Avengers: Endgame was the definitive end of many MCU characters, but many of those who have went on to reappear in future projects have become forever changed by their experiences. The climactic culmination of the Phase-spanning Infinity Saga, Avengers: Endgame represented a height for the series the MCU has yet to return to, naturally marking the end of some of the series’ most beloved characters. In the years since, the survivors have changed dramatically going into the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s fifth phase.

More often than not, these changes are emotional rather than physical, with the fallout of the Infinity Saga and the tumultuous events that surround Marvel’s heroes taking their toll. Sometimes these changes come from within, but it’s just as often that they’re forced via tragic circumstance. When looking at the lineup of every active Marvel hero, a characters in particular stand out for the journey they’ve been on, having morphed into almost entirely different people since the dramatic battle of the crossover epic.

10

Loki Became The Protector Of The Multiverse

Variant or not, the trickster God is a new man

Admittedly, the Loki audiences had grown to love and fear was killed going into Avengers: Infinity War, callously choked and discarded into the void of space. This was a true shame considering Loki’s internal arc leading up to his death, but luckily, a replacement who technically does appear in Avengers: Endgame was waiting in the wings, eager to embark on a perilous emotional journey of his own.

A variant of 2012’s Loki, still eager to conquer Earth, went into his self-named Disney+ series only to come out the other side a changed god. Starting his journey as a narcissistic villain with delusions of grandeur, Loki slowly begins peeling away his defensive layers of lonliness, becoming a new man in service of his newfound friendship among the myriad timelines of the TVA. By the end of Loki, the God of Mischief had fully transformed in to the God of Stories, taking his place at the center of time and sacrificing his own happiness for the sake of the universe.

9

Drax Left Vengeance Behind For Fatherhood

From Drax the Destroyer to Drax the Dad

For as loveable as he may be, Dave Bautista’s Drax the Destroyer spent most of his MCU career as a rather one-dimensional character. Known for his brawn, lack of brains, and accidentally perfect comedic timing, Drax didn’t change much throughout the events of the Infinity Saga, other than shifting his main goal from revenge to protecting his newfound family. But since Avengers: Endgame, however, Drax has found himself answering a different calling beyond mere combat.

Originally, Drax was motivated by his love for his child, morphed into a desperate need for revenge by Thanos’ twisted actions. For all the sadness Drax harbored, deep down he continued to harbor a strong love of children, even if they weren’t his own flesh and blood. Realizing this in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, Drax steps down from his role as a fighter on the eponymous spacefaring team in order to instead answer a higher calling — That of a surrogate father to orphaned children.

8

Sam Wilson Has Accepted He Deserves To Be Captain America

The weightiness of Steve’s shield finally feels a little lighter

Few characters were as burdened by the end of Avengers: Endgame as Anthony Mackie’s Sam Wilson, a.k.a. The Falcon. Being given Captain America’s shield by none other than Steve Rogers himself, Sam was informally christened as the next hero to bear the title of Captain America, and the all the politics that came with it. From the very beginning, Sam was hesitant to accept this honor, telling Steve that the shield felt like “someone else’s” the second it was in his hands.

Luckily, by the end of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Sam has finally accepted his responsibility as the next Captain America. After wrestling with the implications of a Black man carrying the title, his own reservations around doing so, and the literal unwieldiness of the shield itself, The Falcon has officially graduated to becoming the next Captain America in earnest. Wilson will likely go on to lead the next iteration of the Avengers as such in the upcoming Captain America: Brave New World.

7

Wanda Maximoff Had A Brutal Villainous Downfall

One of the most tragic ends to any character who stepped through the portals

Of all the heroes to step through Doctor Strange’s portals in the final battle of Avengers: Endgame, Wanda Maximoff may have had the most tragic arc. The character has always had a tumultuous alliegance, starting off as a revenge-seeking villain manipulated by Ultron into attacking the Avengers before reluctantly becoming one herself. WandaVision saw her cope with her lover’s death in a less-than-healthy way, once again crossing the line into selfish abuse of power.

In her appearance in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Wanda had descended fully into her status as a major villainous threat, damaging the multiverse itself with her own desires. By the end of the film, she does somewhat redeem herself with a last-minute decision to destroy the Darkhold castle by collapsing it upon herself, but she ends her tenure in the MCU with more time clocked as a villain than a hero. This tragic fate is one of the most dramatic heel turns of any hero to participate in Avengers: Endgame.

6

Doctor Strange Opened Up His Third Eye

Both literally and metaphorically

Being the one whose dialogue the title of Avengers: Endgame was coined after, Doctor Strange was unsurprisingly one of the most important heroes to feature in the entire massive ensemble. As the end of the Infinity Saga neared, Doctor Strange is a tired, but still capable sorcerer, doing everything in his power to protect the sanctity of the mystic arts from Thanos’ influence. However, his death in the Snap, resurrection, and the events that followed would all have drastic consequences on Stephen Strange.

