2 Years Later, Marvel's Official Response To The Grossest MCU Thanos Death Theory Has Only Gotten Weirder (2024)

2 years ago, Ant-Man addressed a gross MCU Thanos death theory which is ten times weirder today. Thanos has been one of the MCU's most iconic villains ever since he debuted in the post-credits scene of The Avengers, even clinching victory against Earth's Mightiest Heroes in Avengers: Infinity War. Although the Avengers would later defeat Thanos through time travel shenanigans, Thanos' proven threat level has yet to be matched in the MCU timeline by any other villain, with recent developments throwing the big bad of the Multiverse Saga into question for upcoming MCU releases.

Before his defeat, the year between Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame was rife with speculation. Thanos had proven to be strong enough to best the Hulk, Vision, Scarlet Witch, and Doctor Strange - arguably the strongest characters in the MCU. Despite Ant-Man rarely being counted among this group, one of the most popular theories and memes asserted that he boasted a unique yet wildly unconventional ability to defeat Thanos - one that Ant-Man himself addressed two years ago.

Paul Rudd's Ant-Man Has Directly Addressed The Most Infamous Thanos Death Theory

Scott Lang Addressed The Elephant In The Room On Disney's Cruise Ship

While Ant-Man would ultimately provide the key to defeating Thanos in Avengers: Endgame, a far more aberrant theory suggested that he could kill Thanos solo. This theory suggested that Ant-Man could simply shrink down, climb inside Thanos, and expand, exploding the Mad Titan. While the theory was gross and hilarious in equal measure, it is also hard to argue against the practicality of the solution. Had Ant-Man been present during Avengers: Infinity War, he could very well have turned the tide of the battle, and the theory swiftly attached itself to Ant-Man's identity.

Except it appears that Ant-Man himself disagrees with the Thanos death theory. Avengers: Quantum Encounter is an Avengers short screened on Disney's cruise ship, Disney Wish. Footage of the short (via YouTube) shows Ant-Man directly addressing the theory, stating:

Let me address the elephant in the room. I've heard a lot of chatter out there asking why I didn't shrink down, go in, and uh...kill Thanos in a really creative way. First of all: gross. Secondly, it's much more complicated than that. Allow me to explain...

Hope Van Dyne then cuts him off before he can explain why this tactic would not have worked. The footage helps cement Ant-Man as a source of comic relief in the MCU by having him even address the ridiculous situation. Just one year later, however, Ant-Man would pivot to becoming of paramount importance.

Ant-Man Going From The Thanos Death Theory To Introducing Kang Is Even Stranger

Ant-Man Was The First Avenger To Face Kang

Before the departure of Jonathan Majors from the MCU, the Multiverse Saga's new arch-villain was ostensibly supposed to be Kang the Conqueror. While the Kang variant He Who Remains made his debut in Loki season 1 and introduced the concept of the multiverse, it wouldn't be until Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania that Kang the Conqueror debuted in earnest as an exile to the quantum realm. Kang's story immediately made Ant-Man's third movie one of the most important in the Multiverse Saga, as it introduced the character meant to replace Thanos.

Doing so soon after Ant-Man was the butt of a joke felt particularly off-kilter. Kang's mere presence in the solo movie of one of the weakest and most comedic Avengers was enough to substantially reduce his threat level instead of debuting him opposite a more appropriately powerful character like Doctor Strange. Unfortunately, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania would fall flat, depicting the Multiverse Saga's big bad defeat almost as soon as he was introduced, and remaining one of the worst-rated movies in the MCU.

What Even Is Ant-Man's Future In The MCU?

Ant-Man's MCU Future Looks Rocky

The MCU has now pivoted to make Doctor Doom the Multiverse Saga's arch-villain, changing the title of the fifth Avengers movie from Avengers: The Kang Dynasty to Avengers: Doomsday, with Robert Downey Jr.'s Doctor Doom taking center stage. While Kang the Conqueror was largely seen as a high point of Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, the poor performance of his debut didn't just throw Kang's MCU future into disarray. Ant-Man's own MCU future is also up for debate, as enthusiasm surrounding his character has seemingly waned.

Marvel's general failure to make Ant-Man one of the most important members of the Avengers has jeopardized his future in the MCU. This has been compounded by the fact that Evangeline Lilly - who portrays the Wasp - recently announced that she is stepping away from acting. While there is little doubt that Ant-Man will still feature heavily in the two upcoming Avengers movies, it now looks less likely that he would survive the soft reboot that the MCU is reportedly going to undergo after Avengers: Secret Wars.

Ant-Man

The Ant-Man franchise is a key component of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, blending heist film elements with superhero action. It centers around Scott Lang, a former thief who becomes Ant-Man, using a suit that allows him to shrink or grow in scale while maintaining his strength. The franchise explores the Quantum Realm, familial bonds, and redemption, with a unique mix of humor and heart.

Created by

Kevin Feige , Peyton Reed

First Film

Ant-Man

Latest Film

Cast

Paul Rudd , Evangeline Lilly , Michael Douglas , Michelle Pfeiffer , Michael Pena , Corey Stoll , Jonathan Majors

Character(s)

Ant-Man , The Wasp , Hank Pym , Janet Van Dyne , Luis , Yellowjacket , Kang the Conqueror

Upcoming MCU Movies

• Captain America: Brave New World

  Release Date

  February 14, 2025

• Thunderbolts*

  Release Date

  May 2, 2025

• The Fantastic Four (2025)

  Release Date

  July 25, 2025

• Blade (2025)

  Release Date

  November 7, 2025

• Avengers: Doomsday

  Release Date

  May 1, 2026

• Avengers: Secret Wars

  Release Date

  May 7, 2027

Source: YouTube