When a major character dies in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), it often has long-lasting impacts that affect stories down the line, and the most recent hero’s death is no different. In 2012, The Avengers saw Phil Coulson die at the hands of Loki, which led the heroes to put their differences aside, and become a superhero team.
Then, in 2015s Avengers: Age of Ultron, Pietro Maximoff died, setting a series of tragedies in the life of Wanda Maximoff into motion that would eventually lead to her becoming a villain. In 2018s Avengers: Infinity War, Loki sacrifices his life for his brother, and in 2019s Avengers: Endgame, Iron Man sacrifices himself to keep the universe safe.
And while these milestone moments are just a few of the major hero deaths in the MCU, each one had a profound impact on the stories that came after. Other heroes changed, the world changed, and the stories were altered. But in 2025, there is one MCU death that is uniquely different.
The Fantastic Four: First Steps saw Marvel’s First Family make their MCU debut, but no one could have predicted that the movie would also feature one of these titular heroes dying. And yet, that is exactly what happens to Sue Storm in the fight against Galactus at the end of the film.
After spending all of her energy pushing the Devourer of Worlds through a portal that sends him across the universe, Sue’s energy is completely depleted, and she dies. However, this moment leads to her incredibly powerful newborn son, Franklin Richards, reviving his mother, and bringing her back to life.
While this moment adds emotional weight and drama to the film, it may also prove to have a significant impact on Sue Storm, as highlighted by comments from actress Vanessa Kirby.
“I’ve been thinking a lot doing Avengers and stuff about how someone that’s been through, in the space of basically a week, someone who has given birth and has died and come back to life… how a death experience like that would change you.
I’ve been listening to a lot of people that have had those kinds of experiences and what they learn, and therefore how different they are after they come back from that.”
Kirby’s remarks clearly summarize just how much has happened to her character in a remarkably short time, and suggest that this will have a larger effect on the hero and her future in the MCU. And considering where the character is set to appear next, it seems likely that we will see this explored very soon.
The Fantastic Four of the MCU currently reside on Earth-828. This reality is distinctly different from Earth-616, where most of the other storylines have played out, but somehow, these characters will be crossing over soon in Avengers: Doomsday and subsequently in Avengers: Secret Wars.
Both of these films are set to feature The Fantastic Four in prominent roles, which makes sense due to their connection to the primary antagonist of those films, Doctor Doom. However, it seems as though Sue Storm may appear considerably different to how she came across in First Steps.
Not only did Sue experience death and resurrection, but she has been a mother for four years as of the end of First Steps. This means she has likely incorporated some changes due to her experience into her character, and may make decisions differently to how she did in that film.
Where she has been a beacon of hope, diplomacy, and caution, Sue could be in a very different headspace when Avengers: Doomsday plays out. And this will, of course, inform how the character engages with others, like Victor von Doom, who was seen to appear in her home with her son in the First Steps post-credit scene.
Sue Storm’s Death Could Easily Be A Huge Avengers: Doomsday Story
While Reed Richards has typically been the one to put logic ahead of all else, and come up with ideas that may be unsavory, it’s almost a certainty that Sue Storm will feel even more strongly about protecting the people she loves after coming so close to losing them.
Her efforts in First Steps made it just about possible that she could save the world and her child, but there is no guarantee that this will be the case in a future battle with Doctor Doom. And since the battle appears to be taking place across various realities, it’s possible that Sue could focus on protecting just her family.
Having literally died, Sue may have had some sort of epiphany, or a reframing of her priorities, and none of that has had time to be explored so far in the MCU. But Doomsday and Secret Wars are sure to bring these changes to the fore. And if that’s the case, this may be a significant part of Doomsday’s story.
Alternatively, it could make Sue more hesitant about entering any sort of fight. Knowing what’s at stake if she loses, Sue may try to keep her team from joining the battle until things look entirely hopeless. In either case, the impact of Sue’s death is likely to play an important role in informing what happens next in the MCU.
