Can Deadpool Die? It's Complicated

The crass, violent, controversial moment-making Deadpool is a Marvel icon with a history dating back to the '90s. The Merc with a Mouth has faced enemies big and small, joined a number of teams, done something unbelievably gross with his body, and, of course, broken the fourth wall countless times. Along the way, he has evolved as a character, going from a mere sword and gun-slinging mercenary to a full-on anti-hero with defined characteristics and powers. Perhaps his most notable superhuman ability is his healing factor, which allows him to recover from injuries in no time. Of course, one has to wonder, does his regeneration have a limit?

In the pages of Marvel Comics, Deadpool's healing factor freezes the aging process, basically making him immortal. However, that's not to say that there's no way for Wade Wilson to die. He has been killed several times throughout his comic book tenure, most notably dying in the "Funeral for a Freak" storyline from the early 2000s. Deadpool is killed by the Director of the Weapon X program, who reverses his healing factor so extremely that he effectively falls apart at the seams. 

He also dies alongside his family and friends in "The Death of Deadpool" during the cataclysm of Earth-616 and Earth-1610 colliding. Dracula even kills a similar alternate universe Deadpool, as he's sealed in a coffin full of acid. Despite these endings, though, the character has never stayed down for long, be it thanks to cosmic intervention or his regeneration abilities.

As if his healing factor wasn't strong enough, Deadpool was previously made entirely unkillable by magical means, if only for a brief period.

Though many Deadpool-centric comics and his two films released as of publication keep him rather grounded, it's not uncommon for him to face mammoth cosmic threats. Take, for instance, the Mad Titan himself, Thanos, who absolutely despises the Merc with a Mouth. Lady Death, whom he's infatuated with despite her being one of the few Marvel characters who has destroyed him, has feelings for Deadpool. Thus, in the "Deadpool vs. Thanos" storyline, Thanos takes it upon himself to prevent the two from ever coming together. He has him cursed, making it impossible for the already near-unkillable Deadpool to be killed.

Ultimately, however, Thanos' jealous move backfires on him. Shortly after cursing Deadpool, Death goes missing and as a result, all beings in the universe become immortal. Deadpool confronts Thanos on the matter, with him lifting the curse and killing the quick-talking mercenary. It then dawns on the Mad Titan that Deadpool's death means he could be with Death, so he quickly finds a way to bring him back from the grave. In the end, it turns out that Death's disappearance was all a ruse orchestrated by her, leading Deadpool and Thanos to duke it out.

Bearing his entire comic book history in mind, it's fair to say that Deadpool's relationship with death is complicated at best. Yes, he can die, but his healing factor doesn't make it easy. Even when he does appear to be dead, the odds are good that he'll be back on his feet in no time, weapons in hand and several witty quips locked and loaded.