death. But no matter which misdeed killed her, there’s no question that her demise was unbearably cruel.

#8: Iron Man

“Avengers: Endgame” (2019)

Iron Man and his fellow Avengers knew they couldn’t let Thanos use the Infinity Stones under any circumstances. When the mad titan got the powerful items in his grasp, Tony used his tech to steal them back. Instead of trying to flee, Iron Man made a stand and used the Infinity stones to eliminate Thanos and an army of goons. The cosmic items were so powerful that Tony was left with severe burns and inoperable injuries. His body was so damaged that he could barely form words. In the end, Tony only succumbed to his awful wounds when his wife Pepper let him know that he could let go. As his life flickered out, we doubt there was a dry eye in the house.

#7: Quicksilver

“Avengers: Age of Ultron” (2015)

Pietro Maximoff and his sister Wanda started off as sworn enemies of the Avengers. But after spending some time with the sadistic Ultron, they change their tune and switch to the good side. During the climax in Sokovia, the city is flooded with bots and the heroes do their best to get everyone to safety. As Hawkeye holds a child, a drone fires bullets their way. But the lightning fast Quicksilver moves the non powered individuals out of the way and takes all the gunfire himself. The high artillery wounds looked absolutely painful. And as a final twist of the knife, Quicksilver’s last words were meant to make an old enemy smile. [“You didn’t see that coming.”]

#6: Nico

“The Falcon and the Winter Soldier” (2021)

We all immediately knew something was off with John Walker. The would-be Captain America never seemed fit to hold Steve’s shield. That concern was solidified in the mini-series’ most brutal moment. Following the death of his friend Lamar Hoskins at the hands of Karli, John lost all sense of composure. He ran down one of Karli’s Flag Smashers and proceeded to beat him in the chest repeatedly with his shield. Nico’s cries of innocence and the thuds from Walker’s tremendous force had us stunned. But the most powerful aspect of this death is the shot of Walker holding Cap’s bloodied shield. The shocked expressions of the witnesses mirror our own.

#5: Thanos

“Avengers: Endgame” (2019)

With Thanos successful at the end of “Infinity War,” many were left with unfathomable loss. One hero who took the weight of that loss to heart most was Thor, who had failed to kill the villain before he snapped his fingers. Surprisingly, the remaining heroes were able to band together quickly and track Thanos down. Unfortunately, by the time they got to him, Thanos had already destroyed the stones. With no way to actually win, Thor broke and decapitated him. We don’t see many decapitations in the MCU, yet what makes this death brutal on an emotional level is that it’s far from a victory. The villain is killed in a savage manner, but the heroes are still left with loss.

#4: Verussa Bloodstone

“Werewolf by Night” (2022)

After Man-Thing was trapped on the Bloodstone estate, Lady Verussa made a group of hunters compete to slay the gentle giant. When she discovers that one of the hunters is a werewolf, the violent leader attempts to kill the lycan too. But Verussa’s bloodlust turns out to be her undoing. Shortly after her attempt to kill Jack the Werewolf backfires, Man-Thing returns for revenge. He uses his special ability to burn her from the inside out before tossing her aside like a rag doll. Having Verussa perish at the hands of the monster she tried to kill made for a scene that was full of brutal and ironic justice.

#3: Hulk

“What If…?” (2021-)

In a particularly macabre episode of “What If…?”, a vengeful Hank Pym starts slaughtering heroes before the Avengers have a chance to form. His most cruel murder is that of Bruce Banner. Throughout the episode, we see events of several heroes’ origin stories. During the University fight of “The Incredible Hulk,” things take an even nastier turn. After transforming and battling with General Ross’ forces, Hulk begins to grow even larger. Normally, the Hulk growing larger would be cause for celebration. But here, it’s deadly. His body swells until it can’t anymore, bursting in front of the awe-struck soldiers. That’s one nasty demise, even if it does just result in a cloud of green smoke.

#2: Vision

“Avengers: Infinity War” (2018)

At least the members of the Illuminati only had to die once. With Thanos hunting Infinity Stones, we went into “Infinity War” worried for the character who had one embedded in his head. But it was so much worse than what we imagined. As the Avengers try to slow Thanos down, Wanda is forced to destroy the Mind Stone along with the person she loves. That’s bad enough, except that with the Time Stone, Thanos is able to reverse Vision’s death so that he can rip the Time Stone out of the android’s head with his bare hands. Tossing the lifeless, gray body with a gaping hole in its head aside, Vision’s death signals Thanos’ victory. Both of his deaths are heartbreaking and utterly brutal.

#1: The Illuminati

“Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” (2022)

With Sam Raimi at the helm, “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” was chock full of surprisingly vicious violence for a PG-13 feature. No scene was more brutal than the fight between the Illuminati and the Scarlet Witch. We were still riding the high of seeing these heroes when they started to drop like flies. Black Bolt’s death is perhaps the most ruthless; Wanda vanishes his mouth, causing him to scream in horror and pop his own skull. However, cutting Captain Carter in half with her own shield is also pretty ferocious (Xref). Regardless of whose death is the most shocking, the entirety of the fight is undeniably bloodthirsty.