20 MCU Actors Who Have Sadly Died - Screen Rant

Summary

• Many beloved actors from the Marvel Cinematic Universe have tragically passed away, including Eugene Lazarev, Miguel Ferrer, Harry Dean Stanton, Lee Moore, Sondra James, Phyllis Somerville, James Gunn Sr., Paul Soles, Neil Fingleton, Gaspard Ulliel, Reg E. Cathey, Garry Shandling, Ron Cephas Jones, Powers Boothe, Dorothy Steel, Bill Paxton, Ray Stevenson, William Hurt, Chadwick Boseman, and Stan Lee.
• These actors had various roles within the MCU, ranging from small cameos to significant supporting characters. They brought their talent and presence to the franchise, making a lasting impact despite their limited screen time.
• Their deaths have been a loss to the entertainment industry and the fans who cherished their performances. They will be remembered for their contributions to the Marvel Cinematic Universe and beyond.

Several actors from the Marvel Cinematic Universe have tragically passed away after appearing in the franchise. Many actors have taken the opportunity to portray characters in the MCU since the franchise kicked off with 2008's Iron Man, and several have achieved super-stardom because of their roles as prominent superheroes in the franchise, when many may have been lesser-known prior to their debuts. After a decade-and-a-half of the MCU, however, this has also inevitably meant that several actors from the franchise have tragically passed away, including some of the MCU's biggest stars and most legendary talents.

Marvel Studios has taken some big swings in their casting in the past, including hiring the then-controversial Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark, the little-known Chris Hemsworth as Thor, British up-and-comer Tom Holland as Peter Parker. These, combined with A-listers such as Samuel L. Jackson, Scarlett Johansson, Natalie Portman, and Anthony Hopkins, create a rich and diverse cast for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Many legendary performers have passed through Marvel Studios' doors, yet several, including these 20 incredible actors, have unfortunately lost their lives after debuting in the franchise.

20 Eugene Lazarev (Anton Vanko)

Russian-American actor Eugene Lazarev only had a brief appearance as Anton Vanko, Ivan Vanko's father and Howard Stark's former business partner, in Iron Man 2's opening moments, which actually became the actor's final film role. Lazarev had prominent roles in Hollywood films, including The Saint, Lord of War, and The Sum of All Fears, as well as in TV series' such as 24, Alias, and The West Wing. Lazarev died from cardiac arrest at the age of 79 in November 2016.

19 Miguel Ferrer (Vice President Rodriguez)

Miguel Ferrer had his breakthrough role in 1987's RoboCop before starring in projects including Blank Check, Mulan, Twin Peaks, and Miami Vice. Ferrer portrayed Vice President Rodriguez in 2013's Iron Man 3, who was revealed to have been working with Aldrich Killian in an effort to cure his daughter's disability. Ferrer died in January 2017 at 61 years old due to heart failure and complications from throat cancer. Interestingly, Marvel Comics' Miguel O'Hara, a.k.a. Spider-Man 2099, was named after Ferrer.

18 Harry Dean Stanton (Security Guard)

Harry Dean Stanton was a legendary actor whose career spanned six decades. Stanton appeared in massive projects such as The Green Mile, Alien, The Godfather Part II, Lucky, and Dillinger, yet only had a brief appearance in the MCU. Stanton portrayed the security guard who helped Bruce Banner after he fell from the SHIELD helicarrier in 2012's The Avengers. Stanton died at the impressive age of 91 in September 2017 due to heart failure.

17 Lee Moore (Old Scott Lang)

Lee Moore appeared for only a moment in 2019's Avengers: Endgame as the older version of Scott Lang, who emerged from the Quantum Tunnel while Smart Hulk was trying to invent time travel. Moore's remarkable career dates back to 1939's King of the Turf, which he appeared in at only ten years old. He would later have roles in Night of the Zombies, The Law of the Desert, The Guiding Light, and Mr. Popper's Penguins. Moore died in August 2018 at 89 years old, shortly after filming his scene for Avengers: Endgame.

16 Sondra James (Marjorie)

Character actor and voice actor Sondra James had a stellar career across screen and stage, including appearing in the national tour of 1996's Funny Girl. James had acting roles in Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2, The Devil Wears Prada, The Dictator, and Joker, and appeared as Marjorie in 2017's Spider-Man: Homecoming. During the MCU film, James interacted with Marvel legend Stan Lee. James died from lung cancer at her home in New York City in September 2021 at 82 years old.

15 Phyllis Somerville (Mrs. Vistain)

Phyllis Somerville is best known for her roles in Outsiders, Little Children, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, and The Big C, and appeared in two episodes of Marvel Television's Daredevil as Mrs. Vistain, Wilson Fisk's mother. Somerville's role in Daredevil may have been small, but she was pivotal to season 1's storyline. Somerville's career spanned six decades before she passed away in July 2020 from natural causes at the age of 76.

14 James Gunn Sr. (Weird Old Man)

James Gunn Sr., Guardians of the Galaxy director James Gunn's father, made a cameo appearance in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 as "Weird Old Man," a human resident of Earth who witnesses Ego's growth. James Gunn's mother, Leota Gunn, also appeared alongside her husband, while neither of them had prior acting experience. Gunn Sr. died peacefully at the age of 78 in August 2019. James Gunn dedicated 2023's Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 to his late father.

