There are a handful of superheros who could be in serious trouble in Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars, and it’s almost guaranteed that some will not make it into the next saga. The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) has a long track record of killing characters in the Avengers movies.

In The Avengers, Phil Coulson was murdered by Loki, in Avengers: Age of Ultron, Pietro Maximoff was killed, then Infinity War sees Loki, Gamora, Vision, and half the population everywhere killed, before Endgame brings half the population back, but also kills Natasha Romanoff and Tony Stark in the process.

And now, Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars are likely to continue this tradition, with several characters being the most likely candidates to die. But the truth is, almost no one is safe.

Hawkeye

First on the chopping block, Clint Barton, aka Hawkeye, has managed to survive through all the hardships of the MCU to date. However, with that survival, Clint has been scarred and bruised, mentally, emotionally and physically.

Clint lost his family in the snap, which led to him becoming a murderous vigilante known as the Ronin. But when his family was brought back, his best friend and ally, Natasha Romanoff, traded her life to ensure they and everyone else were returned safely.

This ultimately meant that Hawkeye struggled to move forward after Endgame, and he retired from active hero duty. And with Kate Bishop taking up the mantle, it feels like Hawkeye is no longer needed. So, the character will either disappear in the background, or return for one last fight, before potentially dying himself.

Bucky Barnes

Next up, Bucky Barnes is one of the oldest living superheros still in the MCU. Thanks to being given a version of the Super Soldier serum, Bucky has aged at an incredibly slow rate. Now, being almost 110 years old, Bucky would likely benefit from retiring like his old friend Steve did after Endgame.

With the character having overcome being a mind-controlled slave to HYDRA for decades, and now embracing life as a publicly renowned hero, Bucky doesn’t have a whole lot of stories left to tell.

Sure, he could spend several more years fighting alongside The New Avengers, and repair his relationship with Sam Wilson, but beyond that, the character is ready to take a step back and let a new generation of heroes take over.

Nick Fury

Nick Fury has been present in the MCU since the very beginning, making his first appearance in a post-credits scene in Iron Man. Now, the character stands as the longest operating figure in the MCU, and one who has witnessed many friends die.

Even his role as the leader of SHIELD has not looked the same for over a decade, which could mean the character could be killed off in the upcoming movies. It would certainly carry weight to kill him off, considering how integral he has been in the MCU, as well as clearing the way for the next era of stories.

He does have a connection to Captain Marvel, and he currently works with SWORD, but there is certainly potential for the command structure in that organization to change, and even potential candidates to fill his role, like Monica Rambeau.

Wong

Wong is one of the most endearing and charming characters in the MCU. Throughout the Multiverse Saga, he has been a frequent presence, and in the absence of Stephen Strange after the Snap, Wong was promoted to the role of Sorcerer Supreme.

However, there is no doubt that Stephen Strange is a far more powerful sorcerer. Wong’s status in the hierarchy paints a target on his back, and the fact that he would need to die to reinstate Strange as the Sorcerer Supreme makes it feel more plausible that the character may be killed off soon.

In addition, Wong’s connection to several other characters from throughout the Multiverse Saga could result in his death carrying the necessary weight to inspire the heroes to team up, similar to how Coulson’s death in The Avengers led to the team putting aside their differences and becoming The Avengers.

Peter Quill

Peter Quill has struggled to fit in his entire life. At an early age, he lost his mother to a terminal illness, and he didn’t know who or where his father was. Then, he was abducted by aliens, who decided to take him in and make him a space pirate like them, though they treated him poorly and ridiculed his human-ness.

Eventually, Peter found a family of his own when he joined up with the Guardians, becoming close with these ragtag heroes and forming a romantic relationship with Gamora. However, when Gamora was killed by her adoptive father, Thanos, Peter’s life spiraled out of control, and he struggled to find his purpose.

Now, Peter has given up his life in space, and chosen to return home to Earth, where he lives with his maternal grandfather. Star-Lord was promised to return in future outings, but that is not to say that his next appearance couldn’t also be his last.

Peter’s death in the MCU could also carry weight for a handful of heroes, due to his working with other groups during the battle against Thanos. And unless he finds a new purpose outside Gamora and the Guardians, both of whom are no longer in his life, he could be a top pick for the MCU to kill off in Doomsday or Secret Wars.

Thor

Thor is one of the original Avengers, like Hawkeye, but he is also the only Avenger to have four solo movies under his belt. The character has been explored in depth, and underwent significant transformations in the MCU, but his story appears to have been played out.

The last movie where he appeared, Thor: Love and Thunder, underperformed, and the most fascinating thing about his character now is how he may respond to seeing his deceased brother, Loki, return in Avengers: Doomsday.

With both Chris Hemsworth and Tom Hiddleston, the actors who play these roles, cast and confirmed to appear in Avengers: Doomsday, it seems inevitable that there will be a reunion sooner rather than later. However, in a twist on their final encounter in Avengers: Infinity War, they could kill off Thor to incite Loki to join the fight against Doom.

Loki

Which brings us to Loki himself. The Loki that currently resides in the MCU is not the original character who led the attack on New York, though he has that same shared history. This version of the character is a variant who used the Space Stone to try and escape after being captured during the Battle of New York.

He was then taken to the Time Variance Authority, where they sent him to the Void, in an effort to keep the timelines progressing as intended. But this Loki also underwent an incredible change of heart, and embraced being a hero, instead of leaning further into his own selfish ways.

Now, Loki sits in the middle of the multiverse, holding the threads of reality in place in order to ensure thaat all worlds keeps spinning on, and preserving life across the multiverse. But with the character confirmed to return in Avengers: Doomsday, it seems inevitable that something went wrong.

As the person protecting the multiverse from harm, Loki may be a target for Doom in his plans to take over and ᴀssert his own power. Unfortunately, this also means that Loki could be at risk of being killed again, dying at the hands of the antagonist in a similar way to how he was killed in Avengers: Infinity War.

However, this version of Loki is much more powerful than his predecessor, which means the fight is likely to be much more intense. Despite this, it still seems like there is a high possibility Loki’s death could be an inciting event for what’s to come in Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars.