The Marvel Cinematic Universe and other live-action franchises have had plenty of bloody movies and TV shows based on Marvel characters, though some are notably more violent than the rest. Fans had long asked for the MCU’s slate of projects to include more options geared toward those who want to see R-rated superhero content. After a long time not catering to that audience, Marvel Studios began doing so recently, and it has found great success.

That said, the MCU is far from the only live-action Marvel franchise to offer violent projects. R-rated movies and TV-MA TV shows about Marvel heroes, villains, and anti-heroes can be found elsewhere. The MCU’s upcoming movies could take a lesson from them, as there are bound to be more mature offerings in the franchise’s future, and by pulling from the most violent projects in the shared universe — which includes a 2025 MCU release — as well as those from other Marvel properties, the franchise can only grow better at darker content.

10

Netflix’s Daredevil

Released In 2015 (3 Seasons)

First, it is important to note that the list is in no specific order. With that out of the way, starting with what many consider to be the best live-action superhero series — not just from Marvel — makes sense. Netflix’s The Defenders Saga catered to mature audiences.

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While the MCU took some time to look in that direction, the Netflix Marvel shows featured darker stories with heavier themes. That also meant their action sequences were bloody and hard-hitting, with Daredevil leading the charge. While Matt Murdock would not kill, he had no problem brutally beating villains.

As for the killing, Kingpin did most of the show’s work, including a shocking decapitation with a car door. With other characters like the Punisher, Bullseye, and more, Daredevil was likely the bloodiest of Marvel’s Netflix shows. Its violent scenes served to heighten the impact of the story, not detract from it.

9

Daredevil: Born Again

Released In 2025 (1 Season)

From one Daredevil series to the other, the MCU realized mid-production that violence was needed in a faithful Matt Murdock story. Marvel Studios initially tried to do something different with Daredevil: Born Again. The show was meant to be more like a lawyer procedural before its creative overhaul.

However, the changed creative direction for the project led to a series that felt more like the fourth season of the Netflix Daredevil show. That meant going all in on the violence. From the very first episode of the MCU TV show, it was clear that the action would be as bloody as needed.

That would come to pᴀss throughout season 1. Bullseye and Daredevil’s fight, the hero’s two clashes with Muse, and more saw Daredevil have no pity for those he fought. The action helped ground the series and make its dramatic moments land harder.

8

Netflix’s The Punisher

Released In 2017 (2 Seasons)

Both of the first two entries on the list have a lot in common, with one aspect being the presence of Jon Bernthal’s Punisher. Frank Castle is a character who thrives on violence. Though it does not encompᴀss all he is, the Punisher is there to “punish” criminals.

While his scenes in Daredevil season 2 were quite violent, and the same is expected from his Daredevil: Born Again season 1 finale return, it was in his own series that Castle was let loose. Bernthal even sH๏τ fight scenes with a broken hand. That is how committed he was to the Punisher’s solo series.

Gunfights, hand-to-hand combat, and more were seen over two seasons of Netflix’s The Punisher. The Marvel anti-hero used his chilling presence to frighten many characters before killing them. The Punisher was a dark and brutal show that fit the character.

7

Logan

Released In 2017 (Third Wolverine Solo Movie)

Fox’s X-Men movies had a few violent scenes. However, none of the mainline X-Men films come closer to two specific solo franchises. The first of those on the list is the Wolverine franchise. Logan was the film that allowed Hugh Jackman to truly let loose as Wolverine.

R-rated and with a Western/dystopian tone, Logan was all about the gritty end of Wolverine’s life. The setup of having the character aging and with a healing factor that was not what it once was helped make action beats more urgent. Wolverine and others could really die.

That said, it meant the heroes also had carte blanche to kill. Jackman’s Wolverine and Dafne Keen’s X-23 made the most of it throughout the film, slicing hordes of villains. There are countless bloody deaths, maimings, and more to make it a violent and emotional affair.

6

ᴅᴇᴀᴅpool & Wolverine

Released In 2024 (Third ᴅᴇᴀᴅpool Solo Movie)

ᴅᴇᴀᴅpool & Wolverine is a special movie on the list. The reason for that is that the film marked the first time that Ryan Reynolds’ ᴅᴇᴀᴅpool and Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine entered the MCU. Adding to that, ᴅᴇᴀᴅpool & Wolverine became the highest-grossing R-rated movie of all time.

That record is well-deserved, as the MCU movie did a great job of making impactful action sequences connect emotional story beats. ᴅᴇᴀᴅpool and Wolverine had plenty of bloody fights among themselves. The heroes also took it out on villains and ᴅᴇᴀᴅpool variants.

