Every MCU Movie Ranked By Death Count

You thought the MCU was family friendly fun? Think again.

Guardians Of The Galaxy 2
Marvel Studios

With every Marvel Cinematic Universe movie that has released since 2008, there are certain aspects that fans have come to expect.

The franchise has found a way to balance humour, emotion, and action in every single one of its 23 outings, but one thing that is also guaranteed is death.

With Marvel Studios falling under the Disney umbrella, the movies of the MCU have become synonymous with good old family friendly fun. Particularly when compared with the DCEU, and Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy before it, the MCU is certainly on the lighter side of the superhero world.

However, without exception, every single Marvel Cinematic Universe outing has featured the death of at least one character, with some going way beyond that into the hundreds and even thousands. There are the more meaningful deaths of beloved characters, and then there are the huge battles that kill off cannon fodder without hesitation.

Disney may have passed on its child-friendly reputation to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but there is this darker element that, though it is often hidden behind a joke or a lighter tone, is always there. Of course, some movies have taken far more lives than others, but no movie is without murder, even if it is just one.

23. Spider-Man: Homecoming - One

Guardians Of The Galaxy 2
Sony/Marvel Studios

Despite the titular character being bitten by a spider, ultimately gaining super strength, the ability to climb walls, and crawl across ceilings, the Spider-Man franchise is one of the most grounded in the entire franchise. Peter is a friendly, neighbourhood Spider-Man, which is reflected in the low death count in his first solo MCU outing.

Only one person is killed throughout the entirety of Homecoming. When Jackson Brice, the first man to call himself The Shocker, threatens to tell Toomes' wife how he really gets his money, he is disintegrated by an alien tech weapon.

Sure, Vulture thought it was an anti-gravity gun, and he didn't mean to kill him, but that doesn't make Jackson any less dead.

Though there were no other deaths, there were certainly some close calls. Mac Gargan was essentially punched in the face with a car on the Staten Island Ferry but survived long enough to make it to prison with Toomes, and though the Vulture threatened to kill Peter and his entire family, he never did.

Contributor
Contributor

This standard nerd combines the looks of Shaggy with the brains of Scooby, has an unhealthy obsession with the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and is a firm believer that Alter Bridge are the greatest band in the world.