Image via Marvel Studios
The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is widely known for its family-friendly nature. It’s an experience you can share with your kids, confident that the movies will be suitable for all ages. However, when you start thinking about the fate of the villains, it’s a different story. While the heroes tend to survive their adventures (though not always, as we mourn the loss of Iron Man and Black Widow), the villains rarely make it out alive.
Marvel films are typically action-packed, featuring fight scenes and occasionally showcasing heroes with a few battle scars. But on the whole, it’s relatively mild content. We might see our heroes looking a bit worse for wear after a fight, but they generally come out okay in the end. The villains, on the other hand, have a much grimmer fate. While we don’t witness the graphic details of their deaths (to maintain a PG-13 rating), their demises are often quite brutal.
A Marvel fan on Reddit has taken the initiative to compile a list of the many villains and their current status, indicating whether they’re still among the living or have met their demise. Some villains have even died multiple times (sorry, Thanos!). The list not only provides their current status but also includes a helpful graphic to illustrate just how many villains have bit the dust compared to those still standing.
The demise of these villains has been quite gruesome in many instances. Ronan the Accuser was disintegrated by the Guardians using the power stone against him, Kang the Conqueror was completely wiped out in a quantum explosion (well, we think so, at least), Malekith was crushed, and Thanos was beheaded in one version and dusted in another.
The few villains who have managed to survive are mostly incarcerated or trapped in some form of purgatory. For example, Helmut Zemo is locked up in the Raft prison, and Agatha Harkness is trapped in her own mind by Wanda Maximoff. However, there are still a few villains out there, lurking in the shadows. And then there are those whose deaths are a bit ambiguous (Scarlet Witch, we’re looking at you!).
Perhaps these villains will make a comeback in the future. After all, we saw Killmonger return in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, despite his death in the first film. Anything is possible in the Marvel universe.
About the author
