TheMarvel Cinematic Universeis getting ready to go big in the next year, but that could include some shocking deaths along the way. 2024 was one of the slowest years for the MCU, especially given how the franchise has been releasing projects constantly since the start of the Multiverse Saga. While it has become one of theMCU’s best movies,Deadpool & Wolverinewas the only Marvel Studios film released this year.
That will change in 2025, asMarvel has three movies scheduled for release. Marvel Studios also recently shared a teaser for all the 6 series set to come in the next year, which include both live-action and animated projects. With manyMCU TV showsand movies being released in 2025,the year will see the return or debut of major Marvel characters. However, things can take a dark turn for some of them, with shocking deaths possible.
10Red Hulk
Captain America: Brave New World (August 15, 2025)
First off is Red Hulk. It would be a shame to lose the character when he finally debuts, but Red Hulk is one of the members ofCaptain America: Brave New World’s castwho is not safe. After William Hurt’s passing, Marvel recast the role withHarrison Ford as Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross. He makes his MCU debut in Anthony Mackie’s first movie as Captain America.
As Ford is 82, the actor might not want to hang around for too long, so a prominent role as Red Hulk in one movie could be enough for him.
Ross will be important to the movie in multiple ways, ashe is now the President of the United Statesand will also become the Red Hulk and fight Sam Wilson in the film. While it is nearly impossible for the new Captain America to kill the Red Hulk, the film’s shadowy villain, the Leader, could be the one to murder Ross after the new Hulk finishes serving a purpose. As Ford is 82, the actor might not want to hang around for too long, so a prominent role as Red Hulk in one movie could be enough for him.
9The Leader
Tim Blake Nelson is finally returning to the MCU after 17 years. The actor debuted in the franchise as Samuel Sterns in 2008’sThe Incredible Hulk. At the end of the movie, his character becomes one of the Hulk’s biggest villains in the comics, the Leader, afterbeing exposed to Bruce Banner’s blood. After a long time,Captain America: Brave New Worldfinally reveals what the Leader has been up to.
The character has not appeared much in the new Captain America movie’s trailers, butit does seem like the Leader will be behind Harrison Ford’s Thunderbolt Ross becoming Red Hulk. However, with a being so powerful as a Hulk, the Leader might be in for a rude awakening if he is not able to control the character. Given how a new Hulk movie is unlikely, giving the Leader a major role and killing him off to wrap up his story could be the plan.
8Karen Page
Daredevil: Born Again (July 03, 2025)
Daredevil: Born Againwas not originally going to be as close to Netflix’sDaredevilseries as it ended up being. After a major creative overhaul,Marvel hiredThe Punisherwriter Dario Scardapane to serve asDaredevil: Born Again’s showrunner, also bringing back many actors from the original Netflix series. That is how Deborah Ann Woll’s Karen Page and Elden Henson’s Foggy Nelson found their way back to the screen.
10 Lessons The MCU Needs To Learn From Marvel Netflix To Make Daredevil: Born Again A Hit
Daredevil: Born Again arrives in March, and the upcoming MCU series could take some lessons from Netlifx’s Daredevil & The Defenders Saga to be great.
The first image of the Daredevil trio together in the MCU serieshas been released, but it might be one of the few times that happens. The reason for that isDaredevil: Born Againis set to feature many villains who could take out Matt Murdock’s best friends to hurt him, like Kingpin, Muse, and Bullseye. Adding to that,Karen is reportedly in three out of nine episodes, so she might bite the bullet.
7Foggy Nelson
While Karen Page could be in danger inDaredevil: Born Again, Foggy Nelson is undoubtedly the character who has themost chance of dying between the two in the new MCU series. Unlike Karen, Foggy’s episode count on the series has not yet been revealed, and that might have to do with the fact that the character will be gone after a single episode.
Daredevil: Born Again
Cast
Daredevil: Born Again follows blind lawyer Matt Murdock, who uses his heightened abilities to pursue justice in New York. As he manages a bustling law firm, former mob boss Wilson Fisk navigates political ambitions, leading both men toward a confrontation as their pasts resurface.
WhenDaredevil: Born Again’s new showrunner came aboard, the MCU series shot a new pilot episode.Daredevil: Born Againset photos and videosof that episode made their way online, and they did not make things look good for Foggy. Wilson Bethel’s Bullseye could be seen shooting in the direction Karen and Foggy were in, with the latter being seen bloody on the ground. As such,Bullseye might kill Foggy inDaredevil: Born Again.
6Bucky Barnes
Thunderbolts* (July 29, 2025)
Sebastian Stan is one of the MCU’s longest-running stars, but 2025’sThunderbolts*could mark his final time in the franchise. No other possible death in the MCU movie would be bigger than that of Bucky Barnes, and for a project where characters are expendable, that might not bode well for the former Winter Soldier. In fact,Bucky was seemingly set to die in an early draft of the script.
The Answer To The Thunderbolts* Asterisk Could Make A Major Avengers 5 Theory Come True
The new Thunderbolts* trailer has a moment that might have revealed the meaning behind the MCU movie’s asterisk, and it could connect to the Avengers.
