We all know superheroes don’t really die. Least not in the comics or the films. They may fall off a cliff or be shot in one film or book, but show up resurrected in another. Blame the multiverse. Blame fandom. Or maybe blame the big studios and their love for money. Sadly, real life doesn’t quite work that way. The actors behind Marvel’s heroes don’t get a reboot or a post-credits scene. Before their deaths, these men and women wore the Marvel suits we all wished we had. But their work stretches far beyond capes and catchphrases, and Hollywood still feels it. Here are the Marvel actors who have died over the years. The heroes we lost.
Garry Shandling (66, died March 24, 2016)
In Iron Man 2 (2010), Senator Stern (played by Garry Shandling) pokes Tony Stark, backs Justin Hammer, and pushes the “government owns the suit” line. Then, in Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014), he hit audiences with the “Hail HYDRA” line.
Kamar de los Reyes (died December 2023)
Daredevil: Born Again (2025) gives you Hector Ayala, aka White Tiger, Marvel Comics’ first Latin superhero since 1975. Kamar de los Reyes plays him in a posthumous performance after dying of cancer in December 2023. If you game, you’ve also heard him as Raul Menendez in Call of Duty.
Powers Boothe (68, died May 14, 2017)
Powers Boothe made Gideon Malick feel like a loaded gun in a suit, from The Avengers to Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. He sells “nuclear option” with a calm voice that turns your stomach. Outside Marvel, he won an Emmy as Jim Jones in Guyana Tragedy and tore up Deadwood as Cy Tolliver.
Roy Scheider (76, died 2008)
The Punisher (2004) gives Roy Scheider a brutal sprint: Frank Castle Sr. grabs a shotgun, stabs a thug, dies, and still leaves a wall of guns behind.
Bill Paxton (61, died February 25, 2017)
Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. got sharper the moment Bill Paxton showed up as John Garrett. He died at 61 on February 25, 2017, after surgery to replace a heart valve and repair aorta damage, with a stroke reported soon after.
Neil Fingleton (36, died February 25, 2017)
Neil Fingleton didn’t need dialogue. At 7’7″, Britain’s tallest man walked into a frame and owned it. Marvel used him for Avengers: Age of Ultron motion capture and stunt work, plus an on-screen bit in X-Men: First Class as a Russian bodyguard. He died of heart failure on February 25, 2017.
Cliff Robertson (died 2011)
Cliff Robertson’s Uncle Ben delivers the most famous Spider-Man lines. Robertson also played JFK in P.T. 109 and won an Oscar for Charly.
Harry Dean Stanton (91, died September 15, 2017)
Harry Dean Stanton shows up in The Avengers as the security guard who hassles a very unclothed Bruce Banner. His career stacks: Alien, Escape from New York, Repo Man, Pretty in Pink, Big Love, and Twin Peaks: The Return.
Yevgeni “Eugene” Lazarev (79, died November 18, 2016)
Iron Man 2 makes Anton Vanko the quiet spark behind Whiplash’s rage, and Yevgeni Lazarev makes it believable without begging for pity. He also worked in Lord of War, 24, Alias, The West Wing, and taught at USC.
Michael Clarke Duncan (54, died September 2012)
Michael Clarke Duncan’s Kingpin in Daredevil (2003) needed more than size, and he delivered presence. He trained daily, gained 40 pounds, and re-read Frank Miller’s run front to back. Before acting, he worked as a bodyguard and almost protected Notorious B.I.G. the night Biggie died. He died of a heart attack in September 2012.
Bill Bixby (died 1993)
Bill Bixby’s David “Bruce” Banner carried The Incredible Hulk TV show with a weary, human desperation that still plays. He died in 1993 after a two-year cancer battle, only six weeks after marrying Judith Klivan.
Miguel Ferrer (61, died January 19, 2017)
Miguel Ferrer played the corrupt Vice President Rodriguez in Iron Man 3, a role that needs a guy who sounds like he’s already writing your obituary. He died of cancer on January 19, 2017, at 61. Outside Marvel, he ran through Twin Peaks, RoboCop, Traffic, and NCIS: Los Angeles.
John Pinette (50, died 2014)
John Pinette brought stand-up warmth into The Punisher (2004) as Bumpo, a pressure-release character inside a grim movie. He died in 2014 at 50, found in a Pittsburgh hotel room, with natural causes reported.
