I'm not sure which I'd pick but Mario has additional lives from collecting hundreds of coins and Maul and Optimus Prime both came back from the dead. You are essentially only saving Lightning McQueen. I don't have anything against him, but it seems like a bad trade.
Today kids, we learn about "blast radius"! I think you're missing the spirit of the exercise. It has nothing to do with in-universe deaths, but rather which ones you'd have continued access to enjoy.
In that same year, the same Hurricane, the USAF launched every aircraft from Homestead AFB sending them to other bases in Georgia and the Carolinas. All but two. There were two F-16s that were not flightworthy (their engines were being replaced or something). Those aircraft were placed in the sturdiest hangar available. It was even hastily reinforced with steel cables, the planes were tied down inside the structure. Result: Two F-16Cs wrecked: Only one of the two was ever returned to flight status.