Despite some underwhelming early appearances, Thanos would go on to be ranked among the MCU's best villains. His final defeat came in Avengers: Endgame when Iron Man sacrificed his life and used the Infinity Gauntlet to wipe the Mad Titan from existence.
The question is, did he destroy every possible version of Thanos? As the Multiverse didn't exist at that point, we'd guess not, meaning the door is open for a Variant to make his presence felt at any time. That was a point touched on by the character's creator, Jim Starlin, during a recent interview with Inverse.
"Well, I think he probably hits a nerve," the comic book writer initially responded when asked why Thanos is a villain who resonates with people. "He raises questions that a number of us have thought about. He's also just a badass character."
"I don't think anybody thinks we've seen the last of him. Disney made a shitload of money off of him and there's probably a shitload of money still to be made. So my fingers are crossed."
Of course, Thanos is set to return as King Thanos in a new Multiverse-themed ride coming to Disneyland, so like Ultron, Marvel Studios and Disney continue finding ways to make use of him. Whether that will extend to the movies remains to be seen, though we'd be shocked if a Variant Mad Titan doesn't eventually show his ugly face!
In the same interview, Starlin teased future plans for his other creations. "I've heard Marvel may want to use some other characters I've done. I think they're running out. Now that they've got this multiverse, there's the possibility of bringing back Thanos. And with Thanos, that opens up possibilities for other characters. There are a few that they haven't used, like the Blood Brothers."
With Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and Avengers: Secret Wars on the horizon, we're sure there are plans for more Variants. Introducing a Thanos who has been defeated and subjugated by Kang the Conqueror would be pretty damn awesome, but there are no doubt other ways the villain could be used too.
What would you like to see from Thanos moving forward?
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Secret Wars comic book moments we want to see in the movie!
8. Death Of The Marvel Universe
Secret Wars begins with a bang...literally. The Marvel Universe and the Ultimate Universe are in the midst of an incursion, and while heroes from both worlds gather to try and save their reality (going to extreme measures to do so), there's ultimately nothing they can do.
Some heroes manage to flee on a cosmic "life raft," but at the centre of the universe, Doctor Doom steals the power of the Beyonders to remake reality in his image. With that, a new world is born.
The Marvel Universe doesn't have a counterpart that means as much to fans as the Ultimate Universe, but Earth-838 or another alternate world we're going to spend time on in the coming years could take its place. Kicking things off with the destruction of the MCU would be jaw-dropping, and a strong indication that Marvel Studios is taking this storyline seriously.
7. The Face Of Doom
If the rumours are true about Doctor Doom making his MCU debut in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, something tells us we'll be getting very familiar with Victor Von Doom over the next few years.
We're sure his origin story will be explored at some point, while Marvel Studios would be wise to make him a villain who uses both magic and science to establish his dominance. The biggest ask we have right now, though, is that they build some mystique around what's under that iconic mask.
A big-name actor will almost certainly be cast as Doom, but any temptation to show his face should be saved for Secret Wars, where, like in the comics, we finally get to see what the villain is hiding. Doom destroyed his face trying to save his mother's soul after ignoring Reed Richard's advice to make some changes to the machine he was using, and that too should be referenced.
6. Betrayal
Only a few people remember how things used to be, with Doctor Strange among them. While Doom is the God of this new world, the fragments of reality he pulled together are far from perfect and things seem to be in constant turmoil, hence why he needs a reliable second in command.
That's where Stephen Strange comes in. Years have passed since the Marvel Universe's destruction and the Sorcerer Supreme has, dare we say, become friends with Doom. However, when his friends emerge from that life raft, he realises that there's a chance to put the world back to the way it should be. As you might expect, that's not something Victor is happy about.
With a wave of his hand, he brutally kills Doctor Strange, and this would be one seriously shocking moment to put in a movie. We'd also love to see Strange spend some time with Doom on screen because their dynamic is very interesting.
5. Doctor Doom Kills Thanos
If you thought that was an impressive display of power, it arguably pales in comparison to what happens when Doom comes face-to-face with Thanos. Another Marvel Universe survivor, the Mad Titan believes he can overthrow Victor, but soon learns that even he is no match for "God."
Plunging his fist into Thanos' chest, Doom rips out his spine and turns the villain to dust. There are many moments in Secret Wars where Doom shows that he's now nigh on unstoppable, but to make such short work of the villain who wiped out half the universe in Avengers: Infinity War...well, that would be something else (obviously, this Mad Titan would need to be a Variant).
Heck, this could even be what happens to Kang the Conqueror, with Doom responsible for finally putting a stop to that time-travelling villain's machinations. They do have quite the history on the page...
4. A Moment Of Levity
Secret Wars is a very intense, high-stakes story, but there are still moments of levity. Peter Parker and Miles Morales are reunited in this new reality after a past team-up and set about trying to figure out what's going on.
As a result, they come face to face with Molecule Man. It turns out he's the glue at the centre of this new reality holding it all together, and while we don't expect Marvel Studios to include him here (his presence arguably makes things too convoluted), we'd still love to see this exchange in Avengers: Secret Wars.
It's a ridiculous, hilarious conversation and one that could be recreated with the three live-action Spider-Men if Marvel Studios and Sony Pictures can't agree on bringing Miles into the MCU.
3. The Thing's Death
As God, Doctor Doom can't help but take his petty revenge on the Fantastic Four in the new reality he creates. Mister Fantastic no longer exists, The Human Torch is being used as the world's "sun," and the Invisible Woman is Victor Von Doom's wife.
The Thing, meanwhile, has been transformed into a wall that protects his kingdoms from the remnants of darker realities. For example, there are Marvel Zombies, the Annihilation Wave, and even Ultron robots, but Thanos eventually reveals the truth to Ben Grimm and he breaks free of his captivity to fight back against Victor.
Franklin Richards, who is Doom and Sue's son in this world, engages The Thing by controlling Galactus, eventually laying waste to Ben when he refuses to fight back against the boy he considers a nephew. It's a powerful moment, even though it is undone later on.
2. The Infinity Gauntlet Returns
With the heroes who remember reality as it was determined to stop Doom, Black Panther finds an Infinity Gauntlet that was hidden away by Doctor Strange. T'Challa unleashes its power for a reality-bending battle against Victor that delivers the sort of visuals that make the mind boggle, and we'd love to see it on the big screen.
Sadly, Chadwick Boseman is no longer with us to make this happen, but whoever ends up taking over the Black Panther mantle obviously could.
This may even be the perfect place for Chris Evans' Captain America to make his return. Remember, he once had all six Infinity Stones in his possession in order to put them back where they needed to be. With that in mind, Steve returning, powered up and ready to take the fight to Doctor Doom, could be an awesome way to adapt this battle.
1. Doctor Doom's Face Is Healed
During the climactic battle, Doctor Doom finally squares off with Mister Fantastic and is forced to admit that Reed could have made a much better world than him had he been given the chance.
It's a moment that humbles the proud Doom, and the Fantastic Four leader proves that he was right by doing what heroes do. Restoring the world to how it should be, he doesn't wipe Victor from existence or take any sort of pretty revenge. Instead, he heals his greatest foe's face, proving that, yes, he really is the better man.
This would obviously lead to Doom heading down a slightly more heroic path, becoming the Infamous Iron Man. That's something we'd love to see play out in the MCU, especially if it means spending more time with this character on his own.