13 Paul Soles (Stanley)

Paul Soles appeared in 2008's The Incredible Hulk as Stanley Lieber, the owner of the pizza parlor favored by Bruce Banner and Betty Ross, with his character's name taken from Marvel's Stan Lee. While this was a small role in the MCU, Soles is one of the most iconic voice actors in Marvel's history, having voiced various characters in The Marvel Super Heroes and Spider-Man animated series in the 1960s. Soles died of natural causes in his Toronto home in May 2021 at the age of 90.

12 Neil Fingleton (Ultron)

Neil Fingleton is the only actor on this list whose face was never actually seen in the MCU, as he provided the motion capture for Ultron in 2015's Avengers: Age of Ultron, while the villain was voiced by James Spader. English actor and basketball player Fingleton was the tallest British-born man and among the top 25 tallest men in the world at 7 ft 7.56 in (232.6 cm), making him perfect to portray the looming Ultron. Fingleton's other films include X-Men: First Class, Game of Thrones, and Doctor Who, though Fingleton died at the young age of 36 from heart failure in February 2017.

11 Gaspard Ulliel (Anton Mogart)

French actor Gaspard Ulliel joined the MCU for 2022's Moon Knight, posthumously portraying antiquities collector and acquaintance of Layla El-Faouly Anton Mogart. Before appearing in the MCU, Ulliel was best known for his roles in Hannibal Rising, Saint Laurent, Rise of the Guardians, and A Very Long Engagement. Ulliel died in January 2022 at the age of 37 after suffering serious brain trauma from a skiing collision at the La Rosière resort in France. The donation of Ulliel's organs saved the lives of six others, and many high-profile actors paid tribute to Ulliel in the weeks following his death.

10 Reg E. Cathey (James Lucas)

Reg E. Cathey appeared posthumously in the second season of Luke Cage as the titular hero's father, James Lucas. Prior to that, Cathey's most notable roles included Norman Wilson in The Wire, Martin Querns in Oz, and Freddy Hayes in House of Cards. Cathey's career dated back to the 1980s and spanned stage and screen, but the brilliant actor passed away at the age of 59 in February 2018. Cathey was reported to have lung cancer and died in his home in New York City.

9 Garry Shandling (Senator Stern)

Garry Shandling's remarkable career began with roles in various sitcoms, including Sanford & Son and Welcome Back, Kotter. He would become known for his more comedic roles, including roles in projects such as Dr. Dolittle, Zoolander, Over the Hedge, and The Dictator. Shandling also hosted the Emmy and Grammy Awards on multiple occasions, while he became even more widely known for his role of Senator Stern, who was revealed to be a supporter of HYDRA, in Iron Man 2 and Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Shandling died at the age of 66 from a pulmonary embolism caused by hyperparathyroidism in March 2016.

8 Ron Cephas Jones (Bobby Fish)

Best known for his role in This Is Us, Ron Cephas Jones also starred in projects including The Get Down, Mr. Robot, Across the Universe, and Dolemite Is My Name. Jones appeared in Netflix's Luke Cage as Bobby Fish, a regular at Pop's Barber Shop and a close confidant of Luke Cage. Jones died due to a long-standing pulmonary issue at the age of 66 in August 2023.

7 Powers Boothe (Gideon Malick)

Legendary character actor Powers Boothe is best known for his roles in hits such as Deadwood, 24, Nashville, Nixon, and Red Dawn. He also played a prominent role in DC's Animated Universe shows Justice League and Justice League Unlimited, while also portraying Gideon Malick in the MCU. Malick was originally depicted as a member of the World Security Council but was later shown to be a high-ranking member of HYDRA. Boothe died in May 2017 from the effects of pancreatic cancer, shortly before his 69th birthday.

6 Dorothy Steel (Merchant Tribe Elder)

Dorothy Steel spent most of her professional career working as a senior revenue officer for the Internal Revenue Service, but retired in 1984 and relocated to Atlanta and began to act in community theater in 2014. 2018's Black Panther marked her first major film role, with Steel portraying Wakanda's Merchant Tribe Elder, a role that she reprised posthumously in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Steel passed away from illness at the age of 95 in October 2021.

5 Bill Paxton (John Garrett)

Bill Paxton was one of the most well-known actors to join the cast of Agents of SHIELD, appearing as John Garrett, a SHIELD-turned-HYDRA agent who had been a close friend to Clark Gregg's Phil Coulson. Paxton has appeared in high-profile projects, including Aliens, Titanic, Edge of Tomorrow, Twister, Apollo 13, and The Terminator, among many others. Paxton underwent open-heart surgery in February 2017 to solve a damaged aortic heart valve and underwent a second surgery a day later before suffering a fatal stroke only ten days after. He died at the age of 61.

4 Ray Stevenson (Volstagg)

Northern Irish actor Ray Stevenson debuted in the MCU's Thor as Volstagg, a member of the Warriors Three, and made further appearances in Thor: The Dark World and Thor: Ragnarok. Stevenson is best known for his roles in King Arthur, Rome, The Punisher: War Zone, Dexter, and for voicing Gar Saxon in Star Wars Rebels and Star Wars: The Clone Wars. No cause of death has been revealed, but Stevenson passed away shortly before his 59th birthday in May 2023.