Avengers: Infinity War: 10 Things That Must Happen

9. Thanos's Motivations Are Made Clear

Infinity War Death
Marvel Studios

Since the post-credits scene of The Avengers, we've known that Josh Brolin's Thanos is the big-bad pulling all the strings - but we haven't really learnt much else.

In a way, this is a good thing. Up to now, he's been more a malevolent force in the shadows rather than an in-your-face villain, and learning too much about his plan could diminish this effect. However, if things stay this way throughout Infinity War and we don't understand his true motivations, he could come off as more style than substance - and that will not help him become the potent threat Marvel want you to believe he is.

So far, we know that he's out to assemble the Infinity Stones... and that's about it. We don't know why he wants them, we don't know why he tasked Loki and Ronan with collecting one each (why not just do it himself?) and we don't know if he has a greater purpose beyond mindless destruction. His motivations are vague, at best.

The MCU hasn't always given its villains their due, so Thanos is hardly an isolated case - but this is the boss level! If he doesn't have a plan, and he doesn't have an endgame, he's just another powerful being with destructive capabilities. He could literally be anyone, or anything - a couple of nuclear bombs could also give the Avengers a run for their money, so what makes Thanos special?

Contributor
Contributor

Danny has been with WhatCulture for almost nine years, and is currently Doctor Who Editor and WhoCulture Channel Manager, overseeing all of WhatCulture's Whoniverse coverage. He has been writing and video editing for 10+ years, and first got a taste for content creation after making his own Doctor Who trailers and uploading them to YouTube (they're admittedly a bit rusty by today's standards). If you need someone to recite every Doctor Who episode in order or to tell you about the making of 1988's Remembrance of the Daleks, Danny is the person to ask.