Peter Fonda (79, died 2019)
Peter Fonda played Mephistopheles in Ghost Rider (2007), late-career Marvel with serious movie history in his pockets. He wrote, produced, and starred in Easy Rider (1969) and earned Oscar nominations again for Ulee’s Gold (1997). He died in 2019 at 79 after lung cancer.
Irrfan Khan (53, died 2020)
Irrfan Khan appears in The Amazing Spider-Man as Dr. Rajit Ratha. He died in 2020 at 53.
Richard Kiley (76, died March 1999)
Howard the Duck (1986) gets weird in a hurry, and Richard Kiley voices the Cosmos. He won multiple Emmys and two Tonys, including one for Man of La Mancha. He died in March 1999 from a blood disorder.
Derrick O’Connor (77, died June 2018)
Derrick O’Connor worked with Terry Gilliam on Jabberwocky, Time Bandits, and Brazil, then slid into Marvel as Father Everett in Daredevil (2003), Matt Murdock’s priest confidante. He also played mercenary Pieter Vorstedt in Lethal Weapon 2 and appeared in Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest. He died in June 2018 from pneumonia.
Darren McGavin (83, died 2006)
Marvel-adjacent counts, and Darren McGavin pops up in the 1992 Captain America adaptation as General Fleming. Most people still know him as Ralphie’s dad in A Christmas Story, or from Kolchak: The Night Stalker.
Reg E. Cathey (68, died February 9, 2018)
Reg E. Cathey’s voice sounds like it could bench press you. Marvel used him twice: Dr. Franklin Storm in Fantastic Four (2015) and James Lucas, Luke Cage’s father, on Luke Cage. He won an Emmy for House of Cards as Freddy Hayes. He died of lung cancer on February 9, 2018, at 68.
Dr. Wesley Von Spears (17, died February 2020)
Yes, Marvel has a dog credit. Dr. Wesley Von Spears appears as “Holographic Dog” in Guardians of the Galaxy and “Dog in the Back of Truck at Dairy Queen” in Vol. 2. James Gunn said, “Truthfully, a lot of Groot is based on my dog Von Spears,” and “I think there’s a sort of puppy-like innocence to Groot. That if my dog could talk, it would probably say, ‘I am Groot.’” Von Spears died at 17 in February 2020.
Chadwick Boseman (43, died August 28, 2020)
Chadwick Boseman made T’Challa feel like a real leader the second he entered Civil War, then Black Panther (2018) turned it global. He died on August 28, 2020, at 43, from colon cancer. Marvel chose not to recast T’Challa and built the loss into Wakanda Forever (2022).
William Hurt (71, died March 13, 2022)
William Hurt brought decades of serious work into the MCU as Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross, starting in The Incredible Hulk (2008) and popping up through Civil War, Infinity War, and Black Widow (2021). He died on March 13, 2022, at 71, after terminal prostate cancer. Marvel later recast Ross with Harrison Ford for Phase 5 projects.
Annie Wersching (died January 2023)
Annie Wersching’s death in January 2023 hit TV fans hard. Marvel-wise, she played Leslie Dean on Runaways, the religious leader and mother to Karolina Dean. Diagnosed with cancer in 2020, she kept it private.
Ray Stevenson (58, died May 2023)
Ray Stevenson played Frank Castle in Punisher: War Zone (2008), then switched lanes in the MCU as Volstagg, one of Thor’s Warriors Three. He died at 58 in May 2023, hospitalized while filming in Italy, with an undisclosed illness mentioned.
James Colby (56, died February 23, 2018)
James Colby’s Marvel work is short and sharp. In Jessica Jones, he plays Brian Jones, Jessica’s father, through flashbacks that explain a messy family dynamic and the crash that sparks her origin. He also had a small role in The Amazing Spider-Man 2 as a police officer. He died on February 23, 2018, at 56, with a non-communicable disease listed.
Gaspard Ulliel (37, died January 19, 2022)
Gaspard Ulliel appears in Moon Knight (2022) as Anton Mogart, a wealthy collector holding a sarcophagus Marc and Layla need. In comics, he ties to Midnight Man, and the series keeps that polished danger. Ulliel died on January 19, 2022, at 37, after a skiing accident in France, before the show aired. Marvel paid tribute in the end credits.
