The Marvel Cinematic Universe has an iconic pantheon of villains, many of whom survived insurmountable injuries, returning in subsequent installments.
The Marvel Cinematic Universe has a pretty loose sense of mortality, but some villains have survived preposterous injuries, only to reappear in subsequent installments. The phenomenon occurs throughout the MCU timeline, reviving fan-favorite characters through various means. Many of these actually have a comic book precedent, while others are rather spurious attempts to undo narratives after characters prove to be incredibly popular.
Marvel Comics is notorious for killing off characters and then returning them in subsequent stories. The MCU has inherited this tactic, along with the malleable definition of mortality. This will likely prove helpful in navigating Jonathan Majors’ exit from the franchise, suggesting a previously beloved villain could return in the MCU’s future as the new major antagonist. Indeed, several sterling examples have demonstrated the potential success of this.
10Kingpin Is Shot Point Blank In The Face
Hawkeye Season 1, Episode 6, “So This Is Christmas?”
The Kingpin made a surprise return in the Disney+ miniseries Hawkeye, revealed as the mastermind behind the narrative’s criminal events. Things took a dramatic turn, however, when the villain was confronted by the antihero, Echo. Having orchestrated her father’s death, Echo attempts to assassinate Kingpin by shooting him point-blank in the face. Amazingly, Kingpin survived his death in Hawkeye and returned for the subsequent miniseries Echo. The scene mirrors the Marvel Comics plot, in which the Kingpin ultimately ends up blind. The Kingpin is due to have a profound impact on the MCU’s future, featuring in at least one other upcoming installment.
9Red Skull Touches The Tesseract
Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)
In Captain America The First Avenger, Red Skull’s fate takes a mysterious turn when he touches the powerful Tesseract. Believed to be the source of ultimate power, the encounter seemingly disintegrates him. However, the Tesseract, an object of cosmic energy, instead transports the Red Skull to Vormir. There, he becomes the keeper of the Soul Stone, an immortal and tormented guardian bound to the stone’s ethereal realm. Red Skull’s survival, concealed for years, is a testament to the Tesseract’s otherworldy abilities, which previously were presumed to have deadly consequences. Instead, Red Skull faced an even worse fate.
8Yellowjacket Is “Crushed”
Ant-Man (2015)
The climactic battle in Ant-Man sees Darren Cross, donning the Yellowjacket suit, engaged in a fierce confrontation with Scott Lang’s eponymous hero. As the conflict unfolds, Scott manipulates Cross’s suit, causing it to malfunction and violently shrink. Yellowjacket is seemingly crushed by his suit, before disappearing into the Quantum Realm. Incredibly, Cross survives and is transformed into the MCU’s MODOK. Cross reappears as MODOK in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. Having been severely injured in the shrinking process, Cross was deformed and on the verge of death. Bestowed his distinctive armor by Kang the Conqueror, MODOK proffered a surprising reprisal in the guise of the iconic Marvel villain.
7Loki Is Stabbed By Kurse
Thor: The Dark World (2013)
The MCU’s Loki has cheated death on numerous occasions, but his most surprising occurred in Thor: The Dark World. Changing his allegiances once again, Loki worked with Thor in his battle against Malekith, before being fatally wounded by the monstrous Kurse. The violent and graphic injury appears to serve as a compelling conclusion to the character’s redemption story, and Loki seemingly dies in his brother’s arms in a truly heartbreaking scene. However, Loki survived this encounter and was revealed to be alive during the movie’s final scene. Precisely how Loki survived in The Dark World wasn’t revealed until an episode of Loki, demonstrating Loki’s profound cunning.
6Vulture’s Suit Explodes
Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
In the gripping final fight sequence in Spider-Man: Homecoming, Adrian Toomes, AKA Vulture, confronts Spider-Man. As the two clash midair, Vulture overloads his high-tech winged suit, causing it to malfunction and explode. Despite Spider-Man’s attempts to save the villain, the Vulture’s suit explodes. However, after the apparent catastrophe, Toomes survives the explosion. The unexpected survival added a thrilling twist to the villain’s fate, who is subsequently imprisoned, but with the knowledge of Spider-Man’s alter ego. The final battle underscores the unpredictability of the MCU and leaves open the potential for a Sinister Six narrative in future Spider-Man movies.
