10 Most Tragic Deaths In The History Of Comic Book Movies
6. Big Daddy (Kick-Ass)
Even though he sounds like a pornstar and dresses like one of the Batman impersonators from The Dark Knight, Big Daddy is a bonafide badass. One of Nicholas Cage's best roles in the last ten years, the skilled vigilante and devoted father is a complex character that finely demonstrates the brutal consequences of being a superhero in the real world - not just on the individual, but on those around them.
Because when Big Daddy dies, he's leaving behind his daughter, who now has no biological parents left; his good friend and former partner, Marcus Williams; and, crucially, he's leaving behind his vendetta against crime boss Frank D'Amico, the very reason Big Daddy adopted his superhero persona in the first place.
So many comic-book movies gloss over the real-world consequences of the heroes' actions, but Kick-Ass - and Big Daddy - shone a bright, tragic spotlight on the issue instead. If you take up the cape and cowl and attempt to fight injustice, there's a chance you'll die, and your loved ones will have to pick up the pieces you leave behind.
After he's been burned to a crisp in one of D'Amico's hideouts, Big Daddy and his daughter, Hit-Girl, share a wonderfully tender moment; as the life fades from his body, she quietly whispers "sleep tight" and kisses his forehead, a brilliant reversal of the typical father-daughter dynamic that indicates that Hit-Girl never really thought of Big Daddy as a vigilante - she just thought of him as a dad.