Certainly, one of the most shocking moments in the MCU to date was the Avengers' defeat at the hands of Thanos in Avengers: Infinity War. With a snap of his fingers, the Mad Titan wiped out half the universe, helping to cement him as the MCU's biggest villain. But another aspect that makes him so fascinating is that he may have had a good reason for doing it.
Thanos reasons that by wiping out half of all life, the remaining half will be allowed to flourish and live better lives. Some saw this as the logic of a sad*stic being, but others couldn't help but see his point. And there are several quotes in the MCU that seem to prove that Thanos was right.
The Downfall Of Titan
Thanos: "They Called Me A Mad Man. And What I Predicted Came To Pass."
While a villain with a tragic backstory is nothing new, Thanos seemed to take his past loss as a learning opportunity to never repeat the mistakes of the past. When he meets Doctor Strange on his homeworld of Titan, he explains that this is not the first time he suggested drastic measures be taken.
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He explains that Titan was once a nice planet, but it had limited resources and too many people to support. He suggested his theory of random genocide which was quickly rejected. But the fact that the planet turned into a wasteland suggests his idea would have saved many lives.
A Proven Success
Thanos: "Do You Know What Happened Since Then? The Child Born Have Known Nothing But Full Bellies And Clear Skies."
It is hard to ignore the brutality of Thanos's methods, especially in the flashback showing how he met Gamora. He kills off half the population of her planet, presumably in an early experiment into his theory.
As cold-blooded as it is, Thanos also seems to prove that it works. He explains to Gamora that since then the people of her home planet have reversed their dire situation and now thrive. He described it as a paradise and seeks to transform the entire universe in a similar way.
Vision's Equation
Vision: "And During The Same Period, A Number Of Potentially World-Ending Events Has Risen At A Commensurable Rate."
While Thanos is seen as the greatest villain the Avengers have ever faced, it is possible that he sees them in a similar way. While he wants to wipe out half of all life in order to make the universe safer, he may also see defeating the Avengers as a way of achieving that.
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In Captain America: Civil War, Vision proposes an equation that explains the number of potentially world-ending threats has increased significantly since the Avengers were formed. It is possible Thanos saw them as a leading contributor to the universe's instability which needed to be addressed.
Thanos's Sacrifice
Thanos: "And That Is Destiny Fulfilled."
It is easy to dismiss Thanos as a thug and a brutal villain, but he truly saw himself as the hero of the story. He was not someone who wanted to conquer the new world that he made. Instead, he wanted to fulfill his mission and accept whatever fate befell him.
His dedication to his cause is seen as his younger self witnesses the future and sees that he succeeds. He also sees when he is executed by Thor. But Thanos simply sees that as a price he is willing to pay on behalf of the universe.
Another Perspective
Torres: "But Basically They Think That The World Was Better During The Blip."
The return of all those who were lost in Avengers: Infinity War was a triumphant moment, but The Falcon and the Winter Soldier is the first MCU project to suggest that reversing the Blip was not the happy and harmonious victory some thought it was.
All those people suddenly came back through the world into chaos and destroyed the lives many people had built in those five years. AsTorres explains, there were some who preferred the world Thanos created.
Changes For The Better
Steve: "You Know, I Saw A Pod Of Whales Coming Over The Bridge."
There has been much that has been said about the science behind Thanos's plan. It seems clear that even if half the universe was wiped out, it wouldn’t solve most of those problems that Thanos is trying to address.
But science aside, it seems to work within the reality of the MCU. In Avengers: Endgame, Steve Rogers remarks that he saw whales swimming in the harbor, suggesting that the world is a healthier place for animals to live and roam.
Tony's Perfect Life
Tony: "I Got My Second Chance Right Here, Cap."
Ever since seeing Loki bring the Chitahuri army to Earth in The Avengers, Tony Stark has been obsessed with protecting the Earth from some impending doom. When Thanos shows up, Tony assumes it is the threat he had been waiting for.
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But in reality, Thanos seems to give Tony more peace than anything. After the Blip, Tony settles into a new domestic life where he is no longer consumed with the need to protect the Earth. The worst has happened and he was able to build a perfect life from it.
A Borderless World
Karli: "One World, One People."
With such a huge event that affected so many people, it makes sense that a new world order would be established in the aftermath of the Blip. The Falcon and the Winter Soldier explored the fact that the world has actually become a more open place.
It is explained that borders began to open and the world came together to help each other. It was such an effective way of operating that Karli Morgenthau and the Flag Smashers dedicate their lives to bringing back that new world order and seeing it as one shared world which is a harmonious aspiration.
Preventing The End Of The World
Ajak: "Five Years Ago, Thanos Erased Half The Population Of The Universe, Delayed The Emergence…"
Given that Eternals explored centuries of the past, it makes sense that there would be some significant reveals about the secrets of the MCU. The biggest revelation was that Earth was used as a source to grow a Celestial who would one day awaken.
The Emergence signals the moment the Celestial is born and Earth is destroyed as a result. But since the Celestial drew energy from the people of Earth, the Blip meant that there wasn't enough energy for the Emergence to occur. In other words, Thanos saved the world.
Did He Know More?
Thanos: "You're Not The Only One Cursed With Knowledge."
When Thanos and Tony Stark face off for the first time on Titan, Tony is surprised to find that Thanos knows who he is. Thanos only offers the cryptic explanation that "you're not the only one cursed with knowledge."
This speaks to Thanos believing he is the only one who sees the obvious solution to saving the universe. However, it could also mean that he knew of some impending threats that he was trying to prevent. From the multiverse to Kang to the Emergence, Thanos may have been trying to stop something more devastating from happening.
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