It has been reported thatthe Thunderbolts would have supposedly died on their missionby the end of the MCU movie. However, since rewrites have happened, it is likely that not all characters will die, even if the team faces the all-powerful Sentry. AsBucky is the leader of the Thunderbolts, his death could come as a sacrifice to save the rest of his team, which would be honorable.
5Red Guardian
Like Bucky, the other character on the Thunderbolts who could die by sacrificing himself for the team is Red Guardian. David Harbour’s MCU character is mostly used as comedic relief, but Alexei Shostakov had his fair share of emotional moments in Scarlett Johansson’s Black Widow movie. WithRed Guardian and Yelena Belova united again in Marvel’sThunderbolts*, Harbour’s character could make one of the MCU’s most emotional sacrifices.
If it comes toa choice between saving Yelena — his daughter — or surviving, Red Guardian is bound to sacrifice himself to ensure that the MCU’s new Black Widow lives. Besides his connection to Florence Pugh’s character,Thunderbolts*’s trailers have shown that Red Guardian is excited to be part of a team after finding himself disillusioned with his life. As such, the veteran character could put his team’s well-being ahead of his.
4Valentina Allegra De Fontaine
While Sebastian Stan’s Bucky Barnes is the field leader of Marvel’s Thunderbolts, he was not the character who put the team together. That role was reserved for Julia Louis-Dreyfus' Valentina Allegra De Fontaine, who acted as a kind ofdarker version of Nick Fury, slowly assembling the Thunderbolts over multiple Multiverse Saga projects like Samuel L. Jackson’s Nick Fury did in the Infinity Saga.
Bob (Rumored to be Sentry)
Unconfirmed
Interestingly,Black Panther: Wakanda Foreverrevealed that Valentina is the Director of the CIA, making her decision to assemble the Thunderbolts more curious. She has alsobought Avengers Tower, showing how much power and wealth she possesses. However, that might not be enough for Valentina to make it out ofThunderboltsalive.If she betrays the team, the Thunderbolts can band together to take her out. Likewise, it seems like Sentry — Bob inThunderbolts’s trailers — was locked up on her orders, and after breaking free, the powerful character could kill Valentina.
3Ghost
Hannah John-Kamen has so far only appeared once in the MCU as Ghost. The actress played Ava Starr inAnt-Man and the Wasp, where her character served as a villain to Paul Rudd and Evangeline Lilly’s title heroes for most of the MCU movie. However, by the end of the film,Ghost stopped being a foe after her “molecular disequilibrium” was stabilized.
Thunderboltsfinally shows what Ghost has been up to since her MCU debut. The character’s skills as a thief and assassin are perfect for Valentina Allegra de Fontaine’s new shadowy team. However, beyond a possibleThunderboltssequel, there does not seem to be a clear path for how Ghost could continue to appear in the MCU. Given howSentry will reportedly be taken over by his dark side, the Void, Thunderbolts members should die, and a minor one like Ghost is one of the most likely to go.
2Taskmaster
Taskmaster had her tragic past revealed in Marvel’sBlack Widowmovie. With Yelena Belova and Red Guardian returning from the film, it will be interesting to see how Antonia Dreykov is doing after Natasha Romanoff freed her from the Red Room’s mind control. Sadly, Taskmaster’s new life might not last long, as the character is perhapsthe most likely member of the Thunderbolts to diein the MCU movie.
Thunderbolts*
Thunderbolts follows seven disillusioned individuals who find themselves trapped in a perilous situation. Tasked with a daunting mission, they must face the most shadowy aspects of their histories in order to survive and achieve their goals.
There are a few factors that make Taskmaster look like cannon fodder. The character was not met with positive reception when she debuted inBlack Widow. Besides that,Taskmaster barely appears inThunderbolts*’s trailers. Not only does she barely appear, but whenever Taskmaster is shown, it seems like the shots of Olga Kurylenko’s character are coming from the same scenes. As such, Taskmaster could die early in the movie to build up the stakes.
1Silver Surfer
The Fantastic Four: First Steps (June 19, 2025)
Finally,The Fantastic Four: First Stepswill introduce the MCU’s versions of Galactus and the Silver Surfer. However, the latter will not be the classic take on the character, asOzarkstar Julia Garner plays the Shalla-Bal version of Silver Surferin the MCU movie. Shalla-Bal’s Silver Surfer comes from a different Earth in the comics, which is why her appearance in the Fantastic Four reboot makes sense.
The Fantastic Four: First Steps
The Fantastic 4: First Steps features Marvel’s First Family navigating their dual roles as superheroes and family members in a 1960s-inspired, retro-futuristic world. They defend Earth from a formidable space god, Galactus, and his enigmatic Herald, Silver Surfer, testing their familial bonds and heroic resolve.
Marvel Studios' first Fantastic Four film takes place in a different universe, with Pedro Pascal’s Reed Richards and the rest of the team living in a retro-futuristic New York City set in the 1960s. There are two ways in which Garner’s Silver Surfer could die. Either she turns on Galactus to help the Fantastic Four escape to the main MCU Earth and is killed by him, or Silver Surfer dies as her universe is destroyed by an incursion, connecting the film to the rest of theMCU’s Multiverse Saga in a major way.
