WARNING: Major spoilers for Avengers: Endgame.
A lot of characters die or stay dead in Avengers: Endgame. This is the end of the 22-movie story that Marvel Studios has been telling for the past 11 years, so the stakes couldn't have been higher - and costs more brutal.
Marvel has often been criticized for its inability to kill characters, with death fakeouts all too common - end of Avengers: Infinity War: although the likes of Black Panther, Doctor Strange and Spider-Man turned to dust, everybody knew they'd come back in the second part. That happens in Avengers: Endgame, with the team picking the Infinity Stones out of the past and Hulk snapping his fingers to resurrect the dead using an Infinity Gauntlet made by Tony Stark. However, that doesn't mean death isn't a threat.
Avengers: Endgame sees the death or otherwise writing out of several founding of Earth's Mightiest Heroes, as well as their villains. Additionally, several characters from Infinity War remain dead (even if alternate versions of them exist). Here, we'll break down every character who died in Avengers: Endgame (and if you'll ever see them in the MCU again).
Iron Man & Black Widow Die In Avengers: Endgame (& Captain America Grows Old)
Two main characters die in Avengers: Endgame. First is NBlack Widow prequel movie next year.
Tony Stark aka Iron Man (Robert Downey, Jr.) dies in the finale of Avengers: Endgame using the Gauntlet to wipe out Thanos and his army: the Doctor Strange's 1 in 14,000,605 future plan; he gave up the Time Stone in Avengers: Infinity War because Tony couldn't die yet. Stark leaves behind a hologram message for daughter, Morgan.
Steve Rogers aka Captain America (Chris Evans) doesn't die in Avengers: Endgame, but his story did come to a close and he was essentially written out of the story. When returning the Infinity Stones (and Mjolnir) to their right place in the timeline, Steve decided to stay in the past to dance and grow old with Peggy Carter. He ed the Captain America shield to Falcon. It's possible he could return via time travel down the line.
Thanos Dies In Avengers: Endgame (Twice)
Thanos (Josh Brolin) is unequivocally defeated in Avengers: Endgame, to the point he dies twice! The first happens early on in the film; after the Avengers attack him in the Garden, he reveals he's destroyed the Infinity Stones, putting an end to their plan, so Thor corrects his Infinity War mistake and goes for the head.
The Thanos that the team fights in the finale is a version from 2014, just before Guardians of the Galaxy. He - along with 2014 versions of the Black Order, Outriders and other forces - are dusted by Tony Stark's snap.
Nebula (Karen Gillan) from 2014 also dies, killed by the present Nebula. There is no seeming impact on the timeline from this.
Vision & Heimdall Stay Dead In Avengers: Endgame
All of the victims of the snap from Avengers: Infinity War are brought back to life by Hulk, but that doesn't mean everybody is returned to life. Several characters died before Thanos gained all the Infinity Stones, and their fate seems a little more permanent. Heimdall (Idris Elba), who Thanos stabbed in the opening of Infinity War, doesn't return.
More striking, Vision (Paul Bettany) isn't resurrected either. He was killed by Thanos at the end of Avengers: Infinity War to gain the Mind Stone, and is totally absent for Endgame. However, at the end, Wanda does suggest she wants to find a way to bring him back - which she surely will given that the pair have the James D'Arcy.
Gamora & Loki Are Still Dead After Avengers: Endgame (But Alternate Versions Survive)
Two other characters who died in Avengers: Infinity War are still technically dead at the end of Avengers: Endgame, yet still have a clear future in the MCU thanks to the film's time travel.
First there's Loki (Tom Hiddleston), who was choked to death by Thanos early in Infinity War. He escapes with the Loki's Disney+ show, and that is likely how he'll return.
Gamora (Zoe Saldana) is a little more complicated. She was sacrificed by Thanos to gain the Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.
