Marvel Confirmed What Happens When Deadpool Dies

With his high-level healing factor, Deadpool is one of the most unkillable people in the Marvel Universe. No matter the situation, opponent, damage, or violence he faces, the antihero can rebound from practically anything thanks to his impressive abilities. However, answering whether Deadpool can actually die requires more than a simple yes or no.

In 2020, Marvel published a number of comics featuring how several heroes met their ultimate end. In "Captain Marvel: The End," Carol Danvers sacrifices herself by restarting a sun to save her friends. In "Doctor Strange: The End," Strange ends his own life to free Ilyana Rasputin and make her the new Sorcerer Supreme while living on as a spirit in the Sanctum Santorum. In "Deadpool: The End" (by Joe Kelly, Mike Hawthorne, Victor Olazaba, Ruth Redmond, and VC's Joe Sabino), Marvel presents what would happen to Wade Wilson during his own sacrifice, which involved his daughter, Death, and even Mephisto.

Despite Thanos once cursing Deadpool with the inability to die, a move the Mad Titan made to prevent Wade from ever encountering Death due to his jealousy over their unlikely relationship, the fourth wall-breaking character actually meets his demise in a heartfelt story that quickly gets raunchy. As it turns out, even getting practically wiped from existence doesn't necessarily spell the end for Deadpool.

"Deadpool: The End" opens at the end of the Marvel Universe, with Deadpool on the verge of killing Death and telling her he wants to live forever. However, before he can take the cosmic entity out, he's visited by someone in a Deadpool mech suit. After a big battle, Ellie Wilson, Deadpool's daughter, emerges from the armor. An emotional Wade tells the 97-year-old Ellie that it's unfair that he continues to live while she has to die. As it turns out, he wanted to kill Death to keep his daughter alive. Ellie reveals she's made a special bomb that will incinerate them both and collapse, meaning they can perish together. 

Deadpool breaks down upon learning he can finally die, especially alongside his daughter. Ellie promises not a single atom will remain in existence as the pair tell each other they love one another and disappear into the cosmic void.

Deadpool's soul eventually regenerates, and he confirms with Death that Ellie has moved on to a better place. He gets the chance to live for eternity in the Realm of Death, with the devil Mephisto watching, chained on the sidelines. A previous deal is revealed where Deadpool promised the devil his soul if he didn't kill Ellie. As Wade explains, while it appeared that Ellie killed herself, the reality is that she was basically forced to do so by Wade's actions. Therefore, he did kill his own daughter, which means not only does Mephisto not get Deadpool's soul, he loses his title as the King of the Underworld to the merc. Even after dying, Deadpool continues on, and now he has Death by his side.

Of course, nothing in Deadpool's world is normal, and his death is no different. In keeping with that tradition, "Deadpool: The End" features several alternate endings in a "Choose Your Own Adventure"-style epilogue.

In one timeline, Deadpool lives inside the Dead-Dome, an impenetrable force field protecting the last survivors on Earth where he enjoys a hedonistic life until his death. In a world with a happy ending for the Merc with a Mouth, Deadpool joins the Avengers and has a relationship with Captain Marvel, while in a similar timeline, he's dating Iceman. In another reality, Deadpool becomes Captain Universe and reboots an uncharacteristically dark Marvel Universe. In one of the funniest alternate endings, Deadpool and Death live a normal life in Hell where they bicker like an old, unhappily married couple as the antihero lets himself go and his wife meets with Thanos for coffee, unhappy with her current life. All of them feature Wade Wilson's trademark humor, and any one of them would make sense as his ultimate final fate.

Deadpool's has explored plenty of questions surrounding his creation, powers, existence, and immortality. "Deadpool: The End" answers them with the same open-endedness the character has always survived on. In the end, Deadpool lives on forever, whether in his current form or as a soul who has taken over the Underworld alongside Death. Yes, Deadpool can die — but if and when that happens, don't expect him to stay dead for long.

For more Deadpool fun, check out Looper's list of his most controversial moments.