Can important characters ever die in big name comic book franchises?

If you scroll past the spoiler squirrel, then youre on your own.

Movies dont have that luxury.

Were at the point though where this has consequences.

Early on in the film, we learn that Tony Stark is dying.

The things keeping him alive wont be keeping him alive for long.

Not a single one.

The reveal that he was alive held no surprise.

More to the point, he bought it, and wasnt resurrected by the end of the movie.

There was a death in the Marvel family, and it really felt like it meant a lot.

You know what happened next.

Coulson was resurrected for the TV showAgents Of S.H.I.E.L.D.

That doesnt feel like a creative story decision.

That feels like a boardroom reshuffle.

The upshot is more Clark Gregg, of course, so its hard to grumble too much.

Rene Russo, inThorandThor: The Dark World, played Frigga, the wife of Odin.

She barely appears in both films, in truth, but shes killed outright inThor 2.

Thus, its hard to.

Frigga died, meanwhile, and I doubt half the audience even knew her name.

you’re free to understand why Marvel did it, of course.

It has no villain in its cinematic universe thats anywhere near as fun and interesting as Loki.

But we know it wont come to that.

Theres a moment where it looks like Groot is lost forever.

Theres a moment where Quill grabs the infinity stone, in another moment of self-sacrifice.

Given that hes already got through one seemingly suicidal moment in the same film!

theres not much doubt hell survive the other.

There are exceptions, and they feel all the more shocking as a result.

The most notable is the almost callous way that Rachel Dawes is disposed of inThe Dark Knight.

Faced with a choice between saving Harvey Dent and Rachel, Batman gambles and loses, and Rachel dies.

Theres no way back here either: shes definitely dead.

Nobody left could have that cloak of invincibility that shrouds too many movie franchise characters.