According to rumours, Thanos is set to return to the MCU, but could Marvel switch up the narrative and turn the villain into a beloved hero? After all, even given everything that’s happened, it’s really not too hard to see The Mad Titan as a good guy, right?
The MCU’s Most Powerful Villain
It’s no exaggeration to say Thanos is one of the most iconic movie villains of all time (and one of the most powerful characters in the MCU). The Mad Titan shook the Marvel Cinematic Universe to its very core during the legendary Infinity Saga. Even now, the MCU struggles to regain momentum after losing one of its most complex villains.
And that’s the core of the issue: as evil as he was, Thanos would never describe himself as a “villain.” Ultron? Sure, that was one evil robot. Kang the Conqueror? Unequivocally evil by definition. However, there was a certain humanity under Thanos’ actions that turned him into a fascinating character, one that could lift the MCU on his shoulders for over twenty films.
Unfortunately for the MCU, Thanos has been out of the picture for a while. The Avengers killed him twice in Avengers: Endgame (more times if you count Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness), putting an end to the Mad Titan’s legacy for good. However, in a cinematic universe where the Multiverse is a thing – establishing multiple variants of the same character existing at the same time, couldn’t Thanos come back any moment now? After all, if there’s something comic books love is bringing characters back from the dead, so why would the MCU be any different?
Josh Brolin’s Thanos Returns To The MCU As A Hero?
In almost every piece of media Thanos has ever appeared in, the Mad Titan is a certified bad guy. Though he tries to excuse and rationalize his actions as part of the “greater good,” you can’t just simply disintegrate half of the universe and expect people to greet you with open arms. Unless you’re that one guy from Hawkeye.
Even Josh Brolin, the actor who played Thanos in the MCU, agrees the studio might bring back the villain in the future. Brolin acknowledges that, in the comics, Thanos is the “Most killed-off Marvel villain,” and he’s come back from the grave each time. That’s the beauty of his demise in Avengers: Endgame: the film itself establishes those snapped out of existence can return – and maybe Thanos will do just that one day.
Now, another thing that Endgame proved is that Thanos is a multilayered villain. Beyond the usual dreams of galactic domination and the usual bad-guy drivel, Thanos wants what’s fair for the universe, no matter the cost. In a sense, that’s what Marvel heroes do, and that’s why fans would be thrilled to have Thanos back – not as the mad titan, but as a powerful (and unlikely) ally for the forces of good.
Moral Conundrums
Much like Tony Stark, Thanos’s hero’s journey in the long run is about redemption. He’s a villain who recognizes the weight of his actions, finally achieving what no other character in the MCU has done: defeating the Avengers.
That final scene in Avengers: Infinity War, where Thanos rests after the Snap, is one of the most haunting of the entire MCU. The scene proves, beyond any doubt, that Thanos feels content with the sacrifices he’s made to achieve his goal, and now, all that’s left for him is to wait for the inevitable. That scene alone proves that Thanos, of all the villains in the MCU, is more than capable of understanding why his ways might be flawed, eventually becoming a hero in the process.
After all, if Loki could become a relatively good guy just by seeing his actions (and eventual demise) in the MCU, perhaps that’s all Thanos needs to eventually join the Avengers against Kang. Because, let’s face it, we all want Josh Brolin back on the mainline MCU, especially if all those rumours about Robert Downey Jr. returning to the franchise turn out to be true (there have been rumours all the way back since 2022).
Tell us, would you like to see Thanos return to the MCU as a good guy? Also, do you think it’s time for Marvel to retire Thor?
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