5Crossbones Has A Helicarrier Dropped On Him
Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)
In a riveting moment in Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Brock Rumlow is crushed by falling rubble as the SHIELD helicarrier crashes into a building. Rumlow is locked in a fierce battle with Sam Wilson at the time and is unable to outrun the enormous falling vehicle as it tumbles from the sky. Despite this drastic injury, Rumlow is later seen in the hospital recovering from his injuries. Rumlow would subsequently reappear as the villain Crossbones in Captain America: Civil War. Scarred from his previous encounter, Crossbones’ survival is one of the most surprising in the MCU.
4Ultron Is Disintegrated By Vision And The Mind Stone
Avengers: Age Of Ultron (2015)
In Avengers: Age of Ultron, the eponymous villain is disintegrated by Vision using the mind stone. The decisive act seemingly eradicated the malevolent artificial intelligence. However, in a surprising twist, several parts of Ultron’s body reappear in Spider-Man: Homecoming. Various body parts are reconstituted as weapons wielded by the Vulture’s criminal gang, but the most notable example is his detached head. Spider-Man finds Ultron’s robotic cranium inside the Damage Control warehouse. Unlike Ultron’s other body parts, his severed head subtly indicates that the villain has survived. In Marvel Comics, Ultron’s glowing red eyes indicate a conscious android, suggesting that the MCU’s Ultron survived his fight with Vision.
3Scorpion Is Violently Knocked Overboard
Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
In Spider-Man: Homecoming, Mac Gargan faces a perilous situation when knocked overboard during Spider-Man’s confrontation with the Vulture on the ferry. While initially appearing as a potential demise, Gargan’s survival is confirmed in the post-credits sequence. Stranded in prison, he confronts the Vulture, expressing his desire to get revenge on the Web-Slinger. The unexpected survival set the stage for Gargan to return as the classic Spider-Man villain, Scorpion – hinted at through the character’s neck tattoo. It also underscores the lingering threat left by Vulture’s survival and knowledge of Peter Parker’s identity, bolstering the hints at a potential Sinister Six team-up.
2The High Evolutionary Had His Face Ripped Off
Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3
The high Evolutionary served as the primary antagonist in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. During the movie’s dramatic conclusion, his face is violently ripped off by Gamora. Drax encourages Rocket Raccoon to kill the villain, but the hero refuses, noting that the Guardians of the Galaxy are more virtuous than the despicable antagonist. The titular superhero team then seemingly abandon him aboard an exploding aircraft. However, eagle-eyed viewers may have spotted that the High Evolutionary survived Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. His prone body can be seen carried by Drax as the prisoners are liberated, while a deleted scene confirms his survival and subsequent imprisonment.
1Green Goblin, Doc Ock, Electro, Sandman, and The Lizard Each Survived Their Deaths
Spider-Man, Spider-Man 2, Spider-Man 3, The Amazing Spider-Man, And The Amazing Spider-Man 2
Spider-Man: No Way Home brought together three generations of Spider-Man, uniting Tobey Maguire, Andrew Garfield, and Tom Holland’s versions of the hero for a dramatic team-up. The heroes are followed by their respective villains, proposing that each of them was transported to the MCU’s universe at the moment of their death in previous movies. This not only introduced the iconic villains into the MCU but also confirmed that, through multiversal magic, each survived their grim fates.
Green Goblin was stabbed by his glider; Doc Ock drowned while destroying his experiment; Sandman disappeared mysteriously; the Lizard disintegrated; and Electro became overpowered. While the previous Spider-Man movies are not strictly considered canon, their reappearances in No Way Home are. They might be the best example of MCU villains who survived outrageous injury, only to return later.
