The topic “Wait, Did The MCU Just Prove Thanos Was Actually Right All Along?” has two versions, a written one, and a video version below the written one.
“Agatha All Along” may have subtly hinted that Thanos was actually justified in his conquest of the MCU’s galaxy. While the overall story and themes of the show do not directly connect to Thanos, the revelation of one character’s identity at the end of “Agatha All Along” provides a small link to the Mad Titan. This character, Rio Vidal, was ultimately confirmed to be the MCU’s version of Lady Death from Marvel Comics, after much speculation and theorizing.
In the comics, Death and Thanos are closely linked. Although Aubrey Plaza’s character in “Agatha All Along” does not share this connection with Thanos, many Marvel Comics fans may still make the association. In the source material, Thanos sought to wipe out half of the universe as a way to court Death. The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) altered this storyline by removing the relationship between Thanos and Death. However, episode 8 of “Agatha All Along” may have suggested that Thanos was actually right, creating a loose association between the two characters.
Death's "Sacred Balance" Line Suggests Thanos May Have Been On To Something In The MCU
Thanos Had Similar Ideals In The MCU’s Phase 3
In episode 8 of “Agatha All Along,” Rio Vidal, also known as Death, was portrayed primarily as the villain of the show. Her main objective was to kill Agatha, likely in a desperate attempt to keep the witch she loved with her forever. However, in the finale, Rio developed another goal: to take William Kaplan, also known as Billy Maximoff. Death explained to Agatha that the concept of William dying to allow Billy to claim his body was “disrupting the sacred balance.” This provided insight into why Rio wanted Billy dead, in addition to her ongoing feud with Agatha.
Rio also describes Billy as an abomination, expressing his discontent with how both Billy and his brother Tommy managed to survive. This statement suggests that the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) may have unintentionally supported Thanos’ ideology. In “Avengers: Infinity War” and “Avengers: Endgame,” Thanos repeatedly claims that he is trying to eliminate 50% of all life for benevolent reasons, arguing that overpopulation across various planets will ultimately lead to their destruction, just as it did on his home planet, Titan. According to Thanos, by reducing the population, life will have the opportunity to flourish. One memorable line he delivers is that his ultimate goal is “perfectly balanced. As all things should be,” which mirrors Rio’s perspective as well.
Thanos Understanding Death's Mission Would Explain Some MCU Moments
Overall, this connection between Thanos and Death suggests that Thanos has a genuine understanding of the concept of Death. If certain beings, like Billy in Death’s case or overpopulated planets in Thanos’s scenario, are not meant to exist because they disrupt the natural balance, then they need to be addressed. Viewing Thanos’s mission through this perspective can make many of the Mad Titan’s seemingly grandiose statements more comprehensible. Often, when Thanos explained his motivations, the Avengers would dismiss him. For instance, Doctor Strange sarcastically commented, “Congratulations. You’re a prophet.”
Thanos’s understanding of the balance of life and death could provide insight into the grandiose explanations he often offered for his actions. While his dramatic reasoning initially appeared to be an expression of his narcissism, it may actually connect to the natural order of life and death. Although this theory may seem far-fetched, it serves as an interesting topic for discussion, especially following the two-part finale of “Agatha All Along.”
Thanos' Potential Death Connection Would Only Make Him A More Evil Villain
Thanos’ Goals Blind Him From Further Negative Outcomes
All that said, even if Thanos’ connection to Death were true, it would only make him more evil rather than more justified. This is because Thanos lacked foresight after executing the Snap. In this scenario, he may have succeeded in removing 50% of all life to maintain what he believed was the sacred balance of the universe, but that balance would ultimately deteriorate. For example, Thanos’ Blip created an entirely new way of life that would likely lead to greater loss than before.
The chaos created by the snap, as shown in various MCU movies and TV shows, suggests that more citizens in the MCU died than Thanos originally intended. This includes individuals in planes or other vehicles at the time of the snap, as well as those in surgery whose doctors disappeared. As a result, Thanos’s death toll likely exceeded the intended 50%. This undermines his supposed motivation to maintain balance, as that balance would have quickly become skewed.
It is important to note that Thanos did not just eliminate 50% of all human and alien life; he targeted all sentient beings. This means that resources essential for sustaining life, including animals on Earth, were also drastically reduced, which likely created additional challenges for the surviving humans. Moreover, it resulted in the tragic loss of animal lives for no reason. All of this suggests that Thanos, if he truly had a connection to the mindset of Lady Death from “Agatha All Along,” was not more sympathetic, but rather more evil.
