I Finally Understand Why Thanos Was So Happy To Court Death

5 days ago 3

Dying has been a strange concept in the franchise, with several MCU characters returning from death through the years. This has been done in various ways, through time travel and the multiverse for characters like Gamora and Wolverine, and especially through reversing the snap in Avengers: Endgame. It would then appear that any character set to embody this enormous concept in the universe would need to be unique and multifaceted. Aubrey Plaza's Death is certainly a unique enough force for this, recontextualizing many past Marvel events and characters.

Death Is In The MCU 12 Years After She Was First Set Up

Death Was First Mentioned In The Avengers

Speaking of humans, and especially the Avengers, Thanos is told in the mid-credit scene from The Avengers that "to challenge them is to court Death." This is responded to with a smile in reference to the pages of Marvel Comics. In the comics, much of Thanos' motivation is because he is in love with Lady Death, and he wishes to win her favor. This sends him on his mission to wipe out half of the universe in "The Infinity Gauntlet". With Rio Vidal revealed to be Death in Agatha All Along, there is now a clear connection between the two.

Of course, the story of Thanos is approached much differently in the MCU, with the snap being about balance, not about Thanos' selfish wish to have Death fall in love with him. Still, it is satisfying that this reference to his comic book motivations plays a part in the films already, even if this was only a subtle comment. Many have since speculated that this Death could have still been the token of Thanos' affection and admiration, creating some interesting connections in the larger MCU.

Of Course Thanos Would Be In Love With Aubrey Plaza's Death

Rio Vidal Was Revealed To Be Death In Agatha All Along

Thanos in the Marvel Cinematic Universe is an idealist, although he is also still the Mad Titan, and he is far from perfect, even by his own standards. Much of Thanos is dedicated to his mission of finding balance in the universe, and this is closely aligned with Death's own goals as the Green Witch. Death believes in a sacred balance between all things, and this is reflected in her actions in Agatha All Along.

Thanos is an interesting and unusual character, but he clearly has great emotional depth and capacity for love. Many of Thanos' best MCU quotes explore this, and it was clearly shown in his sacrifice of Gamora and reaction to her death. Death, meanwhile, has the same violent and vicious edge, while aligning with Thanos' view of the universe and cosmic balance. She is strange, explosive, and exciting in a way that Thanos would surely be drawn to.

Marvel Should Retcon Death Back Into Thanos' Story

Death Could Still Be A Part Of Thanos' Motivation

While Thanos' motivations were not linked to his love of Death in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, this could easily be changed. Much of the upcoming MCU story details change past stories, including adding new insights about Avengers: Endgame. It would not be difficult to show this added motivation behind Thanos' actions in The Infinity Saga. With Thanos returning to the franchise being possible in the future, much more of his relationship with Death could be explored in depth.

Granted, this might cheapen Thanos's outlook in the Avengers films. The character was such a compelling villain because of how much of an idealist he was, and how he considered what he was doing as being for the best of the universe. However, Thanos also proved himself to be far more selfish in his actions and in his own survival than this. Seeing Thanos on a different level as this alteration would warrant could thus be a compelling recontextualizing of his character.

Split image of Hela smirking in Thor Ragnarok and Death in agatha all along

How Powerful Death Is Compared To Thanos & Marvel's Gods

Agatha All Along may have introduced one of the most powerful characters in the MCU, raising the question of how Death's power compares to other gods.

Death will likely continue to be a significant part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s future, and she certainly should be. With a charismatic actor like Aubrey Plaza and a truly unique kind of character, Death could be an interesting force in the Marvel Cinematic Universe that crosses into other projects throughout the years. Her prominence is significant, and there will always be a place for her, with or without Thanos, as the Marvel Cinematic Universe moves forward.

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.