Summary
- Resurrecting characters has been a key component of Marvel Comics.
- Though it seemed that way, the MCU has avoided this tactic with all but two characters.
- By teasing resurrection, it proves the MCU still has high stakes even in a larger multiverse.
The Marvel Cinematic Universe has gone to great lengths to bring to life a world with decades of history behind it. In doing so, it's sped up the timetable of certain events, like the arrival of Kamala Khan in a world that's only had The Avengers for nearly a decade. It's also changed some aspects of the narrative, like having the original Guardians of the Galaxy be Ravagers. But one thing that's remained is the key moments that transcend the comics, such as Thanos snapping his fingers or Peter Parker learning that with great power, there must also come great responsibility.
A huge foundation of the MCU, albeit one of its bleakest, is that death has always been a prevalent force. From Ho Yinsen's sacrifice in Iron Man to the death of Maria Hill in Secret Invasion, there's a universal constant in the finality of death, even in a world of superheroes. That said, dying in the MCU has become a far cry from what death has been like in Marvel Comics, as the concept of fatal actions and the loss of friends was one that never stuck for long. In fact, it's since become a trope that characters slated to die will eventually return in some capacity. But even though the MCU has played around with the idea of resurrection, it's proven to be the franchise's least translated trope.
Resurrections Played a Major Role in Marvel Comics
In the early years of Marvel Comics, certain characters were either designated or fated to remain dead. Characters like Bucky Barnes, Gwen Stacy, Uncle Ben, and Mar-Vell were among these names. Even still, Bucky Barnes beat the odds and returned as the Winter Soldier, while Gwen Stacy returned as an alternate-reality version of herself with spider powers. Since then, the trend of resurrection has been one that's impacted everyone from Wolverine and Spider-Man to Captain America and the Hulk. Most recently, Kamala Khan sacrificed herself, only to be resurrected as a Mutant/Inhuman-hybrid to match her Mutant ties in the MCU.
Comparatively, the MCU has remained firm on the consequences of death, even keeping characters like the Eternals from implementing their resurrection protocols as of yet. Whether it's a hero or villain, their deaths have often served as ways to impact the story and, therefore, make it nearly impossible to reverse. For example, if Tony Stark were to return from the dead after stopping Thanos, it would undermine his entire arc from Iron Man to Avengers: Endgame as the hero who could make the sacrifice play. Meanwhile, characters like Yondu, no matter how beloved, had to remain dead as his sacrifice motivated Yondu, Rocket, and Kraglin to be their best selves. But even though death wasn't taken lightly in the MCU, that doesn't mean the franchise hasn't played with the concept in clever ways.
The MCU Teased Resurrection More Than Actually Doing It
One of the earliest tricks of resurrection came in Thor: The Dark World, where Loki faked his death in front of Thor while fighting the Dark Elves in Svartalfheim. Thor was easily duped, as well as the rest of Asgard, by how well Loki had faked his death. But even still, it was a far cry from a proper resurrection. Guardians of the Galaxy also played with the idea of resurrection through Groot's sacrifice on the Dark Aster. While a twig left behind was reborn into another Groot, it was a common misconception that this was the original one. Instead, it was the original Groot's son. But when he walks like a Groot and talks like a Groot, it's easy to assume that the fan-favorite character survived his heroic sacrifice.
With the rebirth of the multiverse, even more instances of resurrections only in name began to pop up. For example, after Loki's death in Avengers: Infinity War, a variant from 2012 was the one that audiences followed in the Loki TV show. Though it seemed like the God of Mischief had cheated death once again, at a glance, it was simply a trick of the timeline. But in the case of Wanda Maximoff, magic and her abilities as the Scarlet Witch led to a rebirth of the Vision she knew in a world that he was otherwise tethered to. The Westview Hex in WandaVision was a powerful spell where anyone caught in the bubble was under Wanda's control. But the Vision was independent in mind and body but was still only an echo of the real Vision that died in Wakanda. More than every other example, Vision had the strongest case for resurrection, but, in reality, only two characters were truly brought back from the other side.
While it could be argued that everyone turned to dust in The Blip would count as a death, it's hard to consider as they were erased from existence rather than killed. As a result, only two characters in the MCU, thus far, have effectively crossed over and were pulled back. The first was Marc Spector in Moon Knight, who, without the protection of Khonshu, was shot and killed by Arthur Harrow. This led to Marc and his alter, Stephen, navigating the Egyptian afterlife and their past until Khonshu bonded with their body and revived the hero. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 also had Rocket be resurrected after an ambush by Adam Warlock left him in critical condition. Though he eventually got the help he needed, Rocket briefly crossed over and was reunited with Lylla and his childhood friends who were killed. But being that it wasn't his time, he was pulled back to the land of the living to avenge their deaths.
Not Focusing On Resurrection Keeps the MCU's Stakes High
The two instances of resurrection being implemented, one through the supernatural and the other through natural means, helped prove that even in a world of heroes and gods, reversing death is a difficult task. As a result, no matter how advanced or outlandish the situation is, the stakes will always be high because the idea of getting to come back home isn't promised. Though Thanos' iconic "no resurrections this time" line was a promise that the rules had changed, they were technically established early on.
Dying isn't a laughing matter in the MCU, and whether it's a talking raccoon or a secret agent, the inevitability of loss comes for everyone. Now, with villains like Kang the Conqueror on the horizon, the threat of death is more real than anything Thanos could've offered, and the worst part is it'll be much more violent than turning to dust. While resurrecting characters in comic books adds a fun level of tension and excitement to a storyline, not tapping into that well for the MCU has maintained a grounded realism that can't be understated.