Death is a natural part of fiction, especially in movies. When done right, a character’s death can be the most tragic event that viewers see on the big screen. Either that, or the death in question was the fittingly bleak punchline to the darkest of dark comedies. However, there have been some deaths so obvious that they made audiences laugh for reasons neither the cast nor crew intended.
More often than not, these characters’ presence (or lack thereof) in their film’s marketing spoiled their fate. The films themselves didn’t keep their deaths a secret, and foreshadowed them with the most obvious clues. This led to some of the most predictable deaths in genre and cinematic history that gave audiences a fun time in theaters, or even some much-needed vindication.
10. Taskmaster’s Unceremonious Death Was Her Film’s Worst-Kept Secret
Anyone who watched the trailers for Thunderbolts knew right away that Taskmaster (Antonia Dreykov) would die due to how she barely showed up in the promotional material. Despite being one of Black Widow‘s main antagonists, Taskmaster was quickly shot in the face by Ghost in the film’s opening act. To add insult to injury, Taskmaster only said one line of dialogue before dying.
At first, Taskmaster’s death was met with laughter and satisfaction. Comic fans hated her because of how much she differed from her comic counterpart. As more details about Thunderbolts came to light, they realized Taskmaster was cheated. Not only were her subplot and characterization omitted for shock value’s sake, but the Marvel Cinematic Universe also squandered action veteran Olga Kurylenko.
9. Roxanne “Roxy” Morton Only Appeared Once in Her Film’s Trailers
When Kingsman: The Secret Service ended, it seemed as if it would be up to Eggsy and his newfound friends to rebuild the agency. Roxy was one such friend. What made her more noteworthy was that she was one of the Kingsman’s few female agents. Instead, she was quickly killed in Kingsman: The Golden Circle’s opening act, where Poppy ordered missile strikes on the Kingsmen.
In hindsight, Roxy’s death was glaringly obvious. Not only did she only appear once in the sequel’s trailers, but Kingsman as a whole was ridiculously boyish. The film’s women were barely allowed to do as much as the men. They only existed to be love interests, antagonists, or plot devices. Roxy dying to motivate Eggsy’s vengeance unfortunately aligned with the series’ juvenile ethos.
8. Slipknot Joined Task Force X at the Last Second for a Reason
It isn’t hyperbolic to say that Slipknot joined Suicide Squad just to die. His death was used to prove that Amanda Waller’s neck bombs were real. This would have been fine if the film didn’t openly show his fatal purpose. He barely appeared in the film’s trailers, and his solo character teaser focused more on an exploding helicopter than him.
Slipknot was notably the only supervillain in Task Force X who didn’t get an introductory vignette or title card. To this day, Suicide Squad is a divisive film among superhero fans. However, everyone agreed that Slipknot’s painfully obvious demise was hilarious. It didn’t help that the only information the film gave about him was that he could “climb anything.”
7. Task Force X Team A’s Brutal Death Was Telegraphed by Their Film’s Trailers
The Suicide Squad lived up to its comics’ premise in ways that its predecessor didn’t. Not even 15 minutes in, the sequel killed most of Task Force X Team A. This, after spending quite some time introducing them to audiences, and even giving them ad campaigns. This wasn’t a bad thing, even if their deaths were obvious based on their lack of appearances beyond Corto Maltese’s beaches in the trailers.
The most obvious giveaway was Captain Boomerang. Despite being one of the first film’s main villains, he barely appeared in the trailers. Fans feared for his safety in the sequel and, true enough, he died before the credits even rolled. It’s a testament to Team A’s casting that, even after most of them died in laughably pathetic ways, some fans still hoped they’d return to the DC Universe’s future.
6. Johnny Cage’s Death Was Lifted Directly From the Games
Depending on who’s asked, Johnny Cage was either the funniest or the most annoying character in Mortal Kombat. This was why his very sudden death in Mortal Kombat: Annihilation’s opening minutes caused such a fuss back in 1997. For one, the sequel was set mere seconds after the first, meaning Johnny grew as a person and even saved Earthrealm in the first film — for nothing.