Michael Lerner (81, died April 2023)
Michael Lerner shows up in X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014) as Senator Brickman, a small role with a big ripple in a story about fear and weapons. He earned an Oscar nomination for Barton Fink and played Mr. Greenway in Elf. He died in April 2023 at 81, with only a couple of credits after his Marvel stop.
Lucy Gordon (29, died 2009)
Lucy Gordon appears in Spider-Man 3 as reporter Jennifer Dugan during the Sandman and Venom fight. It’s quick, but she’s there, part of the city reacting to the madness. She took her own life in Paris, days short of her 29th birthday.
Stephen “Cajun” Del Bagno (35, died April 4, 2018)
Stephen “Cajun” Del Bagno played himself in Captain Marvel and consulted so the pilot side felt real. He died on April 4, 2018, at 35, in a crash at Nevada’s Nellis Air Force Base. Brie Larson wrote, “Your humble attitude and ideals have stayed with me and inspired a stronger approach to my work.” The film kept his cameo and paid tribute in the end credits, with “Cajun” hidden in background.
Norm Spencer (died August 2020)
Norm Spencer never needed live-action to leave a Marvel mark. He voiced Cyclops in X-Men: The Animated Series (1992 to 1997), then popped up as Cyclops again in Spider-Man: The Animated Series and games like X-Men: Children of the Atom and Marvel vs. Capcom 2. He also voiced Drax in Silver Surfer (1998). He died in August 2020, and X-Men ’97 recast the role.
David Hemblen (79, died November 2020)
David Hemblen voiced Magneto in X-Men: The Animated Series, and he made the character sound like he’d lived through history, not just a villain-of-the-week. He appeared in T. and T., had roles in films like Tommy Boy, and his last credited work was a video game voice role in Warriors: Legends of Troy (2011). He died in November 2020 at 79, with Magneto recast in X-Men ’97.
James Gunn Sr. (died August 29, 2019)
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017) slips in a family cameo: James Gunn Sr. plays “Weird Old Man,” paired with Leota Gunn as “Weird Old Man’s Mistress.” James Gunn confirmed he packed that scene with relatives and joked online, “My family loves getting killed in my movies.” Gunn Sr. died on August 29, 2019, of natural causes. Vol. 3 (2023) later pays tribute in the credits.
Stan Lee (96, died November 12, 2018)
Stan Lee helped build Marvel’s backbone, co-creating characters like Spider-Man and the Fantastic Four, and turned cameos into a fan ritual across films. He died on November 12, 2018, at 96, of cardiac arrest, one year after his wife Joan died. His last posthumous MCU cameos arrived in 2019: Captain Marvel and Avengers: Endgame. “‘Nuff Said.’”
Paul Soles (90, died May 26, 2021)
Paul Soles practically invented animated Spider-Man voice work, voicing Peter Parker in the 1967 Spider-Man series and later popping up in other Marvel animation roles. The MCU nods to him in The Incredible Hulk (2008), where he plays pizzeria owner Stanley Lieber, a wink at Stan Lee’s birth name. He died May 26, 2021, at 90, from a non-communicable disease.
Kenneth Mitchell (49, died 2024)
Kenneth Mitchell played Joseph Danvers, Carol’s father, in Captain Marvel. Small role, real friction, and he makes the obstacle feel human, not cartoonish. He kept acting after ALS left him wheelchair-bound, with Star Trek: Discovery accommodating him so he could stay on the show. He died in 2024 at 49.
Taraja Ramsess (died November 2023)
Taraja Ramsess helped Marvel battles look real, working stunts on Black Panther, Infinity War, Endgame, She-Hulk, and Wakanda Forever, plus DC projects like Black Adam. He also appears on screen as a Wakandan soldier in Infinity War and Wakanda Forever. In November 2023, his vehicle hit a broken-down tractor-trailer late at night, killing him and three of his children.
Alvin Ing (89, died July 31, 2021)
Alvin Ing appears in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. as Yat-Sen in “Aftershocks.” It’s a small credit, the kind most people miss, until you look back and see a working actor’s whole life behind it. He died July 31, 2021, at 89, after pneumonia, COVID-19, and cardiac arrest.