ᴅᴇᴀᴅpool & Wolverine is what happens when two characters born to be R-rated are given a huge budget and the freedom to exist in an ideal scenario. The movie’s use of humor allowed the film to mesh its violent tone well, making it one of the most distinct R-rated Marvel offerings.

5

Kraven The Hunter

Released In 2024 (Final Movie In Sony’s Spider-Man Universe)

Kraven The Hunter was a box office bomb. That does not take away from what it was able to accomplish in the violence department. While the final movie in Sony’s Spider-Man Universe only had a serviceable story, its action sequences were thrilling.

Aaron Taylor-Johnson was playing an anti-hero version of a character who is known for being a Spider-Man villain in the comics. Based on that, Kraven was always expected to be a violent character with no problem killing. The movie did not run from that, but rather celebrated it.

Many times, it felt like Kraven the Hunter‘s story simply served as a way to link action sequences together. Well, it is easy to understand why the movie wanted to get to those action set pieces. Using Kraven’s background as a hunter, it has some of the most creative and brutal kills in live-action superhero movies.

4

ᴅᴇᴀᴅpool

Released In 2016 (First ᴅᴇᴀᴅpool Solo Movie)

Back to the ᴅᴇᴀᴅpool franchise, while ᴅᴇᴀᴅpool & Wolverine takes the crown when it comes to R-rated movies, the first ᴅᴇᴀᴅpool film walked so it could run. There is no denying that the ᴅᴇᴀᴅpool franchise is what showed the world the potential of R-rated superhero cinema in recent years.

Sure, there were other mature superhero projects before it. However, Reynolds’ Merc With a Mouth, with his brand of humor and nonchalant way of killing, started a trend that has led to many new projects with that tone. As it had a lower budget, ᴅᴇᴀᴅpool made up for it with creative kills.

From ᴅᴇᴀᴅpool cutting off his hands to turning a criminal into a human kebab with his swords to his tragic backstory, there are plenty of gory scenes in ᴅᴇᴀᴅpool. While other ᴅᴇᴀᴅpool movies would build from that, the film built a solid foundation for the franchise.

3

Echo

Released In 2024 (1 Season)

Echo might be a somewhat controversial entry on the list. However, it deserves a spot for a few reasons. Not only does it feature quite a few violent sequences, but it was Marvel Studios’ first TV-MA project. With 5 episodes on a binge format, Echo was quite the ride.

Having started as a villain in the MCU, Alaqua Cox’s Echo is no stranger to killing. In her Disney+ series, Echo takes part in many violent fights. The show’s biggest attraction for those looking for gripping fight sequences is the bowling alley fight. There, Marvel upped its choreography.

Echo is not an insanely strong character. As such, she uses her athleticism and the environment to get the upper hand. That includes hitting enemies with her prosthetic foot, a pinball machine, a whip, and more. Echo has quite a few creative and violent fight sequences.

2

ᴅᴇᴀᴅpool 2

Released In 2018 (Second ᴅᴇᴀᴅpool Solo Movie)

The list of the most violent Marvel movies and TV shows would not be complete without all the entries in the ᴅᴇᴀᴅpool franchise. After all, he is the most violent live-action Marvel character. While Reynolds tries to one-up the action with each movie, ᴅᴇᴀᴅpool 2 might take the cake.

The death sequence of ᴅᴇᴀᴅpool’s new team, the X-Force, was shocking. An extended montage showing the many gory ways the members of the team die mixes ᴅᴇᴀᴅpool’s outlandish humor with bloody action. It perfectly encapsulates why the character’s stories work so well in live-action.

ᴅᴇᴀᴅpool 2 is filled with such scenes. Those include ᴅᴇᴀᴅpool being unceremoniously ripped in half by Juggernaut, with blood and guts splattering all over. The movie is quite dark due to the nature of Vanessa’s death and where it leaves ᴅᴇᴀᴅpool, and the action beats accompany that feeling.

1

Punisher: War Zone

Released In 2008 (Non-MCU Solo Punisher Movie)

Finally, the Punisher returns to end the list. However, this is not Jon Bernthal’s version of the anti-hero. Before the actor gave life to Frank Castle in Daredevil season 2, the Punisher had been the star of multiple movies. Not all were good, but most had great action sequences.

One of those films was Punisher: War Zone, the final movie for the character before Frank Castle was used by Netflix and the MCU. Ray Stevenson was a hulking figure as the Punisher, with his mere presence invoking a sense of danger. The movie very much used that to its advantage.

Jigsaw’s scarred face — done much better here than in Netflix’s The Punisher — is a constant reminder of the R-rated movie’s violent tone. The Punisher is part of many bloody sequences, impaling people, maiming them, and more. A man’s kidney is even eaten in front of the camera. Punisher: War Zone is not for the faint of heart, helping show the level of violence of the bloodiest Marvel movies and TV shows.

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