The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) has no qualms with killing off villains, but one major antagonist appears to continue thriving years after he was first introduced. The MCU is no stranger to killing bad guys.
Despite being hailed as a more family-friendly superhero universe, the majority of heroes in the Marvel Universe are absolutely fine with eliminating threats. And along the way, there have been plenty of casualties.
However, despite most villains in the MCU dying in the same movie where they are introduced, there is one villain that has survived all the Infinity Saga, and continues to thrive behind the scenes.
The MCU Has Made A Years-Long Trend Of Killing Off Plenty Of Its Villains
Villains Don’t Tend To Survive Their Debut Movie In The MCU
The very first MCU movie, Iron Man, saw Tony Stark face-off with his old friend, Obadiah Stane, both armed with mechanical suits adorned with high-tech weapons. Despite being a friend of Stark’s when Stane tried to actively kill Tony, Tony fought back, and Stane died a fiery death.
Since then, plenty of major rivals have been introduced and killed, such as Ronan, Malokith, Thanos (twice), Dar-Benn and so many more.
Clearly, the heroes of the MCU have no problem with eliminating big threats. However, there is one character who has evaded death, and continues to thrive in the MCU, despite being arguably one of the most vile characters in the franchise.
I Can’t Believe Red Skull Seems To Have Survived The MCU’s Villain Deaths Despite His Story Looking To Be Done
Red Skull Cheated Death Multiple Times
Johann Schmidt, aka Red Skull, was a high-ranking Nazi. He was also in charge of an experimental division that created weapons that could cause immense and irrevocable destruction.
While in this role, Schmidt took an experimental super-soldier serum, which transformed him into a powerful soldier with strength and endurance beyond human levels, but also transformed his appearance into something significantly less than human, with bright red skin, and a face that appeared skeletal in nature.
When he came to blows with Steve Rogers during World War II, Red Skull fell to his apparent death, but miraculously, he survived. Thanks to the power of the Tesseract, he was transported to Vormir, where he became a Guardian of the Soul Stone.
But after the events of Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame, it still appears as though Red Skull is roaming free. Yes, he had time to ponder and reflect for decades on an alien planet, but this monstrous figure somehow managed to cheat death despite his terrible deeds.
Why The MCU Hasn’t Killed Red Skull Off Yet
Red Skull Appears To Be Beyond Reproach In The MCU
Red Skull is undoubtedly a monster. Both in his life on Earth, and his time as an enhanced villain, he has chosen to subject others to unspeakable horrors. However, despite deserving nothing more than to meet his end, Red Skull appears to be free.
On Vormir, he may have been a slave to the Soul Stone, but since the stone was removed from its place, it’s unclear if Red Skull is still present guarding it, or if he has begun to travel out into the depths of space. Either way, it’s an unsatisfying and unjust end for a character who deserves less than other Marvel villains.
But with the Infinity Saga ended, and Steve Rogers now ᴅᴇᴀᴅ, there is no real reason to revisit the story of Red Skull. It seems like the character has managed to avoid capture, and will never have to pay for the awful crimes he committed.
It’s possible that he could return in Avengers Doomsday or Avengers: Secret Wars, but it seems highly unlikely that he will make an appearance considering how many other characters are already in play in the MCU. Ultimately, despite the willingness of heroes in the MCU to kill villains, Red Skull survives, and will likely never pay for his actions.
