The comic book movie genre is home to plenty of lackluster villains. It comes with the territory, as on most occasions the goal is to prop up the good guys and make sure everyone in the theater walks out feeling good. However, a couple of evildoers stand out among the crowd. The first superhero movie villain that comes to mind when talking about the best of the best is almost always The Dark Knight‘s Joker, who loves to explain where he got his scars and just wants to watch the world burn. He has some competition, though, and it comes from the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Thanos makes his MCU debut in The Avengers‘ post-credits scene, but it takes him until Avengers: Infinity War to really hit his stride. Once the ball finally does get rolling, there’s nothing that can stop the Mad Titan, as he does what he sets out to do, wiping out half of life in the universe using the Infinity Gauntlet. But just because Thanos wins initially doesn’t mean he’s a perfect villain. Here are seven things that still make no sense about the MCU’s Thanos.
7) Giving Away an Infinity Stone
Loki arrives on Earth in The Avengers with a major upgrade, wielding a staff that allows him to control people. It takes until Avengers: Age of Ultron for the truth to come out, but it turns out that there’s an Infinity Stone hiding in the weapon. While the idea of using a stone to get a stone seems sound, Thanos screws up big-time because he loses one of the objects that will help him complete his goal.
6) Trusting the Wrong People
One would think getting burned by Loki would ensure that Thanos doesn’t take any more chances. However, he doesn’t feel like getting out of his chair in Guardians of the Galaxy, tasking his daughters and Ronan the Accuser with acquiring the Power Stone. Of course, that plan blows up in his face because Ronan and Nebula aren’t up for the task, and Gamora turns her back on him. The Mad Titan’s laziness forces him to make another stop on Xandar that could’ve easily been avoided.
5) Waiting Too Long to Attack
Speaking of laziness, the MCU never reveals the exact moment that Thanos becomes aware of the existence of the Infinity Stones, but it’s fair to assume it’s years before the event of The Avengers. That means he sits idly by while a team of powerful superheroes forms and the gems are used to create powerful beings that can challenge him in the future, such as Captain Marvel and Scarlet Witch.
4) Letting Tony Stark Live
Despite his plan to wipe out trillions, Thanos isn’t exactly blood thirsty in Infinity War. He lets his minions do most of the killing, and even when he has a chance to put someone down, he doesn’t take it. Tony Stark witnesses Thanos’ mercy when the Mad Titan leaves him and his friends on Titan to pursue the final stone. That comes back to bite the villain, as Tony completes the time-travel formula that leads to his defeat.
3) Never Mentioning His Brother
Thanos tells Doctor Strange all about his past and what happened to his home world, Titan. There weren’t enough resources to go around, and it led to a catastrophe. However, Thanos makes it out like he’s the only member of his family still alive. That’s very much not the case because his brother, Starfox, is still kicking and even announces himself as a relative of Thanos. Maybe Thanos isn’t aware of the fact that his brother survived the fall of Titan, but the MCU has yet to confirm that.
2) Only Seeing One Way Through
What went down on Titan was tragic, and it would probably change anyone who witnessed it. But Thanos himself says the entire debate boils down to the fact that resources are finite, which isn’t necessarily true. He could easily use the Infinity Stones to ensure that every planet has everything it needs. Instead, he decides to play judge, jury, and executioner for the entire galaxy. Despite how smart the MCU makes Thanos out to be, he’s also a bit of a fool.
1) Having No Connection to Death
Infinity War had the oppurtunity to make Thanos’ quest make more sense by making him obsessed with Death, the cosmic figure in the Marvel Universe that controls who lives and who dies. The comics use Death to motivate the Mad Titan, and they’re better for it. The MCU chooses to ground the Infinity Saga in reality where it can, though, which makes its Big Bad’s story less interesting than it could be.
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