Andrew Gregg (died June 12, 2020)
Andrew Gregg played a S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., showing up in “S.O.S. Part Two,” deep in endgame-level chaos for the show. He died June 12, 2020, from the effects of an internal hemorrhage.
Brett G. Smith (53, died April 26, 2021)
Brett G. Smith appears in Daredevil as the Federal Bridge Agent, a short role that helps the show’s world feel official and heavy. He died on April 26, 2021, at 53, by suicide following a battle with mental illness. If you rewatch Daredevil, pause on the faces that keep the city moving.
Carlos “C-LOs” Lopez Jr. (35, died June 24, 2018)
Carlos “C-LOs” Lopez Jr. appears in Captain America: The Winter Soldier as a SWAT member and also worked as a stuntman on the film. That double-duty life is common in big action movies, even if you never see the paperwork. He died June 24, 2018, at 35, with a self-inflicted gunshot wound reported.
Charles Bradley (68, died September 23, 2017)
Luke Cage knew when to let music carry the scene. Charles Bradley appears as himself in “Who’s Gonna Take the Weight?” performing “Aint It A Sin” and his cover of “Changes” by Black Sabbath. He died of cancer on September 23, 2017, at 68.
Che’valier Paul (45, died July 11, 2018)
Che’valier Paul appears in Black Panther as a U.N. Press Member, one of those blink-fast credits that still sells the scale of Wakanda’s place in the world. He died on July 11, 2018, at 45, as a victim of a shooting.
Clark Middleton (63, died October 4, 2020)
Clark Middleton played Pretorius Price on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. in “Fear and Loathing on the Planet of Kitson,” and he brings that specific flavor of strange that makes Marvel TV fun. He died October 4, 2020, after contracting West Nile virus, at 63.
Craig muMs Grant (52, died March 25, 2021)
Craig muMs Grant appears in Luke Cage as Reggie, an inmate at Seagate who befriends Luke in “Step in the Arena.” That relationship gives the prison scenes pulse, not just plot mechanics. He died March 25, 2021, at 52, with diabetes listed as the cause.
David McKail (83, died December 6, 2021)
David McKail appears in Captain America: The First Avenger as Johann Schmidt’s artist, a minor role that still helps sell the era and the villain’s vanity. He died December 6, 2021, at 83.
DJ AM, Adam Michael Goldstein (36, died August 28, 2009)
DJ AM cameoed as himself in Iron Man 2, a quick “wait, that’s him” moment tucked into the film’s celebrity atmosphere. He died on August 28, 2009, at 36, from a drug overdose.
Dorothy Steel (95, died October 15, 2021)
Dorothy Steel played a Merchant Tribe Elder in Black Panther and Wakanda Forever, and she didn’t even start acting professionally until age 88. That alone should put your procrastination on trial. She died October 15, 2021, at 95, due to health complications.
Eric Holloway (46, died February 23, 2014)
Eric Holloway appears in Thor as a “Townie,” which sounds like a joke credit until you remember New Mexico’s crowd reactions help sell Thor’s fish-out-of-water crash landing. Holloway died February 23, 2014, at 46.
Garret T. Sato (55, died March 25, 2020)
Garret T. Sato appears in Inhumans as Hunter One in “Behold…Inhumans!” The series didn’t become a fan favorite, yet the people behind it still brought effort to set, costume, and camera. Satto died March 25, 2020, at 55.
Isaac Kappy (42, died 2019)
Isaac Kappy appears in Thor as Kyle. It’s a small Marvel credit, the kind you might only learn from a deep cast list. He died at 42 by suicide, jumping off a bridge into oncoming traffic in Arizona.
John Gilbert (38, died August 21, 2021)
John Gilbert appears in Agent Carter as a banker in “The Lady in the Lake.” It’s a short role, but the show’s noir vibe relies on people who look like they belong in that world. He died August 21, 2021, at 38, due to heart disease.
Lee Moore (died August 16, 2018)
Lee Moore played the older version of Scott Lang in Avengers: Endgame. That’s a wild credit. He died August 16, 2018, in Manhattan, from natural causes.
