The Marvel Cinematic Universe is known for its terrific character work as it adapts beloved superheroes from many decades of comic book history. While no viewer likes to see their favorite character's story come to an end, multiple characters have concluded their arcs within the MCU in recent years.
While certain characters, like Iron Man or Captain America, have received generally well-deserved endings (whether tragic or not), certain other characters have not been so lucky. Throughout the MCU's history, there have been multiple endings that did not do justice to characters who deserved more.
Xu Wenwu
Tony Leung starred as the main antagonist of Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Xu Wenwu, otherwise known as the Mandarin. Given incredible power by ten mysterious rings, Wenwu lived as a conquering warlord for thousands of years, eventually dying at the hands of the Dweller in Darkness after trying to resurrect his deceased wife.
Though he acted as a villain, Wenwu proved to be one of the most intriguing characters in Shang-Chi, who would have done anything to put his family together again. His death at the end of the film feels premature, killing off countless compelling stories that could have been told with the character that fans had waited so many years to see done justice in the MCU. Nevertheless, his death is still fresh enough for Marvel Studios to easily retcon in a future film, if necessary.
The Nova Corps
The Nova Corps made its sole MCU appearance in Guardians of the Galaxy. Several of the Xandarian fighting force are introduced, including two played by John C. Reilly and Peter Serafinowicz, with Glenn Close acting as Nova Prime. The Corps is presumed to have been destroyed when Thanos decimated Xandar prior to the events of Avengers: Infinity War.
The Nova Corps had untapped potential to change the MCU as fans know it, yet were strangely ignored immediately after their introduction. This sin may yet be amended in the near future, however, as the MCU prepares to introduce the superhero Nova in an project, which could feature a return from several of the Nova Corps in flashback sequences.
Ebony Maw
Ebony Maw, a CGI construct voiced by Tom Vaughan-Lawlor, is one of Thanos's chief henchmen and a member of the Black Order. Maw appears in both Infinity War and Endgame, being quickly dispatched in both, first after being thrown into the vacuum of space and then disintegrating after Tony Stark's Infinity Gauntlet snap in the following film.
Ebony Maw is easily the most powerful member of the Black Order, whose skills with sorcery make him a formidable foe in his battles with the Avengers. However, the character meets two unceremonious ends during his time in the MCU, turning what may have been a very intimidating henchman into a laughing stock.
Baron Mordo
Baron Mordo was a member of the Masters of the Mystic Arts first introduced in Doctor Strange. By the film's end, Mordo had renounced his position among the group and vowed to hunt down extraneous sorcerers. However, the character has not been seen in the MCU since, with recent behind-the-scenes interviews revealing that he was meant to have been killed by the Scarlet Witch at the beginning of Multiverse of Madness.
Though Baron Mordo may indeed be given his due sometime in the future, it might already be too late to properly continue his story. With six years already ed since his proclamation that the world had "too many sorcerers," Mordo's threat has proven itself unworthy of notice as the character increasingly becomes an afterthought in the MCU.
Maria Rambeau
Lashana Lynch plays Maria Rambeau, Carol Danvers's best friend and the mother of Monica Rambeau, who has since become the superhero known as Photon. Maria would go on to be a founding member of S.W.O.R.D., Marvel's newest top-secret organization. Though Maria is not seen in WandaVision, the Disney+ series reveals that she died of cancer sometime during the Blip.
Though an ill-fated alternate version of Maria appeared as a member of Earth-838's Illuminati, the original character never got the chance to properly cement her place in MCU history. Maria Rambeau's greatest feats are all accomplished off-screen, allowing for the character's unceremonious death to occur in between projects. Nevertheless, Maria's legacy is still carried on by her daughter, who will certainly receive more screentime than her mother did.
Frigga
Rene Russo makes scattered appearances throughout the MCU as Frigga, the wife of Odin, queen of Asgard, and mother of Thor and Loki. While protecting Jane Foster from an enemy invasion during the events of Thor: The Dark World, Frigga is killed by the Dark Elf Kurse.
Though Frigga does return for a cameo in Avengers: Endgame, viewers can't help but wish she had gotten more time to shine while she was still alive. Her heroic death highlights a side of the character that had never been seen before, only for Frigga to be snuffed out almost immediately afterward, killing any chance of future interesting action scenes with her character.
Ulysses Klaue
Ulysses Klaue was a recurring villain in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, portrayed by Andy Serkis. In Black Panther, Klaue is hunted down as an enemy of Wakanda, eventually being betrayed and killed by Eric Stevens, who turns over his body to the Wakandans as a gift.
As terrible a person as he was, Klaue was a remarkably entertaining villain, aided tremendously by Andy Serkis's scene-stealing performance. Without the chance to fully transform into his superpowered counterpart, Klaue will always feel like a missed opportunity for the MCU.
The Warriors Three
The Warriors Three were several of Thor's closest friends, comprised of the honorable fighters Volstagg, Hogun, and Fandral. These three warriors accompanied Thor on many of his early missions but were each unceremoniously killed off by the goddess of death Hela when she arrived on Asgard in Thor: Ragnarok.
The Warriors Three were brave and loyal friends of Thor for centuries, always taking a stand when it meant helping their best companion. However, their deaths were anticlimactic and brutal, killing these heroes without any fanfare whatsoever, something which Love and Thunder later mocks. Though fans can take some solace in thinking the three may have made it into Valhalla, these heroes deserved a better fate than what they unfortunately received.
Gilgamesh
Gilgamesh was a member of the titular mythologically-based team in Eternals, who served as the inspiration for the Babylonian hero of the same name. Gilgamesh took care of Thena after she began to suffer from Mahd Wy'ry, looking after her for centuries. He is eventually killed by the Deviant Kro while protecting Thena.
Gilgamesh stood out among a large cast of characters as one of the kindest and bravest heroes in Eternals. Though a death a the end of the film's second act proved necessary to push the story along, fans can't help but wish that Gil had been given a chance to flourish further in the MCU, something which seems increasingly unlikely after the film's release.
Quicksilver
Pietro Maximoff, also known as Quicksilver, was portrayed by Aaron Taylor-Johnson in Avengers: Age of Ultron. He and his sister Wanda the Avengers in their struggle against Ultron during the Battle of Sokovia, but Pietro is ultimately killed when he shields Hawkeye and a civilian child from bullet fire, only to be shot himself.
Quicksilver is an incredibly popular character from the comics, with a long and interesting history that will likely never be explored in the MCU after his premature death. While behind-the-scenes factors regarding cinematic rights to the character likely led to his death, fans can't help but wish that they had gotten more time to get to know Pietro before his sudden departure from the franchise--a misstep that was only made worse by the cruel teasing of Evan Peters's appearance in WandaVision.
