AVENGERS: DOOMSDAY May Give One of Marvel’s Most Hated Heroes the Ultimate Redemption

Someone may be getting a brutal exit in Avengers: Doomsday, and if the latest rumor is accurate, Marvel could be preparing to turn one of the MCU’s least-loved heroes into the character who saves everyone else.

With the MCU heading toward a massive multiversal collision, speculation over who survives Doomsday has become part of the fun. A new rumor now claims one hero will sacrifice themselves so others can escape the final incursion, with one particularly interesting clue attached: a lot of people hated this character’s movie.

Industry insider James Mack shared the claim on X, writing: “The saddest death in Avengers: Doomsday is a character whose movie many people hate. He sacrifices himself so that other characters can escape the final incursion.”

Naturally, Marvel fans are started trying to figure out who he might be talking about. Some believe Brie Larson’s Captain Marvel could be the mystery hero, while others have pointed toward Paul Rudd’s Ant-Man. Shang-Chi, played by Simu Liu, has also entered the conversation, along with Anthony Mackie’s Falcon.

There are plenty of possibilities considering how divided audiences have been over various MCU movies in recent years. It also raises the question of what Mack means by a movie people “hate.” Is he referring to a poorly received solo film, a divisive sequel, or simply a Marvel movie that became a punching bag online?

For now, nobody outside Marvel appears to have a confirmed answer, and this should absolutely be treated as a rumor.

Mack added another potentially important detail about how the character supposedly dies: “Anyone who dies naturally before the final incursion won’t return in Avengers: Secret Wars. The person in question sacrifices themselves BEFORE the incursion happens.”

If accurate, that distinction could have some major consequences for Avengers: Secret Wars. The sacrifice apparently happens before the final incursion itself, and Mack claims characters who die naturally before that event won't return for the following movie.

The rumored final incursion is expected to be one of the biggest events the MCU has attempted. Earth-616, better known as the Sacred Timeline, is said to collide with Earth-838, which is reportedly connected to the Fantastic Four and Doctor Doom. Another universe associated with the original X-Men saga is also rumored to become involved.

That collision would bring the MCU’s heroes, the Fantastic Four, the X-Men, and other multiversal characters into the same enormous conflict as they attempt to stop Doom and prevent their worlds from being destroyed.

Obviously, when you're throwing that many Marvel characters into an event of this scale, somebody isn't going to make it out alive.

Other rumors have already suggested that Doomsday will claim multiple heroes. Marvel, of course, keeps major story details locked down, so none of these rumored deaths should be taken as confirmed plot information. That mystery is also what makes this particular rumor interesting.

Taking a hero whose movie has been relentlessly criticized and giving them one of the most heroic deaths in MCU history could be a great way to change how audiences remember the character. Instead of simply killing someone for shock value, Marvel could give an unpopular hero a final moment that actually matters.

The big question is who is it? What MCU hero do you want to see die?