Following the recent completion Agatha all the timethe post-credit scene of The Avengers received new context about Death and Thanos in Marvel Cinematic Universe. Agatha all the time’and the final episodes provided a satisfying conclusion to the new Marvel series, with Rio Vidal, played by Aubrey Plaza, revealing himself as Death. This culminated in an emotional confrontation between her and Agatha that ended with a passionate kiss. Agatha gave herself up to death and passed into the afterlife as a ghost.
Dying has been a strange concept in the franchise, with several MCU characters returning from death over the years. This has been done in a number of ways, through time travel and the multiverse for characters like Gamora and Wolverine, and especially through snap-in reversal. Avengers: Endgame. It would seem then that any character set to embody this huge concept in the universe would need to be unique and multifaceted. The Death of Aubrey Plaza is certainly a unique enough force to do so, recontextualizing many previous Marvel events and characters.
Death is in the MCU 12 years after its first setting
Death was first mentioned in The Avengers
Speaking of humans, and especially the Avengers, Thanos is told in the mid-credits scene of The Avengers what “to defy them is to court death.” This is answered with a smile in reference to the pages of Marvel Comics. In the comics, much of Thanos’ motivation is because he is in love with Lady Death and wants to win her favor. This sends him on his mission to destroy half the universe in “The Infinity Gauntlet.” With Rio Vidal revealed as Death in Agatha all the timeThere is now a clear link between the two.
Of course, Thanos’ story is approached very differently in the MCU, with the snap being about balance, not about Thanos’ selfish desire for Death to fall in love with him. Still, it’s satisfying that this reference to comic book motivations is already part of the films, even if it was just a subtle comment. Since then, many have speculated that this death could still have been a symbol of Thanos’ affection and admiration, creating some interesting connections in the larger MCU.
It’s clear that Thanos would be passionate about Aubrey Plaza’s death
Rio Vidal was revealed to be Agatha’s death all along
Thanos in the Marvel Cinematic Universe is an idealist, although he is still the Mad Titan, and is far from perfect, even by his own standards. Lots of Thanos is dedicated to his mission of finding balance in the universe, and this is closely aligned with Death’s own goals as the Green Witch. Death believes in a sacred balance between all things, and this is reflected in his actions towards Agatha all the time.
Thanos is an interesting and unusual character, but he clearly has great emotional depth and capacity for love. Many of Thanos’ best quotes in the MCU explore this, and it was clearly shown in his sacrifice of Gamora and reaction to her death. Death, in turn, has the same violent and cruel side, while aligning with Thanos’ vision of the universe and cosmic balance.. She’s strange, explosive, and exciting in a way that Thanos would certainly be attracted to.
Marvel should return death back to Thanos’ story
Death may still be part of Thanos’ motivation
While Thanos’ motivations weren’t tied to his love for Death in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, that could easily be changed. Many of the upcoming MCU story details change previous stories, including adding new insights into Avengers: Endgame. It wouldn’t be difficult to show this additional motivation behind Thanos’ actions in the Infinity Saga. With Thanos’ return to the franchise being possible in the future, much more of his relationship with Death could be explored in depth.
Granted, this could cheapen Thanos’ prospects in the future. Avengers films. The character was such a compelling villain because of how idealistic he was and how he considered what he was doing to be for the best in the universe.. However, Thanos has also proven to be much more selfish in his actions and his own survival than that. Seeing Thanos on a different level, as this change would ensure, could be a compelling recontextualization of his character.
Death will likely continue to be a significant part of the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and it certainly should be. With a charismatic actor like Aubrey Plaza and a truly unique character type, Death could be an interesting force in the Marvel Cinematic Universe that has intersected with other projects over the years. Her prominence is significant and there will always be a place for her, with or without Thanos, as the Marvel Cinematic Universe advances.