Top 20 Most Disturbing MCU Deaths

“Daredevil: Born Again” (2025-)


Foggy Nelson was Matt Murdock’s best friend and business partner in the original “Daredevil.” While they didn’t always see eye-to-eye, Foggy stood by his friend’s side and did what he could in the name of justice. Of course, he made a welcomed return in “Daredevil Born Again” …but with a major price. In the series’ premier episode, Nelson unknowingly finds himself in Bullseye’s crosshairs and is suddenly shot down. Tragically, he does not survive his wounds. The only thing more shocking than the death is the impact it has on Matt – he loses control, nearly killing Bullseye. Afterwards, he vows to hang up the cowl as Daredevil… or try to, anyway.

“Iron Man” (2008)


It’s only fitting that the MCU’s first major supervillain would suffer one of the most brutal demises. Obediah Stane is so jealous of Tony Stark’s success that he tries to have Tony assassinated, stealing the one device that was keeping him alive. He created his armor to throw down with Tony, hoping to kill him with his own tech. However, Stane’s death is even more ironic. He ends up electrocuted by his stolen tech before falling to a literal explosive death. While MCU deaths would only get more brutal from here, Stane’s end set the bar for how grisly these films could get when killing a villain.

“Spider-Man: Homecoming” (2017)


Adrian Toomes, aka ‘The Vulture,’ and his crew have been experimenting with salvaged alien weapons. One of his flunkies calling himself “The Shocker” gets a little too cocky for Toomes’ liking. Toomes tries to teach him a lesson with an anti-gravity gun but grabs the wrong blaster. Instead, the gun vaporizes Shocker into a pile of burning ashes. THIS is why you should always label your weapons of mass destruction, even if Shocker was too big for his britches. He was the only notable death in “Homecoming,” but he served as a grim example of what happens when you cross the Vulture – even if it was an accident. Fortunately, the NEXT Shocker doesn’t share the same gruesome fate.

“What If…?” (2021-24)
The “Marvel Zombies” comics are a treasure trove of gore and carnage as our favorite heroes fall victim to a zombifying outbreak. One episode of “What If...” gives us a small taste of what happens when the virus comes to the MCU. Among the many victims is Happy Hogan, one of Tony’s most trusted employees. He managed to survive using Tony’s repulsor glove, but his luck sadly runs out when he gets snagged by undead Hawkeye and then infected. To put him out of his misery, Sharon Carter turns Happy’s blaster towards his face. While we thankfully don’t see the explosion, the sound alone is enough to churn our stomachs.

“The Avengers” (2012)


Loki needs a rare element to further his plans for the upcoming invasion. Unfortunately for Loki, it’s locked behind a vault that can only be opened using the eye of one Heinrich Schäfer. Rather than just kidnap Schäfer and force him to unlock the vault, Loki takes it 12 steps forward. He uses a device to forcibly extract Schäfer’s eye from its socket to use it as a key. There are fates worse than death. Schäfer was forced to experience it firsthand before being left to die. While we don’t see the eye being gouged out, the implication alone is enough to leave us squirming in our seats.

“The Avengers” (2012)


Even though he wasn’t a superhero, Phil Coulson managed to capture our hearts with his heroic nature. He stood his ground against the all-powerful God of Mischief to protect his heroes. Unfortunately, he fell for one of Loki’s tricks and was literally stabbed in the back, leaving us gasping in horror as he succumbed to his wounds. If any good came from his death, it’s that it gave the Avengers the drive to band together and put an end to Loki’s invasion. Miraculously, Phil was resurrected in “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.”, only to later die peacefully in his sleep. Along the way, many Coulson duplicates would die as well… because once is never enough.

“Guardians of the Galaxy” (2014)


The Guardians of the Galaxy have just brought the Power Stone to the Collector, who explains its devastating abilities. That's all Carina, one of the Collector’s servants, needs to hear. She tries to grab the stone, hoping to use it to kill her master, but it’s too much for her to handle. The stone’s destructive power courses through her body, causing her to shriek in pain until she finally explodes from the inside. Even if the Collector was a lousy employer, was trying to end him worth this agonizing body horror? Probably not, but it definitely proved that only a select few can handle the Power Stone. One of those few, unfortunately, is Thanos.

