Thanos' 2024 MCU Return Shows Why The Franchise Still Unable to Get Away from Endgame 5 Years Later
Returning in 2024, Thanos shows how the MCU cannot escape Avengers: Endgame even five years following its premiere. Given that Avengers: Endgame is the MCU's highest-grossing picture and the second highest-grossing film of all time (beaten by Avatar following its re-release), the preoccupation with it is hardly surprising. Obviously, while most prospective MCU projects have a realistic expectation of a $2 billion movie, Marvel appears fixated with highlighting its past achievements.
Still, the MCU has to start supporting its fresh narrative by changing its emphasis. MCU releases for 2024 are few, and it's yet unknown whether the sole movie release, Deadpool & Wolverine, would also get a Thanos version. Still, he has raised his purple head once more in an odd offshoot, augmenting the abundance of post-Endgame appearances even if they deviate from the main MCU chronology.
What if... an immersive tale resurrected Thanos once more in 2024?
Played only on the Apple Vision Pro, the mixed reality video game What If... is an immersive story with many MCU characters appearing as variants around the multiverse. Released on YouTube, a trailer for the video game shows what future gamers could expect from the game: mostly, a heavy dosage of Infinity Stones and, of course, Thanos. Although the video game mostly follows the Multiverse Saga's main narrative arc—that of the multiverse itself—the Infinity Stones and their effects are equally essential.
Although the game looks to offer a convincing gameplay loop in the form of gathering the Infinity Stones, it is all too clear that the MCU is not yet comfortable depending on the Multiverse Saga and its own arch nemesis, Kang the Conqueror. Rather, Thanos is back with a fury and carries on a tiresome pattern even though he supposedly died for good in Avengers: Endgame.
Though his endgame death marks a change in Marvel's on-screen franchise, Thanos has been a continual presence.
Eight times in the MCU Thanos has been slain, which reflects the frequency the Mad Titan has shown in a post-Infinity Saga scene. This is mostly due to shows like What If...? bringing back Thanos variants, however MCU movies have also leaned into Thanos' legacy with the trailer for The Marvels even incorporating his voice in what felt like a cynical effort to push last-minute ticket sales. Thanos has now featured more times in the Multiverse Saga than in the Infinity Saga based on his presence in What If... – An Immersive Story.
The Multiverse Saga's existence of Thanos is starting to cause problems now. Though the Mad Titan greatly minimizes the figure meant to be replacing him, Kang, it also emphasizes the idea that the multiverse eliminates the stakes as death becomes meaningless. More aggravating, though, are the numerous references to Thanos—or archive footage—that show how the MCU cannot progress.
Should their stories continue to be exploited, the MCU will never escape Thanos and Endgame.
MCU Phase 4 was supposed to chronicle people engaged in the Infinity Saga dealing with the after-effects. With Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania apparently initiating MCU Phase 5 and Kang the Conqueror as the next main enemy for the MCU's occupants to concentrate on, this was arguably done. Less than a year later, though, Thanos was once more engaging in his customary antics following two appearances in What If...? Season 2 while Kang hardly appeared at all.
This makes it quite difficult for the MCU to develop from Thanos and get viewers to support its new story. While it is certainly within the scope of What If...? to keep presenting long-dead figures, Marvel's anxiety to highlight its new big evil makes promoting him "the new Thanos" near impossible. Time is running short for the MCU to distance itself from Avengers: Endgame; whether Deadpool & Wolverine will lean into Kang the Conqueror and skirt all reference of Thanos is still to be seen.
A Review of the MCU from Years Past
Over 15 years and 33 films, the Marvel Cinematic Universe films have reshaped blockbuster movie. But how do every one of the movies rank?
Acts as part two of Avengers: Infinity War, the penultimate episode in the Marvel Cinematic Universe marks the end of the first three phases of the MCU. Earth's Mightiest Heroes find one last opportunity to right things when they fail to stop Thanos from eradicating half of all life. Making their way back across time and space, the remaining Avengers try to stop Thanos before all is lost.
MCU Movies Not Too Far Away
Dates of Release
Dexter & Wolverine
July 26, 2024.
Captain America in Brave New World
February 14, 2025.
Thunderbolts.
May five, 2025.
The Fantastic Four
July 25, 25 2025
Blade
November7, 2025
Avengers: The Kang Dynasty
Might 1, 2026
Avengers: Wars of Secret Knowledge
July 7, 2027
Origin: YouTube
