Doctor Strange saw fourteen million six hundred and five future alternatives, out of which Thanos lost just one time. Why was that? We’ve got a new theory suggesting that it wasn’t just Tony’s snap which made this future outcome possible. A lot of things had to happen in a specific order in order for the Avengers to win, and Thanos to lose. But, one major element of the Avengers’ victory is tied deeply with Thanos. So, let’s look at this crucial element that led to his defeat.

The Canadian Lad has brought Jack Oedekoven’s theory forward, and it suggests that Thanos lost this one time because he changed his ultimate goal. In Avengers: Infinity War, Thanos saw himself as the savior that the universe needed. He wanted to give the universe a fair chance to sustain itself. His goal was to bring balance by wiping out half of all living beings. With his snap, half of the universal population ceased to exist. It was painless, and happened in an instant. Thanos called this mercy.

He thought that even though the Universe might find it difficult in the beginning, they would still be grateful to him, given time. And if you look at what Steve preached after the 5-year time jump in Endgame, it’d be safe to say that some people had started to move on and see the bright side of Thanos’ Snap. But, most of the Avengers did not move on. They couldn’t let go of the past. And with the reemergence of Ant-Man, they found hope. So, they were set upon a path to restore all the lives that Thanos took.

Now, when 2014’s Thanos found out about what the Avengers had done after his snap, and what they were up to, he changed his ultimate goal. Until this time, no one had even come close to pose a threat to him. But he saw that the Avengers, and Thor in particular had actually managed to kill his future self. On top of that, they were also close to restoring what he had worked so hard to accomplish. So, for the first time, his merciful nobility turned into rage fueled vengeance.

Focus on the following two dialogues of Thanos:



These two quotes show how Thanos changed. From a “hero,” he turned into a typical genocidal villain. His initial goal of 50% merciful genocide turned into a 100% vengeful genocide! Well, we’re not saying that his first attempt at bringing balance was right. His intentions were noble, but it was still genocide. So, he was wrong back then too.

But in Endgame, he was threatened, and wanted revenge from the Avengers. Thor was the one to slice his head off, and he was the one who got the biggest beat down at the hands of Thanos. This rage, along with his arrogance is what made him lose. Because his intentions were no longer as noble as they were in those other 14,000,604 futures, the Avengers were able to get the better of him.

The final I am Iron Man line was suggested by editor Jeff Ford. Pic courtesy:

Now, I’m not trying to downplay Tony and Natasha’s sacrifice, or the co-incidence of Ant-Man being rescued by the valiant rat. What I’m saying is that it wasn’t just Tony’s sacrifice alone that allowed the Avengers to win. If you’d look at the previous Avengers movies, you could figure out that Tony made the sacrifice play every single time. So, he would have certainly sacrificed himself in many of those 14 million futures. But for the first time in all those futures, his sacrifice was complemented by Thanos’ arrogance and rage, Black Widow’s sacrifice, and the rat saving co-incidence among other things.

The change of Thanos’ ultimate goal was an important piece of the puzzle, and it only happened in Avengers: Endgame. That’s why the Avengers won. How do you find this theory? Tell us in the comments down below.


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