MCU Fans Discovered A Character Curse, And Now I Can’t Unsee It

The Marvel Cinematic Universe has been doling out devastating storylines since the very beginning, but it can’t really be blamed (at least not solely) for breaking audiences’ hearts, given that so much of the Marvel Comics source material is also gutting. Even so, some characters have certainly had it far worse than others. High on that list is undoubtedly Thor, who may not be referenced as often as characters like Wanda Maximoff or Peter Parker when such discussions arise but has been dealt an absolutely brutal hand.

Beginning with the death of his mother in Thor: The Dark World, Thor ultimately lost every member of his family and several close friends, including his father, Odin, in Thor: Ragnarok; his best friend, Heimdall, and brother, Loki, at the hands of Thanos; and even his on-again-off-again girlfriend Jane Foster in Thor: Love and Thunder. (There are also now theories that his adoptive daughter, Love, will die in Avengers: Doomsday, but that seems incredibly unlikely in large part because that would actually be too cruel for this character who has already suffered so much.)

As mentioned, Wanda is another character known for the staggering number of losses she has endured, including both of her parents as a child; her twin brother, Pietro, in Avengers: Age of Ultron; and Vision (twice) in Avengers: Infinity War. And, of course, there was Westview, in which Wanda accidentally created and then had to destroy another version of Vision and her twin sons, Tommy and Billy. In fact, part of that story makes Wanda one of several MCU characters seemingly affected by the same curse—one that, after Spider-Man: Brand New Day, is impossible to ignore.

Blonde and Redheaded Siblings Seem Cursed in the MCU

Brand New Day introduced Sadie Sink as Jean Grey, but she wasn’t the only new addition in that movie. Along with Jean was her older sister Sara, for whom Jean was on a desperate search throughout the movie. Tragically, Jean ultimately learned that Sara had died because she was being experimented upon, and Jean is understandably distraught at this news. In addition to conversations about how tragic this storyline is, though, viewers have caught on to one key thing: Jean and Sara now represent yet another redheaded and blonde sibling duo that has been met with tragedy.

Before Jean (famously a redhead) and Sara (blonde), there were sibling duos Natasha (redheaded, at various points) and Yelena (blonde), as well as Wanda (redhead) and Pietro (blonde), who also had devastating storylines, with both Natasha and Pietro, and now Wanda as well, dying. There are, of course, numerous other MCU siblings who have experienced tragedy. In fact, as mentioned, Thor and Loki are on that list, as are characters like T’Challa and Shuri. However, fans have specifically called out this pattern with red and blonde-haired siblings, and oddly enough, it does seem true.

One MCU Duo Would Be Perfect in the Future, Based on This ‘Curse’

As unusual as this pattern may be—and by far the most likely explanation is that it’s just weirdly coincidental—this ‘curse’ actually underscores how important one possible MCU duo could be in the future. Namely, because of their shared traumas, which are surprisingly similar in many ways, Jean and Yelena should absolutely form a deeper bond and work together. Brand New Day has already laid the groundwork for that, with Spider-Man in part relying on Yelena’s help as he worked to find Jean.

It was also throughout this process that he realized Jean was looking for her sister, who had been cruelly taken from her, which automatically sets up Yelena understanding and having compassion for Jean moving forward. Perhaps the biggest hiccup in terms of Yelena and Jean getting closer is Yelena’s dedication to the ‘New Avengers,’ but given the scale of Jean’s powers, she will almost certainly be considered “big potatoes” by the New Avengers from now on.

Sadly, this connection can’t ever bring either sister back, so any sisterly relationship that grows between Yelena and Jean in the future won’t fully heal these characters. Even so, it would actually be really beautiful to see Jean and Yelena connect in this way, and surely, the MCU owes audiences some kinder, happier sibling (or pseudo-sibling) stories at this point.

Release Date

July 29, 2026

Runtime

145 minutes

Writers

Chris McKenna, Erik Sommers

Producers

Avi Arad, Kevin Feige, Louis D’Esposito, Amy Pascal, David Cain