A pair of major characters from Marvel Studios' recent Netflix reboot did not last through the end of their most recent appearances. Slowly bringing back characters from Netflix's Defenders Saga, Marvel Studios finally fully revived that era with the release of Daredevil: Born Again in 2025. Unfortunately, the show quickly showed it was not afraid to remove important players from the equation.
Season 2 of Daredevil: Born Again featured two major deaths of characters introduced in the series' reboot, which originally began on Netflix. First up was Ayelet Zurer's Vanessa Fisk, who was originally recast for the series before changes were made to make it canon with the Netflix show, leading to her being brought back. Vanessa was killed off in Born Again Season 2, Episode 5, after being struck in the head by a shard of glass during the fight involving Wilson Bethel's Bullseye in Episode 4.
Meanwhile, Michael Gandolfini's Daniel Blake met the same fate in Season 2 after playing a supporting role in both seasons of Born Again. Tasked with taking out Genneya Walton's BB Urich, Blake met up with Arty Froushan's Buck Cashman, who asked if he had finished the job. Having let Urich escape, Blake sacrificed himself, taking on Cashman before he shot and killed him in Episode 7.
These are the two latest additions to a long list of characters killed in Born Again, which started with Bullseye offing Elden Henson's Foggy Nelson in Episode 1. This continued with Kamar de los Reyes' Hector Ayala/White Tiger being taken out in Episode 3, and Vincent D'Onofrio's Wilson Fisk later killed Michael Gaston's Commissioner Gallo by crushing his skull.
Other MCU Characters Who May Die in Upcoming Projects
Bucky Barnes
Sebastian Stan's James Buchanan "Bucky" Barnes continues his run in the MCU in 2026, marking 15 years since his debut in 2011's Captain America: The First Avenger. He will be seen again in Avengers: Doomsday, bringing the former Winter Soldier back into action as one of the key members of the New Avengers.
Interestingly, Stan is also set to move from Marvel to DC, as he is confirmed to join Matt Reeves' The Batman - Part II, which just began production. Following his long tenure as the Winter Soldier, Stan will reportedly play this universe's version of Harvey Dent alongside Robert Pattinson's Bruce Wayne.
This move could mean Marvel plans to kill off Bucky Barnes in Doomsday, as he would be unlikely to work for both Marvel and DC in such big roles at the same time. Should it happen, it would end one of the longest runs in MCU history, but Doomsday has not yet been confirmed as Stan's final appearance with Marvel Studios.
Thor
Another 15-year MCU veteran is Chris Hemsworth as Thor, the God of Thunder, who is not yet done in the MCU. In 2026, Hemsworth will make his return in Avengers: Doomsday, which will be his first time playing the iconic Marvel hero since 2022's Thor: Love and Thunder. Including Doomsday, he has appeared in 10 Marvel movies and a voice-over role in What If...? (as well as repurposed footage in Deadpool & Wolverine).
A rumor shared in June 2025 suggested that Marvel may be ending Thor's big-screen journey, noting that the studio reportedly wants "to give Thor a big, proper death in an Avengers movie." While this does not necessarily mean Thor's MCU run would be over with his death, it would be a game-changing moment for the hero, whether he lives or dies.
Hemsworth has been open about making sure his future appearances as Thor are meaningful, meaning he may not be against hanging up the red cape if the time is right. Seeing him go down against a villain as powerful as Doctor Doom would give his story an even more poignant ending, sending off one of the original Avengers to an emotional conclusion.
Professor X
Sir Patrick Stewart is in line to make his biggest appearance yet in the MCU, portraying Professor Charles Xavier in Avengers: Doomsday. This will be his second MCU movie after his minor role in 2022's Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and his ninth appearance overall as Professor X after his 17 years of work in the X-Men Saga.
Professor X is no stranger to dying in a movie, as this has happened on four separate occasions in and out of the MCU. He was vaporized by Jean Grey in X-Men: The Last Stand, killed by the Sentinels in X-Men: Days of Future Past, stabbed to death by Hugh Jackman's X-24 in Logan, and had his neck snapped by the Scarlet Witch in Doctor Strange 2. Even so, he could be on the chopping block once again.
Reports also noted that Doomsday could be Stewart's last time playing Professor X. Perhaps the X-Men leader is killed off in battle, either with Doom or due to an Incursion. No matter how it happens, should it come to fruition, it would mark the end of one of the longest superhero acting runs in film history, sending the powerful telepath off in grand fashion.
Richard Nebens joined The Direct in March 2020, now serving as the site's Senior Writer. He started his journalism career as a hobby in 2019 and is passionate about sharing news and stories from the entertainment industry, especially comic book movies, comedy, and sci-fi. Richard looks to expand his knowledge about movies and TV every day, and he is eager to stay locked into the latest releases and breaking news at every opportunity.
