When Thanos decided to search for the Infinity Stones himself, he forced the dwarves of Nidavellir to forge a left-handed gauntlet from Uru before massacring them all, save for the Dwarf King Eitri. [25] He then donned the gauntlet while vowing to find the stones himself. [26] As he acquired the Infinity Stones, he inserted them into the gauntlet one by one, though he found resistance in the Avengers and the Guardians of the Galaxy, who attempted to remove the gauntlet. Eventually, he collected all the Stones and snapped his gauntlet to wipe of half of all life in the universe. However, the process severely damaged the gauntlet, though it remained functional. [25] When the Avengers went to the Garden, Thor sliced off Thanos' arm with the gauntlet and Thanos revealed to them that he had reduced the Infinity Stones to atoms using their own power. [27] Pulig, Andrew (March 3, 2018). " Avengers: Infinity War Poster Introduces the Film's Villains". Hypebeast. Archived from the original on May 10, 2022 . Retrieved May 10, 2022.

With his mission complete, he teleports to the Garden, where he rests. [3] Twenty-three days later, Thanos is ambushed by surviving members of the Avengers and Guardians of the Galaxy, along with Carol Danvers. They seek to reverse his actions and after learning that he has destroyed the Stones following the snap, Thor decapitates him. [9] Legacy within Earth-616 [ edit ] Giardina, Carolyn (February 5, 2019). "Visual Effects Society Awards: Avengers: Infinity War Wins Top Prize". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on February 6, 2019 . Retrieved February 8, 2020. a b c d Elderkin, Beth (July 9, 2018). "Thanos Has Snapped His Fingers and Killed Half of a Subreddit". Gizmodo. Archived from the original on April 29, 2022 . Retrieved May 8, 2022.Kim, Amelia Rayne (April 10, 2020). "11 Characters with the Most Screen Time in Avengers: Infinity War". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on December 13, 2021 . Retrieved May 6, 2022. Even when not using the Infinity Stones, Thanos is shown to be a skilled physical fighter, defeating the Hulk in hand-to-hand combat in Infinity War and wielding a double-sided sword in combat in Endgame. Like the original comic book version of the character, Thanos in the MCU possesses superhuman strength, speed, and stamina. [24] [41] [42] Design and special effects [ edit ] Test footage of Josh Brolin using Digital Domain's Masquerade facial capture software [43]

Romano, Evan (May 5, 2022). "A Complete Ranking of Every Marvel Cinematic Universe Villain". Men's Health. Archived from the original on May 6, 2022 . Retrieved May 8, 2022.Raymond, Charles Nicholas (August 6, 2020). "How Old Thanos Is in All Infinity Saga MCU Movies". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on September 27, 2020 . Retrieved February 3, 2023. Novara, Brandon (September 23, 2021). "Recreate Final Avengers: Endgame Battle with LEGO's New Sanctuary II Set". MovieWeb. Archived from the original on November 19, 2021 . Retrieved May 9, 2022. Critics called Thanos a significant improvement over previous antagonists in the franchise. [65] According to Screen Rant, the MCU struggled to create captivating antagonists throughout its first two phases. However, this changed in Phase Three with well-received villains such as Killmonger and Vulture, culminating in Thanos, whose "repudiation of the MCU's narrative worship of its heroes creates a deep uncertainty in our expectation that follows through each encounter toward the inevitable, horrifying conclusion". [52] George Marston attributed Thanos' success to "the weight behind his character" because the best villains are the ones who see themselves as the hero. As a result, Brolin's performance almost makes Thanos seem likable or reasonable, at least until "the utter horror" of him accomplishing his goal sets in. [54] Similarly, The Washington Post declared Thanos Marvel's most compelling villain due to his "deep, reflective intelligence" as well as his "profound adherence to his belief system". [51]