10 Marvel heroes who had the best intros — and the worst exits

Marvel moments not only showcase the superheroes' powers, but also their humanity, making their stories resonate deeply with fans. In this article, let's explore 10 Marvel heroes, whose intros left us in awe, and whose departures tugged at our kind hearts.

10 Marvel heroes who had the best intros and the worst exits

Iron Man (Tony Stark)

Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark made his first appearance in Iron Man (2008) as a rich and smart man who sells weapons and lives a very fancy life. Suddenly, he gets kidnapped and everything changes. Here, he starts to depict his powers, and instead of giving up, he builds a metal suit to escape. And that suit became the first Iron Man armor, and it changed his life forever. This is how the tale of Iron Man begins.

Tony's story ends in Avengers: Endgame (2019), when he uses the Infinity Stones to stop the villain Thanos. His brave act saves the universe and it costs him his life. His last words are the same as his first, “I am Iron Man,” making his story feel complete.

Captain America (Steve Rogers)

Chris Evans as Steve Rogers is first seen in Captain America: The First Avenger (2011) as a skinny but brave young person. There, he was chosen for a special program that turned him into Captain America, a symbol of hope who always tries to be gentle. He fought in World War II and later became a part of the Avengers.

In Avengers: Endgame, he goes back in time and decides to stay there, live a peaceful life with his one true love. After that when we see him again, he is an old man with a full life. Then he passes his shield to Sam Wilson, choosing him as the next Captain America. This ending while beautiful, felt incomplete. If only we culd have had more time with Captain America.

Thor

Chris Hemsworth as Thor first appeared in Thor (2011). Strong but proud God of Thunder, Thor's father, Odin, sends him to Earth because he is careless and worthy at all. On Earth, Thor learns to be kind and to care about others. He becomes a real hero. Thor fights in many battles with the Avengers. He loses crucial aspects of his life, like his family and his home and his lady love too.

In Avengers: Endgame, he is disheartened. But he still helps save the world from Thanos, after which, he leaves Earth with the Guardians of the Galaxy to find a new reason to keep going. His story might not be over yet as he is expected to make a comeback in Avengers: Doomsday, but it still felt like a sad goodbye in the moment.

Black Widow (Natasha Romanoff)

Scarlett Johansson made us fall in love with Black Widow's character in Iron Man 2 (2010). Even though Black Widow's past seems dark, she wants to help the world like a heroic person. So, she becomes an important member of the Avengers. Without any powers as Hawkeye, she is very brave to fight and win.

In Avengers: Endgame, she gives her life to get the Soul Stone so that everyone remains safe. It is one of the saddest parts of the movie and shows how strong and kind she really is.

Scarlet Witch (Wanda Maximoff)

Here, Elizabeth Olsen plays Wanda Maximoff, who starts out as a kind of enemy of the Avengers because she and her brother are changed by Hydra using the Mind Stone. First, she helps Ultron, but when she sees how dangerous he really is, she goes with the Avengers to fight in Sokovia. Later, after accidentally causing an explosion in the Civil War, people begin to fear her powers. She grows closer to Vision, but needs to kill him to stop Thanos.

The emotional weight of having to destroy Vision to stop Thanos in Avengers: Infinity War, only to see him resurrected and killed again, is a devastating moment that breaks her heart. After helping fight in Endgame, she is unable to deal with her grief and creates a fake life with Vision in a small town. When it all falls apart, she fully becomes the Scarlet Witch and leaves everyone behind, choosing to live alone and study dark magic, no longer part of the Avengers.

Black Panther (T’Challa)

Chadwick Boseman as T’Challa first appears in MCU's Captain America: Civil War (2016). Being the prince of Wakanda, he is a very brave and respectful person. After his father's demise, he becomes the new Black Panther. As a smart and calm leader, he wants to help the world along with his own family. In Black Panther (2018), he chooses to share Wakanda’s gifts with others, breaking old rules.

Sadly, the actor Chadwick Boseman died in real life. Because of that, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022) shows T’Challa’s death in a very heart-touching way. His sister Shuri becomes the new Black Panther, keeping his spirit alive.

Gamora

Zoe Saldaña as Gamora, a deadly fighter, worked for Thanos. But she tries to do the right thing, turns against Thanos and joins the Guardians of the Galaxy. She helps the Avengers in Infinity War because she knew a big secret: where the Soul Stone is hidden.

Sadly, Thanos kills her to get that stone. In this movie part, when the scene shows Thanos throwing her off a cliff, it shocks everyone and hurts her team very deeply. Later in Endgame, a younger version of Gamora from the past comes into the present, bringing us a different kind of pain through Starlord's (Chris Pratt's) eyes

Groot

Groot starts out as Rocket’s friend in space and helps the Guardians fight bad guys. At the end of their first big mission, he saves his friends by wrapping them in his branches during an explosion, which cost him his life. But a small part of him grows back into Baby Groot. Later, as a teenager, he joins Thor and Rocket to help make a powerful weapon, even using his own arm to finish it.

He fights with the Avengers in the big battle in Infinity War, showing he was ready to help save the universe. But he is one of the people who turned to dust when Thanos snapped his fingers, calling Rocket “Dad” with his last word. He comes back later in Endgame to fight again, but after that, he goes back to travel with the Guardians, staying away from the Avengers and choosing his space family instead.

Hawkeye (Clint Barton)

We see Jeremy Renner as Clint Barton for the first time in Thor (2011) as an expert S.H.I.E.L.D. agent. The most important thing is that, without any superpowers, he became an important member of the Avengers universe. He always fought to protect his friends and his family.

But the tough time comes in Avengers: Endgame, where Clint becomes Ronin after losing his family and turns into a darker version of himself. He starts to fight criminals in a very harsh way. But when he gets his family back, he finds peace again.

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Marvel movies have given us many heroes to cherish forever. Tony Stark as Iron Man changed superhero movies. Steve Rogers as Captain America showed bravery and kindness from the beginning. A proud and wild god, Thor, Black Widow, Spider-Man, Ant-Man and their duties will always remain in our hearts. We must agree that Marvel has a special way of turning these superheroes into real people, we really care about.