For one, Doctor Strange lost the title of Sorcerer Supreme after his death, being succeeded by Wong. Upon resurrecting, this shift in position remained, with Strange continuing to meddle in unorthodox or frowned-upon magics such as the memory spell he crafted for Peter Parker. In Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness, he’s forced to engage in the dark art of Dreamwalking, the resulting exposure opening up a third eye on Doctor Strange’s forehead, a physical reminder of the mystic scars left on his psyche.

5

Mantis Sets Out To Make Her Own Decisions

The empath alien, a pet no more

Introduced in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Mantis exits the chaos of the Infinity Saga relatively the same as she entered it. That is to say, her socially awkward tendencies thanks to her isolated upbringing and meek personality didn’t influence her actions much, continuing to serve as a Guardian of the Galaxy. However, like many members of the team, Mantis comes to a realization in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 that leads to a dramatic change in her character and circumstances.

For one, following the events of Avengers: Endgame, Mantis reveals herself as Star-Lord’s half-sister, bringing the two of them closer together. After this, a bit of introspection leads the empath alien to realize that she had followed the example of another her whole life, whether it was by Ego’s command or the Guardians’ hospitality. Wishing to live by her own volition, Mantis sets off with the abilisks, an unknown journey ahead of her.

4

Bucky Is Pardoned For His Winter Soldier Actions

The cybernetic super soldier finally escapes his past

Few characters have been as hounded by trauma in the MCU as Bucky Barnes. After already suffering as a prisoner of war at the hands of HYDRA, Bucky was abused for decades as a sleeper agent only woken up to perform horrible acts of murder and espionage, helpless to his sleeper agent programming. Though he soldiered on through the events of Avengers: Endgame, Bucky came out the other side no closer to the peace he desired.

It’s true that Shuri was the one to officially break Bucky of his programming going into Avengers: Endgame, keeping him in control of his own actions, he was still haunted by the guilt of the lives he had taken. After countless nights of therapy, support from his friends, and an official pardon from the U.S. Government itself, Barnes finally manages to overcome not only his programming, but his self-doubts. The Winter Soldier is lucky to be among the few heroes in a better position in Phase 5 than they were in Avengers: Endgame.

3

Shuri Became The New Black Panther

The girl genius enters her brother’s big footsteps

Formerly the Q to Black Panther’s James Bond, Shuri could be seen as more of a supportive hero in the Infinity Saga, fixing what the other Avengers couldn’t while providing her brother with some cutting-edge gear. In Avengers: Endgame, Shuri proves she’s not afraid to take her genius on the front lines, fighting alongside the Wakandan Army and Black Panther himself. But it’s only after the events of the film that Shuri truly comes into her own as a dedicated hero.

In the wake of T’Challa’s death, Shuri has the terrible misfortune of having to grapple with being named the new ruler of Wakanda after her mother is killed by Namor. Nearly succumbing to the same revenge-fueled hatred as her cousin, Erik Killmonger, Shuri eats a 3-D printed heart-shaped herb, officially taking up the mantle of Black Panther. While she’s eventually able to live up to her late brother’s ideals, she does so with a very heavy heart, morphing into a very different person since the end of Avengers: Endgame.

2

Spider-Man’s Place In The World Was Factory Reset

No one has suffered loss quite like Peter Parker

Despite going through a lot over the course of his first solo film, Captian America: Civil War, and the Infinity Saga, Peter Parker manages to remain the same upbeat, good-hearted kid throughout. Even if he learns a few lessons along the way, Peter’s death and resurrection in the Blip aren’t even enough to make him lose hope, eagerly fighting alongside the newly-assembled heroes in the film’s climax. Unfortunately, after the credits roll on Avengers: Endgame, the universal constant of Peter Parker’s suffering truly makes its way into the MCU.

In the wake of his mentor’s death, Peter Parker has his identity revealed to the entire world in Spider-Man: No Way Home, forever changing his relationships to his loved ones. After enlisting Doctor Strange’s help in an attempt to fix this, he only ends up causing more damage, losing his Aunt May and forcing his friends to forget him by the end of Spider-Man: No Way Home. Going into the upcoming Spider-Man 4, Peter is totally alone, stranded without his high-tech resources with only his superhero identity to focus on.

1

Star-Lord Finally Decides To Stop Running

The Guardians’ leader finally faces the music

Characterized as a fast-talking rogue who doesn’t look back, Star-Lord’s character was defined by his need to stay moving. Crusing from adventure to adventure and planet to planet in the Milano, Peter Quill wasn’t one to back, taking with him only his newfound family in the Guardians. However, Gamora’s death was the inciting incident that led to a sense of deep tiredness to seep in.

Though Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 largely focuses on Rocket Raccoon, Star-Lord goes on his own arc in the film. Accepting that the variant Gamora isn’t the same person he loved, Peter decides to revisit Earth for the first time in decades, christening Rocket as the new Guardians of the Galaxy leader and reconnecting with his remaining human family. A bittersweet ending, this heel-turn is one of the most dramatic character changes in the MCU following Avengers: Endgame.