The Marvel Cinematic Universe is experiencing a big shift in storytelling through the multiversal arc in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. While they have shaken things up by introducing America Chavez and several variants into the mix, sadly, it does appear that certain characters have signed off for good and will likely not be returning (joining the long list of others).
Whether it’s the sacrifice of Tony Stark or the closure gained by the universe-displaced Peter Parker, some exits in the MCU have given the characters a great departure. It’s interesting to see how their stories came to an end by looking back at how their arcs played out, along with why these particular endings were so well deserved.
Loki
The Loki from the Sacred Timeline is gone for good after Thanos crushed his neck. However, his demise completed the God of Mischief’s arc from a conflicted villain to a reformed character. Loki in his former days would have left Thor to die, but he bowed out of the MCU attempting to save his brother at the expense of his life.
Not many would have pegged Loki for an honorable death considering his habit of backstabbing, so watching Loki do something truly selfless meant his development was complete. Although he met a painful end, Loki’s exit left no stone unturned to finish out his story all the way through.
Odin
One of the final acts of the All-father was when Odin’s spirit imparted one of the wisest MCU quotes to his son, giving him the power to confront Hela. It was the last time fans saw the character, which was a worthy ending since it was in contrast to his initially cold ways. Odin’s role in the first two Thor movies was to deal with mistakes he made with his sons, but he got to make amends in his last appearance.
Odin forgave Loki for trapping him on Earth and professed his love for his children. His passing is one of the few peaceful ones the MCU has ever depicted, with Odin leaving the series content with the knowledge that he reconciled with Thor and Loki to then reunite with his wife in the afterlife.
He Who Remains
There was plenty of foreshadowing in Disney+’s Loki, with the appearance of He Who Remains setting up the series’ future. Although he died not long after he debuted in the flesh, He Who Remains’ exit was great in letting viewers know that big things were coming.
He Who Remains gave Loki and Sylvie the option to kill him to break apart the multiverse, which Sylvie followed through with. His passing contextualized everything about the TVA in retrospect over why He Who Remains’ presence was necessary, along with establishing the threat of Kang the Conquerer to arrive soon.
Natasha Romanoff
Natasha died in Avengers: Endgame, which wasn’t the last time fans saw her since she appeared in the prequel Black Widow. This was a better sendoff for her because it carved out her backstory in full, providing audiences with details about her childhood, family, and what happened in Budapest.
Many had complained that Avengers: Endgame didn’t show the impact of Natasha’s passing, which was seen in Black Widow’s end credits when Yelena visited her sister’s grave. Natasha’s exit gave her the solo adventure she deserved, along with conveying all there was to know about the character to her fans.
T'Challa
T’Challa had two exits in the MCU since What If…? showed a variant while the Sacred Timeline T’Challa bowed out in Avengers: Endgame. His appearance in the latter saw Black Panther fight alongside his MCU friends to save all of the universe from Thanos.
T’Challa was last seen in the company of his family as he celebrated the return of everyone who had been lost in the Snap. His exit in What If…? was also well done since he was last seen rescuing Peter Quill to save that universe from Ego, following which he returned to his Robin Hood-esque ways in a multiverse T’Challa managed to rehabilitate Thanos himself.
Yondu Udonta
Yondu’s characterization did a 180 from where he started out in the first movie, going from someone Star-Lord tried to evade into receiving a hero’s sendoff. Yondu’s exit from the MCU saw him give his life to save Star-Lord, doing so willingly for his adoptive son.
Ultimately, Yondu achieved the respect from his peers that he desired and realized that his greatest success in life was becoming a father to Star-Lord. Yondu got a proper funeral as well, where his former Ravager allies paid tribute to him. Considering the film closed out focusing completely on Yondu’s departure, it was a send-off that many characters would envy.
Peter Parker-Three
The Andrew Garfield version of Peter Parker never got a finale in his own series, but he did find closure in the MCU. Peter-Three was able to get an emotional victory after he saved MJ’s life, feeling like he had finally redeemed himself for failing to save Gwen back in his reality.
He arrived in the MCU still bitter over everything bad that had happened to him and left a more content man after meeting his counterparts. Peter-Three’s exit brought fans the satisfaction of seeing this version happy once more, as he returned to his universe with a changed outlook on life.
Thanos
Thanos was the overarching villain of the first three phases in the MCU, with his story coming to an end in Avengers: Endgame. He received two exits since there were two versions, both of whom had good sendoffs (depending on the character arc and story).
The Sacred Timeline Thanos’ departure was satisfying to Thanos himself, as he’d achieved his goal and destroyed the Infinity Stones; to him, his life purpose was complete and he didn’t mind being killed. The alternate Thanos’ exit was well done in terms of the story, with his death ending the Infinity War for good, as well as uniting all of the universe’s heroes that would never have happened otherwise.
Steve Rogers
The final shot of Avengers: Endgame showed the best thing to happen to Captain America in the MCU when he was reunited with Peggy Carter. Having a sense of belonging had always eluded Steve, along with the fact that he had never gotten over losing Peggy.
Through time travel, Steve got to be with the woman he loved in a place where he felt he belonged. After so long as a man out of time and fighting universal wars, Steve got to close out his hero's journey by being truly happy for the first time in his life. As an old man in the present, he gladly passed the mantle of Captain America to Sam Wilson to fulfill his final responsibility.
Tony Stark
Tony Stark is responsible for launching the MCU and received an appropriately grand finale. Tony sacrificed himself to complete Snap to vanquish Thanos’ forces, thereby ending the Infinity War for good. Moreover, he was recognized as a hero across the universe.
It was a worthy end to a man who had started out as an egotistical person, developing into a selfless martyr. His exit played to his characterization since Tony gave the eulogy to his own funeral when his family and friends played his final message - his last words of “I Love You 3000” are immortalized in the MCU fanbase for what was a tearjerking but fitting departure.