Avengers 4: 9 Ways Thanos Could Be Killed

1. The Gauntlet Strikes Back

If you consider the way the Soul Stone is spoken of by Red Skull in Infinity War and how the other Stones (particularly the Mind Stone) are talked about elsewhere in the franchise, it feels like they have their own free will. The Soul Stone has to be bartered with, the Mind Stone is a chaotic entity that defies explanation... You really get the idea that while there's a wielder of them, if they want to be used a certain way, or not used a certain way, they will decide it.

How else would the Soul Stone be able to appoint its own guardian? They're living things.

And more importantly, they also come with their own rules. Crucially, in order to use the Soul Stone, you have to truly know the cost. In order for Thanos to rebalance the universe, he has to prove he's doing it selflessly. But since the release of Infinity War, the Russos have changed the perception of Thanos - he wasn't quite as selfless as he might seem. He's a megalomaniac with a Messiah complex:

"People have asked us why Thanos didn't just use the Stones to double the resources in the universe, since clearly, he has not. ... Well, he was told no to an idea that he had that he felt was the only solution. And then was proved right to himself when that solution was not acted upon. So, his Messianic complex - he is now committed to following through on the idea that he had many, many years ago."

Thanos has essentially misrepresented his intent to the Stones and there's every possibility that they will realise the deception and make him pay for it. How fitting that the instrument of his Messiah complex could turn against him...

How do you think Thanos will be defeated? Share your thoughts below in the comments thread.