The Endless Deaths of Thanos: A Record-Breaking Obsession

The MCU's Fascination with Thanos

Given the consequences of Thanos' plans coming to fruition, it is not surprising that many MCU Phase 4 and 5 movies have focused on their repercussions - but this focus has given rise to a surprising and record-breaking statistic.

Thanos (Josh Brolin) before being killed by Avengers in the Garden in Avengers: Endgame

With the Multiverse Saga in full swing, the MCU is ostensibly home to a brand new big bad now that Thanos was snapped out of existence by Tony Stark in the Battle of Earth. Yet the MCU has lingered heavily on the Mad Titan and the repercussions of his Snap, pushing the looming threat of Kang the Conqueror to the sidelines. The MCU's obsession with Thanos is multifaceted. For one thing, the monumental consequences of having half of the universe snapped out of existence isn't something that new narratives can sweep under the rug.

Plus, many of the heroes embroiled in the events of Avengers: Endgame have inevitably dealt with the aftermath of their involvement, as well as the effects of losing some of their closest companions. Behind the scenes, the MCU timeline has also seen a steady decline in interest following the retirement of Captain America, and the death of Iron Man and Thanos, prompting myriad callbacks. Yet for some reason (as noticed by The Direct), the MCU can't stop killing Thanos.

The Endless Deaths of Thanos

Thanos Has Died 8 Times In The MCU Already. While dwelling on Thanos' victory is understandable, especially with so many of the Infinity Saga's most active participants still around, the MCU has now shown Thanos' defeat a whopping 8 times. Two of these deaths occurred in the MCU's main timeline, both in Avengers: Endgame, as he was initially beheaded by Thor, and then snapped from existence by Tony Stark.

The multiverse then picked up the slack, as Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness killed him off once more in Earth-838 with the aid of the Darkhold, depicting him impaled on his own sword on Titan in the aftermath of the battle that condemned Doctor Strange to death. What if...? doubled down on those live-action deaths by killing him off twice in season 1 and three times in season 2. In season 1, Thanos appears as a Quantum Virus zombie in episode 5 and is then dissected with ease by Infinity Ultron in episode 8. Then, in season 2, Thanos is betrayed and killed by Ronan the Accuser in episode 1, melt-sticked by Gamora in episode 4, and finally snapped from existence (again) by Erik Killmonger in episode 9. With What If...? season 2 racking up the most Thanos deaths yet, it begs the question of why the MCU is now so preoccupied with repeatedly killing Thanos.

The Reasons Behind Thanos' Endless Deaths

In short, Thanos keeps dying for the same reason that the MCU still dwells on his victory. The critical and commercial success of Avengers: Infinity War was thanks in no small part to the atypical climax in which the heroes lost, and lost badly. Capitalizing on the multiverse, therefore, and repeatedly assuring victory over the Mad Titan is cathartic, if somewhat obsessive. Plus, depicting multiple universes in which Thanos is rendered impotent is conducive to maximizing the threat of the multiverse-savvy Kang the Conqueror, something which the MCU should be taking every opportunity to ramp up if Avengers 5 is still set to star the Marvel villain.

Regardless, the alternate universes in What If...? are largely inconsequential to the main timeline. The tone of these episodes is also typically a lot more jovial, with Thanos' death at the hands of Infinity Ultron standing out as a particularly comedic demise for the once fearsome arch-villain. With that in mind, Thanos' repeated death in the MCU series has become something of a running joke in a franchise that bears smaller importance to the main MCU narrative.

Thanos approaching Captain Carter in What If...? season 2 trailer