There were many hints that Shao Kahn would kill Johnny just moments after he exited a portal. For one, Johnny was recast in Annihilation. Second, Annihilation was heavily based on the game Mortal Kombat 3, where Johnny also died. His death was inevitable, but that didn’t stop fans from either celebrating or hating the fact that Shao Kahn broke his neck just as the sequel began.
5. Duke Was Quickly Killed in Action Because Channing Tatum Requested It
One of the most famous facts about G.I. Joe was that Duke died in G.I. Joe: The Movie. Due to the backlash against Optimus Prime’s death in The Transformers: The Movie, Duke was haphazardly rewritten to have been stuck in a coma for most of the film. Based on his lack of appearances in the trailers, it was fairly obvious that Duke’s death would finally be fulfilled in G.I. Joe: Retaliation.
What many may not know is that Duke’s actor, Channing Tatum, requested that he die in the live-action sequel. Although Tatum was a G.I. Joe fan, he hated working on the first film, G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra. Because of this, he wanted to leave the series as quickly as possible. Upon rewatching with this in mind, Duke’s death in the opening act could be seen coming from a mile away.
4. Alice’s Clones Were All Killed Because They Were Too Overpowered
For better and worse, Alice is one of the most overpowered action heroes in cinematic history. Resident Evil: Extinction ended by revealing that not only was Alice super-powered, but that she now had an army of clones. Fans loved the absurdity, but wondered how the Resident Evil films would address this overwhelming strength. They correctly guessed that all the clones would die.
Just one film later, in Resident Evil: Afterlife, all of Alice’s clones were killed by a bomb detonated by Albert Wesker. They all died in the film’s opening act. The deaths were obvious, not just because the series had to level the playing field again, but because the Resident Evil films weren’t exactly known for cleverly writing their way out of corners.
3. The King of the Dead Was Always Meant to Die in Lord of the Rings
In The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, the King of the Dead makes a pivotal, albeit brief, appearance. He is bound by an oath to serve the true King of Gondor, Aragorn. However, his character’s fate was foreshadowed long before he met his end in the battle of Pelennor Fields. As soon as the character was introduced, it was clear that his story would end with him breaking the curse by fulfilling his oath.
The King of the Dead’s predictable death was built into the story as an inevitable act of redemption. His death didn’t carry much surprise or suspense, but it did serve to provide closure and move the plot forward. Fans of the book may have seen it coming, but even those unfamiliar with the source material would recognize the subtle foreshadowing.
2. The Fate of Han Solo Was Spoiled in the Star Wars Marketing
Even if you avoided all spoilers, it was hard to miss the fact that Han Solo was likely going to die in Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Not only did Harrison Ford confirm in interviews that he wanted Han to meet a fitting end, but the trailer for the film also heavily featured a confrontation between Han and Kylo Ren. The nature of this encounter led many to predict Han’s fate.
The tragic death of Han Solo still impacted fans, but the writing was on the wall from the start. His character arc in the film was designed to bring closure to his long-running story, and the emotional payoff was still powerful. However, the marketing and Ford’s own statements made it clear that Han’s death was always part of the plan.
1. Captain Kirk’s Death Was Written for the Movie’s Finale
Many Star Trek fans were puzzled when Captain Kirk died in Star Trek Generations. The death of the iconic leader of the Enterprise was teased far ahead of the movie’s release. Furthermore, it was clear from the start that this was a plot device to allow a new generation of characters to take the stage in the next Star Trek films.
Even though his death was expected, the moment was still poignant, and many fans were still affected by it. It was an emotional farewell to a beloved character, but it was also a death that everyone saw coming from the very beginning. Captain Kirk’s death was both inevitable and fitting — but it certainly didn’t surprise anyone.
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