Whether it’s from the inevitable spoiler that Iron Man dies in Avengers: Endgame, or witnessing TaskMaster’s immediate demise in the 2025 film Thunderbolts, many viewers began to wonder. Why does Marvel decides to kill off so many beloved characters after every major release? Is this even profiting Marvel?
Ultimately, it all comes down to the emotions of the audience.
Making viewers feel deeply and have intense emotions drives repeat-viewings. It offers the audience an immersive experience. In contrast, Next Chapter, (book publisher and website) says “Many writers fall into formulaic traps when deciding to kill someone off, like killing off a likable character solely to shock the reader and make them sad,” which is a well-known phenomenon.
This drives the question, is Marvel using this method too much? Are viewers getting sick of it? Well, in Infinity War alone, Marvel killed off 15 significant named characters, the highest number in the MCU so far. Even with these devastating losses for fans, “the ending of Infinity War left moviegoers gobsmacked and they shelled out $2 billion worldwide, making it one of four films in history to cross that box office threshold,” says Deadline. In fact, it even surpassed the first Avengers movie.
When the audience thinks characters are invincible, tension disappears. People begin to think the plot is boring and flat-lining. Story Embers expresses that killing main characters just increases suspense, deepens realism and adds meaning. A story can still have a happy ending after a death–the most notable being when Steve Rogers was able to go back in time and live out a peaceful life in Endgame.
Similarly, Marvel does have to face certain industry realities when it comes to having one actor be a key part to the story line. Contracts end, actors want to pursue new opportunities, and pay disputes happen. These are just one of the many circumstances that could lead to a character being killed, if not for the plot. Robert Downey Jr. (Iron Man), Scarlett Johansson (Black Widow) and Chris Evans (Captain America) all left the MCU due to being victims of these industry realities despite being crucial to the storyline.
To stay true to the comics, Marvel also has to keep a constant flow of characters. There are over 80,000 characters in the Marvel Multiverse Comics, dating back to 1939. In contrast, the MCU has introduced a couple thousand at most (Screenrant). That is a lot of ground to cover without characters constantly coming and going. Viewers like consistency and accuracy, which is difficult to have a thoughtful balance of for writers and directors.
To keep the flow going, an MCU character is rarely ever “one and done.” Side-plots with the same characters and actors are introduced to make sure Marvel is not cutting one person’s time short. In addition, viewers get happy when they see someone whose story they thought was over reappear. One student says, “it makes me really curious about how the character was revived.” A prime example of this is Tom Hiddleston’s character, Loki dying on screen four separate times, and eventually coming back as a variant of himself after his real death in Infinity War. Another recent example is Robert Downey Jr. being set to appear as Dr. Doom following his infamous on-screen death in Endgame as Iron Man. This reunion is expected to reign in major profit for Avengers: Doomsday alone (Deadline).
Marvel uses these techniques noticeably more than other superhero universes, and it’s safe to say that this method won’t fail them in the near future. So, hopefully next time you watch a Marvel movie, the unexpected deaths, resurrections, and intense plot will jolt your interest and emotions even more.
Sources:
- https://nextchapters.com/creative-writing/killing-a-character-crafting-impactful-deaths-in-fiction/
- https://deadline.com/2019/04/avengers-infinity-war-profit-box-office-2018-1202591380/
- https://www.filmmakingstuff.com/build-an-audience/
- https://www.boxofficemojo.com/release/rl863208961/
- https://storyembers.org/three-reasons-you-should-kill-a-main-character/
- https://screenrant.com/loki-deaths-mcu-fake-real/
- https://forums.superherohype.com/threads/avengers-doomsday-at-the-box-office.563465/
