5 MCU characters who died too soon (and 3 who didn’t die fast enough)

Thanos

The main antagonist in several of the MCU films, Thanos (Josh Brolin) is the big bad for a little while. He first appears in the post-credits of The Avengers before serving as a central character in Avengers: Infinity War as well as Avengers: Endgame. He’s one of the most iconic villains throughout the MCU, if not the most, stopping at nothing to gain power.

From the planet Titan, Thanos is driven by the concept of balance in the universe, becoming obsessed with the idea that he must fix overpopulation. To do this, he needs to collect the six Infinity Stones to carry out his plan, which, unfortunately, works.

The Snap is one of the most heartbreaking and memorable moments of the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe, and while this act sets in motion everything else to come, we still wish Thanos could’ve died before he wiped out half of all life.

VERDICT: Didn’t die soon enough

N’Jadaka/Erik Killmonger

We usually want the villains in the Marvel Cinematic Universe to meet their fate as soon as possible, but the same can’t be said for Erik Killmonger. Played by Michael B. Jordan, he’s the main antagonist in the movie Black Panther. Like the best characters in the MCU, Killmonger (real name N’Jadaka) is a very complex and compelling person with a tragic backstory. Despite being a bad guy, his depth makes him so interesting and for that, we wish we got to see more of him.

Growing up in poverty, Killmonger wants vengeance against those in power in Wakanda, and he returns to his home country to take the throne. Killmonger is a villain to the other characters in Black Panther, of course, but he’s motivated by wanting to fix historical injustices. His motivations make sense, even if his methods are unacceptable.

T’Challa ends up defeating Killmonger in combat in Black Panther and Killmonger denies being saved, choosing to die on his own terms. Killmonger is my favorite villain in the MCU and he deserved better!

VERDICT: Died too soon