The ending of Eternals left the door open for Thanos to potentially return in a sequel. While Thanos met his demise in Avengers: Endgame after wiping out half of all life with the Infinity Stones, Eternals revealed that his origins tie closely with the Eternals themselves. This connection makes fans wonder if Thanos could come back to life somehow. Here’s a quick look at the key facts around Thanos and his potential return in Eternals 2:
Thanos’ Origins
Thanos was born on Titan, the moon of Saturn, as a member of the Eternals colony there. He carried the Deviant gene, which gave him his distinctive look and monstrous nature compared to the other Eternals. His mother was Sui-San, and his father was A’lars, also known as Mentor.
His History with the Eternals
Thanos grew up among the Eternals but was always treated as an outcast due to his Deviant syndrome. He grew resentful of them over time. As an adult, Thanos used the army he built to attack Titan and wipe out the Eternals there. His own mother was among the Eternals he killed.
Only one Titanian Eternal survived – his brother Eros, also known as Starfox. Thanos has a long, bitter history with the Eternals that fuels his hatred of them.
How He Died in Endgame
Thanos from the past traveled to 2023 to reclaim the Infinity Stones after the Avengers took them. He succeeded in getting them all into his new gauntlet. But Iron Man managed to steal them back and use them himself to wipe out Thanos and his entire army, turning them to dust.
This seemed like a definitive death for the iconic villain. Still, the nature of the Infinity Stones leaves room for speculation about whether he could ever return.
Could Thanos Be Resurrected?
Here are some key considerations around whether Thanos could potentially come back to life:
The Power of the Infinity Stones
The Infinity Stones together grant omnipotence over the universe. Wielding all six at once allows one to do nearly anything. Thanos himself used them to eliminate half of all life instantly.
If someone new gained control of the Stones, they could potentially resurrect Thanos. His atoms might still exist in the universe somewhere, allowing him to be reconstituted.
The Eternals’ Cosmic Powers
Thanks to their cosmic energy granted by the Celestials, the Eternals have exceptional powers. Ikaris was able to fly into the sun and survive. Thena, Gilgamesh, and Makkari also demonstrated incredible strength and resilience.
The Eternals likely have the capacity to bring someone back from the dead if they chose to. But they would have no motivation to revive Thanos given his genocide against their people. Still, it’s within their power set.
The Goddess of Death
In the comics, one of Thanos’ core motivations is his love for Mistress Death, the physical embodiment of death. To impress her, he tries to wipe out life through the universe. She may have the means to revive him if she wished.
Mistress Death has not appeared in the MCU so far, but that doesn’t mean she won’t emerge later on. If she does, she could potentially bring Thanos back to fulfill his courtship of her.
The Time Stone
Doctor Strange used the Time Stone freely in his first movie, rewinding time to undo calamitous events. The Time Stone was destroyed when Thanos used the Infinity Stones in Endgame. But time travel still exists in the MCU.
Someone could go back in time, stop Thanos’ death, and bring him into the future. This would change the timeline, of course, creating complications. But it’s possible.
| Method | Likelihood |
|---|---|
| Infinity Stones | Low |
| Eternals’ Powers | Very Low |
| Mistress Death | Medium |
| Time Travel | Medium |
How Could Thanos Plausibly Return?
Looking at the potential options, some paths stand out as more plausible ways Thanos could come back:
Introduce Mistress Death
Bringing in Mistress Death as a new character provides an elegant narrative solution. She has a comic history with Thanos, so she could seek to revive him herself to woo him again. Their dynamic could take an interesting direction in the MCU.
It would require establishing Mistress Death and her powers for the audience. But she’d be a cool new cosmic entity for the MCU to expand into.
Time Travel Shenanigans
Having someone meddle with time to save Thanos also offers narrative potential. It would create branching timelines and complications for the heroes similar to what happened with Loki. And Thanos could return with knowledge of potential futures.
The downside is it undermines Thanos’ resonant end in Endgame. So it’s a fine line storywise, but doable.
Reality Stone Antics
The Reality Stone demonstrated jaw-dropping power in the MCU already. Someone could use it to warp reality and bring a version of Thanos back. We already saw it can create lifelike doubles of people. Creating a resurrected Thanos would shake things up.
On the other hand, it might feel like a cheat just conjuring him up out of nothing. The Reality Stone would need to have limits to maintain stakes.
How Would Thanos’ Return Affect Eternals 2’s Story?
Assuming Thanos did come back in Eternals 2, how would it impact the overall narrative? There are a few key implications:
Takes Focus Off the Eternals
Eternals 2 will likely focus on the core group of Eternals from the first movie. Bringing back Thanos shifts attention onto him and risks making the story more about the Avengers’ villain than the Eternals themselves. It could distract from their character development.
Drives Conflict with the Eternals
On the other hand, having Thanos come back to threaten them again gives the Eternals renewed purpose. They already have some internal fractures; giving them a common enemy could unite them. It also lets them finally get true payback for Thanos killing their people.
Requires Cosmic Scale
Dealing with Thanos demands stories on a grand cosmic scale. Eternals was already expansive, introducing Celestials and cosmic entities. A sequel with Thanos would need to go even bigger. Events would have to threaten the entire universe once again.
| Implication | Effect on Story |
|---|---|
| Takes focus from Eternals | Negative |
| Drives conflict | Positive |
| Requires cosmic scale | Mixed |
Conclusion
Bringing back Thanos would shake up the MCU in a major way. There are creative methods the films could use to resurrect him plausibly. His return would significantly shape Eternals 2, for better and worse. It would let the Eternals get payback but could overshadow their own story.
On balance, it seems like more trouble than it’s worth. While fun for fans to speculate about, letting Thanos rest in peace may be better for the overall story trajectory. The Eternals have enough innate drama and conflicts to sustain Eternals 2 without leaning on Thanos as a crutch. Ikaris’ fate, the Celestials’ intentions, and the Eternals’ role on Earth going forward are compelling threads on their own.
The Infinity Saga gave Thanos a complete story arc that ended perfectly in Endgame. Letting a new saga focus on new characters and conflicts is healthier for the MCU. Thanos’ shadow still looms large enough without literally bringing him back immediately. So while it’s possible we could see the Mad Titan again someday, Eternals 2 is probably too soon. The next chapter for the Eternals should stand on its own.
