Why Thanos From The MCU Actually Had A Point

Marvel's uber-baddie, Thanos, has done some pretty terrible things in both the MCU and comics over the years. But when it comes to Josh Brolin's version of the Mad Titan, and his infamous snap at the end of "Avengers: Infinity War," is it possible that the big purple guy actually had a point?

Now, we aren't making this assumption on our own or out of thin air. We have Marvel and the Disney+ series "Hawkeye" to thank for the whole "Thanos Was Right" narrative being put on full display in the MCU, along with another Disney+ show — "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier." In "Hawkeye," the phrase "Thanos Was Right" turns up at least two times at different points throughout the series. First, we see the words scribbled on a Broadway bathroom sink during Episode 1 and then again in another episode on a coffee mug that Clint Barton (Jeremy Renner) is drinking from. While not much has been said by Marvel Studios about the "Thanos Was Right" Easter eggs, many fans have not been able to fathom the idea of Barton actually agreeing with such a sentiment, or it being right in the first place.

"Kinda f**ked up when you think about that," said one Redditor, whose "Hawkeye" discussion thread comment has been upvoted nearly 500 times. "In the universe it was a real traumatic event where billions of people (temporarily) died. Millions probably did die as a result of the chaos. Its real-world equivalent would probably be a mug saying 'HITLER WAS RIGHT.'" But in reality, are things really that serious when it comes to the "Thanos Was Right" narrative? Or even just the phrase itself? Well, if you ask Marvel, the answer is a resounding no. And they explain why in "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier."

On the surface of "The Blip" and everything that happened related to Thanos' snap in "Avengers: Infinity War," it may seem like things were terrible and catastrophic for those involved — especially the ones left behind. But in reality, things actually got better for a lot of people on Earth, which is pointed out by Marvel in "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier." 

"Life improved for a lot of people," said Redditor u/AkaParazIT in the same "Hawkeye" discussion thread from earlier. "We can see the fallout in the falcon and the winter soldier," he explained. "Everyone lost someone but the ones that were left there [had] an abundance of food, homes and opportunities. The earth was getting cleaner as well." 

As for the "Hitler Was Right" and "Thanos Was Right" comparisons, u/AkaParazIT and others pointed out how the Nazis caused pain for no gain whatsoever, while Thanos' brutality actually led to positive changes. "Not saying that Thanos was right," wrote u/AkaParazIT. "But the MCU has shown us that life improved for tons of people and they really agreed that the end justified the means."

Now, of course, what Thanos did with "The Blip" — murdering innocent people — was evil and terribly wrong. And that's not something Marvel or people online are disagreeing with. Instead, it's the idea that the world and its remaining population technically got stronger and benefited from what happened, that makes people think Thanos may have had a point. 

After the events of "Avengers: Endgame" and The Hulk's snap reversal, a group of terrorists known as the Flag-Smashers rose up and began trying to tear down society in an attempt to bring things back to the way they were during "The Blip," which we see in "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier." The group, led by Karli Morgenthau (Erin Kellyman), doesn't actually say that they agree with what Thanos did, only that things were way better off for many people afterward, like refugees and immigrants — who got places to live —as well as there being more homes and jobs available for everyone, and extra food and resources.

"Do the rich countries suddenly compete for immigrants to repopulate?" asked Twitter user @Micheleh, while discussing "Falcon and the Winter Soldier" online. "What happens to real estate prices? To global carbon emissions? To thrift shops and yard sales? Is Thanos recognized as a savior?" User @ohio_world wrote, "The world does seem like it was better off without the other half. More jobs, more homes, more food for everyone. It seems like Thanos was partially right."

In "Falcon and the Winter Soldier," the concept of Earth and its population being better off after the snap is not openly referred to as "Thanos Was Right" by the Flag-Smashers, but rather "One World, One People." This is in reference to Morgenthau and the group's work in the relocations of refugees and immigrants during the five years of "The Blip," which saw millions of people finally finding places to live and resources to survive on. As @zroyalgang put it on Twitter, "Governments collapse, corporations lose power, food is more abundant and the people of earth become closer than ever. No time for racism or classism, the planets environment improves. In a sense, Thanos' plan worked fantastically. One world, one people."