"I know what it's like to lose. To feel so desperately that you're right, yet to fail all the same." --Thanos
Thanos is the overall main antagonist of the Marvel Cinematic Universe; serving as the overarching antagonist of The Avengers, Guardians of the Galaxy, and Avengers: Age of Ultron before appearing as both the main antagonist and protagonist of Avengers: Infinity War. He will return in the untitled 2019 Avengers sequel. His own main objective was to bring stability from the universe, as he believed its massive population would inevitably use up the universe's entire resources and condemn it. However, his methodology to succeed was warped; through using the Infinity Stones, Thanos intended to harness their power to exterminate half of life in the universe.
Why He Rocks
- Thanos is the best MCU villain to date.
- He doesn’t want power for power’s sake, or to achieve something that will lead to him being honored and revered.
- He wants to fix a real and horrible problem in the universe. Thanos saw firsthand on his own planet what happens when civilization recklessly exceeds its own limits.
- He saw it coming and was powerless to stop it, which is why he’s convinced he must help stop it from happening again. That should be the backstory of a hero, the kind who bravely stands against the evil forces who would rather let people die than do the right thing.
- His motivations are clear, understandable, and theoretically noble. Most beings would rule the galaxy if they got all six Infinity Stones, but Thanos wants to use them to fix its woes, even in his own horribly misguided way. And as we saw when he sacrificed Gamora, he does feel pain, but he will shoulder the personal cost of doing the right thing because he’s not as important as everyone else.
- He is also an exceptionally intimidating individual, easily striking fear into those who are his allies even if they hold considerable abilities and powers, with Ronan the[1]Accuser showing visible signs of fear in his presence and Loki doing so at the mere mention of him, as well as being able to command the Chitauri army unchallenged.
- We see his point of view and understand that something must be done.
- He grew to genuinely care for and deeply love Gamora as his child. Thanos believed in her abilities above all else and favored her above all of the other adopted children.
- His menacing, spine-chilling voice provided by the talented Josh Brolin, who plays another Marvel character, Cable.
- He is wonderfully animated[2]with a wide range of emotions from anger to joy to even sadness. From his first appearance in the movie to the end, the evil boss feels like a solid presence, unlike some of the more forgettable one-shot villains in other Marvel movies.
- And as the movie ends, we get a glimpse of Thanos looking all pensive and pondering staring at the sunset, likely thinking about Gamora. Even though he appears to be at peace now that his plan has worked, it's a hollow triumph as he's all alone without the daughter he loved.
- He also doesn't waste time monologuing to the heroes, letting others do it for him or speaks to the point.
- Even when the Hulk tries to smash Thanos, he refuses all help before finally pummeling the Hulk into submission -- to the point we never see Hulk in the movie thereafter. Thanos then proceeds to take out the entirety of the MCU's heroes without even losing once, something you can't say for any of the other villains in the franchise.
- He is also shown to have an honorable side. While perfectly willing to manipulate others, he seems to disapprove of lies, as he never taught Gamora how to lie and was clearly disappointed that she lied on the Soul Stone.
Bad Qualities
- He is extremely dangerous, bloodthirsty, sadistic, and cruel, finding children that he can raise to be assassins and forcing them to watch as he murders their families.
- His noble cause leads him to monstrous, indefensible acts. He invades planets who haven’t asked for help and murders its people, insisting he knows better than they do. He tears families and communities apart, leaving the “survivors” behind to live in a world of pain and loss.