Thanos has played an important part in theMarvel Cinematic Universe, culminating with his death inAvengers: Endgame, butit seems that another terrifying Marvel character will take over a major part of his comic book history.Following some mixed reception to foes that were supposed to take Thanos' place as the big bad of the MCU, including Kang the Conqueror, Marvel has set themselves up for some of the bestMCU villains in Phase 6. However, the one taking over Thanos' story has already existed in the universe for some time.
Thestatus of many past villains in the MCUis varied, and some of these characters, including Ultron, are set to return in various projects in the near future. Following this,it seems that the Marvel Universe will actually be full of many terrifying foes with which to tell their stories.Despite this, it seems thatmore appearances by Thanosmay take place in future Marvel projects. With that said, a significant part of his canonical story has already been told using someone else entirely.
Death’s MCU Romance With Agatha Mirrors Marvel’s Comic Thanos Story
In The Comics, Thanos Fell In Love With Death
Many of Thanos' motivations in the MCU aredifferent from in the comics, where the villain had a relationship with Death.The story of Death, and her influence on Thanos, caused much of what happened in the stories that inspiredAvengers: Infinity WarandAvengers: Endgame.As a result, it was strange to see such a thoughtful and contemplative version of the brutish hero, who was driven less by desire and more by a misguided hope on how to shape the universe better.
In the films, the romantic connection with Death and how it motivates actions and events is Agatha’s story instead. The relationship between the two is much less one-sided, with Death sacrificing many of her own needs for Agatha, such as allowing Nicholas Scratch to live longer inAgatha’s final episodes.This created an environment that allowed Death to be explored with far more nuancewhile still allowing for the same conflicts and stories that existed in the comics with Thanos.
Giving Agatha Thanos' Death Romance In The MCU Makes More Sense For The Franchise
Agatha Has Opened Up The Spiritual Side Of The Marvel Universe
The spiritual side of Marvel has only begun to be explored in the MCU and will surely play into future stories. This is likely to include projects likeBladeand the rumoredMidnight Sons.However, without that spiritual side established, as was donebeginning inWandaVision’s story,the franchise did not have the proper paradigms for a metaphysical villain like Death to exist.Giving Thanos more grounded motivations was an effective way to tell that story without depending on the metaphysical side of the universe.
Fortunately, now that witchcraft and magic play a more direct role in the franchise,there is more room for characters like Agatha to explore romance with figures like Death.WhileAgatha’s finale failedto explore the history of their relationship, there are now many opportunities for future stories to delve deeper into that connection. With Agatha playing a complex character who is not a direct antagonist, there is also much more room to examine a romance with her than with Thanos.
Agatha’s MCU Death Romance Could Set Up The Franchise’s Most Unusual Love Triangle
Just because Agatha has taken on a love of Death that would have been Thanos' in the comics does not mean that these stories cannot be explored in the future of the MCU. The lineThanos said about courting DeathinThe Avengers, which was clearly a wink to his comic book history,could be used to introduce a past relationship between the two.Following this, incredible relational tension could arise between Agatha, Thanos, and Death, which could make for some entertaining scenes.
In addition, other characters have fallen in love with Death in the comics.A love triangle previously appeared in the comics where both Deadpool and Thanos were infatuated with Death, leading to interesting conflicts.While Deadpool has a clear MCU love interest in Vanessa, things could change, and this triangle could otherwise be between Agatha, Deadpool, and Death. There are many possibilities for exploring these, and they are all compelling. Surely, more stories concerning Death and her place in the MCU will follow in the near future.
I’m Begging Marvel Not To Repeat Its Thanos Recast With Its Biggest New Movie Villain
Marvel once recasted the character of Thanos, a major universal villain, and I am praying that this is not repeated with its next major antagonist.
However the story unfolds, Death is likely to remain a major force in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.Aubrey Plaza’s performance as the character was celebrated, and there is much that remains relevant to her character and her incredible powers. Seeing a culminating idea of what Death is in theMarvel Cinematic Universeis a challenging concept, but if done right, some of the best stories from the comics could be adapted in future MCU projects.
Marvel Cinematic Universe
The Marvel Cinematic Universe is a multimedia superhero franchise that began in 2008 with Paramount’s Iron Man starring Robert Downey Jr. The franchise quickly grew in popularity, with Disney eventually buying out Marvel Entertainment in 2009. The MCU consists of dozens of movies and TV shows, most notably Avengers: Endgame, WandaVision, and Loki.