“Avengers: Infinity War” (2018)


It says a lot when a ghastly Red Skull ISN’T the most disturbing part of this scene. Thanos has taken his daughter, Gamora, to another dimension to acquire the Soul Stone. However, they discover that a sacrifice is required to obtain the stone. With tears in his eyes, Thanos reluctantly tosses the struggling Gamora over the cliff, where she falls to her death. He continues to mourn for Gamora afterward, showing that he did care for his adoptive daughter, but his obsession with the mission means he has to stay the course. He got what he wanted, and all it cost him was the only person he cared for besides himself.

“Deadpool & Wolverine” (2024)


It was a HUGE shock seeing Chris Evans’ Human Torch make a comeback in “Deadpool & Wolverine,” but don’t get too used to seeing him again. He –along with our titular duo- is brought to Cassandra Nova, an all-powerful mutant and matriarch of the Void. Deadpool, ever the mouthy one, mentions some brutal insults Johnny allegedly made toward her, but she doesn’t get mad. Instead, she makes Johnny’s skin disappear, reducing him to a pile of bones and organs. Later, we find out that Johnny actually DID say those things. So, maybe he deserved it a little, but that doesn’t make it any less gruesome. It’s even worse, considering we may never see 20th Century Fox’s Fantastic Four again.

“Avengers: Endgame” (2019)


In the aftermath of the infamous Snap, the remaining Avengers find and ambush Thanos to retrieve the Infinity Stones. Unfortunately, Thanos already destroyed the stones, having no use for them after succeeding in his goals. He apologizes to Nebula for how he treated her… only to be suddenly decapitated by Thor. In all fairness, he once told Thor that he should’ve aimed for the head, but we just didn’t expect him to commit to it. Even though the Mad Titan has been slain, it’s a bittersweet end. It won’t undo the damage he’s done, and Thor still has to live with the guilt of failing to save half the universe.

“Ant-Man” (2015)


Nobody likes a quitter. Darren Cross certainly doesn’t when one employee, Frank, has his doubts about the Yellowjacket suit. While Frank tries to politely voice his concerns, Cross pulls a shrink ray on him. However, instead of shrinking him, it reduces Frank to a blob of protein. While we’re all horrified at what just happened, Cross just casually wipes Frank off the floor and flushes him down the toilet. No blood or body horror. Yet, the tense buildup and Frank’s swift goopification left us shaking in our boots. If you ever have concerns with your workplace, be careful when confronting your boss, or your whole life may literally go down the drain.

“What If…?” (2021-24)


We all know Hank Pym would do anything for his family, but would he be willing to kill for them? One grim episode of “What If...” answers this as we see Pym become the Yellowjacket and slaughter the Avengers one by one before the team can properly form. Arguably, the one that makes us all queasy is the Hulk, where Hank uses his Pym Particles on the green brute’s heart. We winced as poor Bruce's heart outgrows his entire body until he explodes into a green cloud of smoke. We should count our blessings that our Hank never reached this low, but we’re too busy shuddering after witnessing the Hulk’s literal growing pains.

“Avengers: Infinity War” (2018)


The opening scene of “Infinity War” was a testament to Thanos’ might. He slayed countless Asgardians and even put the Hulk to shame. Loki schemes to get close enough to strike him down, but Thanos isn’t so easy to trick. He simply picks the God of Mischief up by the throat… and finishes him off. Thanos choking someone to death is gut-wrenching enough, but the fact that it was our favorite villain-turned-anti-hero is nothing short of mortifying. However, a time-traveling heist from the Avengers ensured that Loki wasn’t done yet - in another timeline, anyway. It’s confusing, we know, but at least THIS Loki was spared from the Mad Titan’s grasp.

“Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” (2023)


Before he became a Guardian of the Galaxy, Rocket was one of several captive animals experimented on by the High Evolutionary. He befriended his fellow inmates, including an otter named Lylla, and tried to help them escape. He managed to free Lylla from her cage, only for her to be suddenly gunned down by High Evolutionary. To the sadistic scientist, it’s just another day at the office. But to Rocket, and the audience, it’s him losing one of his closest friends – and it happened in a matter of seconds. Before he leaves, Rocket leaves High Evolutionary a parting gift by mauling his face. He deserved much worse, in all honesty.

“Avengers: Age of Ultron” (2015)


It’s the final battle against Ultron in Sokovia. Ultron has Hawkeye and a child in his crosshairs. Hawkeye prepares to be gunned down... only to see that Quicksilver took the shots for him. Our time with Quicksilver was tragically short – starting as one of Ultron’s minions, only to join the Avengers alongside his sister, Wanda. With one last throwback to his introductory line, he dies a true hero, and Wanda is left to grieve. Sadly, this wouldn’t be the last major loss Wanda has to suffer, but it’s one that we’re still recovering from. No, Pietro, we didn’t see it coming at all.

“Avengers: Infinity War” (2018)


Thanos is on the hunt for Infinity Stones. One of them, the Mind Stone, is the source of Vision’s life. To prevent Thanos from getting the stone, Vision forces his beloved Wanda to destroy the stone, willingly sacrificing himself for the sake of the universe. Wanda reluctantly does so, and the universe is saved, right? Wrong, as Thanos just uses the Time Stone to undo Vision’s death, then violently rips the Mind Stone out of his head. It’s no wonder Wanda went off the deep end – watching a loved one die by your hands is horrible enough, but seeing them die twice is too much for anyone. What happened to “Brave men only die once?”

“Loki” (2021-23)


Can you imagine a worse fate than being crushed to death while Miss Minutes smiles at your demise? Victor Timely definitely can when he’s recruited by Loki to fix the malfunctioning Temporal Loom. Luckily, his hazmat suit should protect him, right? Sadly, no, the minute he steps close to the Loom, he is spaghettified right before our eyes. Fortunately, Loki manages to travel back to before his death to try and fix things. Unfortunately for us, this means we’re forced to see Victor disintegrate again and again until Loki can get it right. The first time was horrifying, but having to rewatch it over and over is even more stomach-churning.

“The Falcon and the Winter Soldier” (2021)


Let’s be honest: John Walker had some enormous shoes to fill, but he was never going to be OUR Captain America. While he tried to live up to the legacy, he blew it big time during a brawl with the Flag Smashers. His partner, Battlestar, was killed during the fight. Enraged, John attacked one of the Smashers, Nico. Nico begged him to stop, but Walker was having none of that and used Cap’s shield to murder him in front of countless witnesses. If Walker’s unhinged actions don’t chill you to the bone, seeing the blood-stained shield will leave you just as speechless as the crowd.

“Avengers: Infinity War” (2018)


Not every death has to be super gory or detailed to give us the heebie-jeebies. For example, near the end of “Infinity War,” Thanos succeeds in gathering all the Infinity Stones and snaps his fingers. Once he does, half of all life in the universe disintegrates into dust. Among the victims are Falcon, Black Panther, Wanda, most of the Guardians, and even Spider-Man, who begs for help before fading away. While there are more painful ways to die, seeing most of our favorite heroes dissolve like this is heartbreaking and unnerving. It’s also a symbol of how Earth’s Mightiest Heroes majorly lost and have to live with their failure until they can find a miracle.

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


Wanda has snapped and is hopping from universe to universe to find her children, smiting anyone in her way. Unfortunately, the next victims in her path are the Illuminati, a small team of superheroes. What happens next is an unsettling bloodshed. Black Bolt’s mouth is erased, causing his skull to implode. Mister Fantastic is shredded out of existence. Captain Marvel is crushed to death. Captain Carter gets sliced in half by her shield. Finally, Professor X’s neck is snapped after entering Wanda’s mind. We knew it was going to be gruesome with Sam Raimi directing, but seeing the carnage unfold still left us gasping in horror at the Scarlet Witch’s ruthlessness.


Which MCU death made you shield your eyes? Let us know in the comments.