Movies in New Age

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arvel villains are notorious for racking up the on-screen body count, but even heroes like the Avengers have killed characters in the MCU. One-on-one showdowns between hero and villain are fertile ground for death and destruction, and when the Avengers assemble to collectively combat large-scale threats to the universe, the number of causalities in the good-guy corner really begins to add up. All matter of alien and human life from the mindless Outriders to cunning Hydra agents have met their maker at the hands of Nick Fury’s MCU heroes, but only one can claim the title of deadliest Avenger.

While new heroes and heroines join the ranks of the Avengers every year, the original six members of Nick Fury’s elite team—Hulk, Iron Man, Black Widow, Captain America, Hawkeye, Thor — remain the heart and soul upon which the franchise is built.

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nd as the longest-tenured members of the MCU, with many boasting multiple solo movies in addition to the four Avengers tttitles, the Phase One heroes have shared in the unfortunate circumstance of engaging in the highest number of battles, thus vanquishing the highest number of foes. Any acts of violence the Avengers may have committed in the comics hold no bearing in determining their kill totals, and only direct kills are considered, regardless of any deaths, whether through negligence or collateral damage, that could be pinned on an Avenger as a result of a large-scale catastrophe like Sokovia.

Similarly, the Avengers: Age of Ultron robots do not count as kills.

Greater superpowers and a longer life equate to a higher killing capacity. Enter Thor, arguably the most powerful of the original Avengers, and certainly the eldest. In Avengers: Infinity War, Thor states, “I’m fifteen hundred years old. I’ve killed twice as many enemies as that,” which would place the God of Thunder’s kill count at a minimum of 3000. Thor battles entire armies of giants, elves, and more throughout the Avengers series, even in solo movies typically reserved for more intimate stories favoring character development over action. Thor’s 3000+ kills are more than any other Avenger in the MCU. However, remove Thor’s longevity from the equation, and the Asgardian draws much closer to the pack, possibly even losing his deadliest Avenger title to a hero from Earth.

For a mere human with no special powers, other than a genius intellect and billions of dollars, Tony Stark is a highly prolific killer. With a history in weapons technology and Iron Man’s highly advanced iron suit packing a whole lot of firepower, Stark tallies enough kills to place him second on the list of deadliest Avenger.

He hits the ground running in his debut movie, Iron Man, killing dozens immediately after forging his first suit. Stark’s snap in Avengers: Endgame   not only vanquishes Thanos (and sadly, himself) but presumably hundreds of Thanos’ soldiers both on the ground and in the air.

Thor and Iron Man are in a league of their own, with the remaining four Avengers far behind. Cap’s service in the deadliest conflict in human history during Captain America: The First Avenger   certainly means he has a higher kill count than might be initially expected, but this no doubt pales to the Hulk – especially counting the green giant’s time in Sakaar.

Hawkeye and Black Widow round out the list at number five and six, respectively, as while Black Widow’s troubled history and Hawkeye’s Ronin escapades could account for many deaths, their assassin roles were better suited to taking out individual targets, which means the volume of them is arguably far less.

Despite their reputation as the squeaky clean good guys, Marvel’s Avengers have killed thousands of characters in the MCU ranging from alien species to Hydra agents.

Thor accounts for the lion’s share of kills, making him the deadliest Avenger, with Iron Man second and the others a good distance behind. However, those killed by the Avengers are a mere fraction of the lives lost at the hands of villains seeking to abolish freedom and subjugate the universe (or in Thanos’ mind, save it). In the words of Captain America, “The price of freedom is high. It always has been. And it’s a price I’m willing to pay.”