Marvel’s Latest Thanos Insult Is Too Much

Warning: Contains SPOILERS for Marvel’s What If…? episode 8.

Marvel’s insult to Thanos in Marvel’s What If…? episode 8, "What If...Ultron Won?" went entirely too far. In episode 8 of the animated Disney+ series, an alternate timeline version of Thanos saw his crusade to get the Infinity Stones reach an unceremonious end. Rather than the outcome viewers saw in the main MCU, here Thanos died after being split in half by a single blast from Ultron Vision’s Mind Stone.

Outside of Marvel’s What If…? episode 8, the show’s interpretation of Thanos has been met with some degree of criticism. His first appearance shockingly revealed that the genocidal warlord had turned over a new leaf and was now a reliable member of T’Challa’s team. To many, a villain like Thanos having the potential to be a hero in any timeline was problematic at best. To make his character change even worse, episode 2 presented him as much weaker than he was in Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame by having him struggle in a fight against two members of the Black Order. Though he was still formidable, he no longer had the feel of a top MCU powerhouse.

Marvel continued its less-than-favorable portrayal of Thanos in What If...? episode 8 when he went up against Ultron Vision. Thanos dying that easily not only made him come across as weak, but it was also complicated by other issues as well. First of all, Avengers: Infinity War depicted Thanos as a well-prepared villain who had been planning his attack for years. But in the episode, he obviously wasn’t ready at all to go toe-to-toe with Ultron. Since Thanos had five Infinity Stones to Ultron’s one, this was a battle he should have been able to win – had he been allowed the chance to fight back. It’s out-of-character for Thanos not to be ready for an opponent, especially one that he had the means to beat.

Furthermore, Thanos’ death in Marvel’s What If…? feels like it shouldn't have happened regardless of whether or not Ultron struck first. In terms of sheer power, Thanos is one of the strongest known forces in the universe. That was made abundantly clear when he delivered a humiliating beatdown to the Hulk. A warrior as fearsome as Thanos shouldn’t be taken down in one blow from any MCU character. Even in the case of Scarlet Witch, beating Thanos one-on-one may have been plausible, but it still would’ve taken considerable effort on her part.

Then there’s the matter of Vision. If Thanos dying to a blast from the Mind Stone in Marvel’s What If..? is to be taken seriously, it radically changes Vision’s place in the power structure of the MCU and raises new questions about the Avengers’ original Infinity War plan. Vision having the capability to effortlessly kill Thanos would mean that he alone could have stopped the Mad Titan, and that he was truly the most dangerous member of the Avengers all along. Clearly, Thanos’ quick demise in the episode comes with a host of problems – and hopefully they won’t be repeated in future installments of the series.

More: The MCU Reveals Thanos’ Plan Wasted The Infinity Stones

Marvel’s What If…? releases new episodes Wednesdays on Disney+.