Lisa Masters (52, died November 15, 2016)
Lisa Masters appears in Iron Fist as a doctor in “Under Leaf Pluck Lotus.” One episode, one scene, and still a working actor showing up and doing the job. She died on November 15, 2016, at 52, by suicide by hanging while on assignment in Lima, Peru.
Leif Bridgman (39, died March 27, 2020)
Leif Bridgman appears in Helstrom as Jeff. He died March 27, 2020, at 39, from a drug overdose.
Marva Hicks (66, died September 16, 2022)
Marva Hicks appears in Daredevil as a district attorney, part of the legal grit that gives the show its teeth. She died September 16, 2022, at 66.
Michael Kenneth Williams (54, died September 6, 2021)
Michael Kenneth Williams appears briefly in The Incredible Hulk as a Harlem Bystander, a quick Marvel brush for an actor who made bigger waves elsewhere. His nephew found him dead on September 6, 2021. He was 54 and died of a drug overdose.
Nicholas Tucci (38, died March 3, 2020)
Nicholas Tucci appears in Daredevil as Dealer Gosnell in “.380,” a small but sharp piece of the show’s street-level danger. He died March 3, 2020, at 38, after battling cancer.
Phyllis Somerville (76, died July 16, 2020)
Phyllis Somerville appears in two Daredevil episodes as Mrs. Vistain, part of the show’s lived-in neighborhood texture. She died July 16, 2020, at 76, of natural causes.
Ravil Isyanov (59, died September 30, 2021)
Ravil Isyanov played Anton Petrov in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., appearing in “The Inside Man” and “Parting Shot.” He died September 30, 2021, at 59, due to cancer.
Ricardo Andres (65, died November 1, 2015)
Ricardo Andres appears as a Lentil Merchant in The Avengers, the most normal job title in a movie full of aliens and falling gods. He died November 1, 2015, at 65.
Roberto Bakker (74, died April 28, 2014)
Roberto Bakker played Bezzera in The Incredible Hulk. He died April 28, 2014, at 74.
Ron Glass (71, died November 25, 2016)
Ron Glass appears in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. as Doctor Streiten in “Pilot” and “The Magical Place,” bringing instant credibility to the medical side of Coulson’s mystery. He died November 25, 2016, at 71, from respiratory failure.
Salo Gardner (82, died December 2, 2018)
Salo Gardner appears as an extra in Captain America: The First Avenger. “Extra” sounds minor until you remember war scenes need bodies, faces, reactions, uniforms that move like real people. He died December 2, 2018, at 82.
Sharon Jones (60, died November 18, 2016)
Sharon Jones appears as herself in Luke Cage, performing “100 Days, 100 Nights” in “You Know My Steez.” Marvel used live music like a weapon, and she delivers. She died November 18, 2016, at 60, after a long battle with pancreatic cancer.
Sondra James (82, died September 12, 2021)
Sondra James appears in Spider-Man: Homecoming as Marjorie, a slice of everyday New York energy inside a teenage superhero movie. Those small moments keep Peter Parker’s world feeling crowded and familiar. She died September 12, 2021, at 82, from lung cancer.
Stewart Steinberg (84, died August 18, 2020)
Stewart Steinberg worked two corners of Marvel New York: Jessica Jones as an Old Male Dog Owner in “AKA I’ve Got the Blues,” and Spider-Man: Homecoming as a Ferry Commuter. Two quick credits, two different vibes, same idea: the city needs people to feel alive.
Vachik Mangassarian (74, died January 24, 2022)
Vachik Mangassarian appears in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. as Qasim Zaghlul in “The Asset.” One episode, one name, and a performer doing the job so the story doesn’t wobble. He died January 24, 2022, at 74, from complications of COVID-19. Rewatching Marvel shows from that era hits different when you remember how many people the world lost.
Wayne Robson (died April 4, 2011)
Wayne Robson appears as a boat captain in The Incredible Hulk, one of those straightforward roles that grounds a movie full of destruction. You need normal people reacting normally or the smashing turns into noise. He died April 4, 2011, due to a heart attack.
Julian McMahon (56, died 2025)
Julian McMahon played Doctor Doom in Fantastic Four (2005) and Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007), back when Marvel movies still felt like they were figuring out the tone in public. Doom needs arrogance, charm, and menace, sometimes all in one breath, and McMahon leans into that polished threat. He died at 56 in 2025.
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