Avengers Director Joss Whedon Had No Idea What to Do With Thanos

The MCU's treatment of Thanos during Avengers: Infinity War has been universally praised by both fans and critics. Ditching the character's obsession with Death was a wise move, though it didn't seem like it at first. At the end of Infinity War, we understood what Thanos wanted for the universe and seeing him fulfill his arc was somewhat gratifying.

It's clear that The Russo Brothers did a great job but some have wondered how Joss Whedon would have handled the Mad Titan. After all, he was first introduced at the end of Whedon's first Avengers movie. Turns out he didn't know what to do with the character, as revealed during an interview with IGN.

Honestly, I kind of hung [Thanos] out to dry. I love Thanos. I love his apocalyptic vision, his love affair with death. I love his power. But, I don't really understand it. He's had a lot of power, and he was cool in the comics. And I'm like, Thanos is the ultimate Marvel villain! And then I was like, I don't actually know what I would do with Thanos. So, I liked what [the Russo brothers] did so much, and I thought Josh Brolin killed it. And they did an amazing job of keeping that performance on-screen. But it wasn't like I was like, here's a set of directions. I was like, I'm gonna get through Ultron, nap for four years, and then I'll come to the premiere. Which I did! It was like, this is so cool!

Whedon said he is familiar with the character from the comics and his obsession with Death but admitted that his motivation would have been difficult to execute on-screen. Granted, Whedon did tease Death during Thanos' introduction but that's beside the point. Seems like giving Infinity War and Avengers 4 to The Russos was a wise move.

Prior to his leaving Marvel, Whedon was asked if he wanted to make Infinity War but he declined after the rough shooting for Avengers and its sequel Age of Ultron. The second movie took a lot out of the director, as he had to tell his own story whilst also teasing Civil War, Ragnarok, and even Infinity War. It's easy to see why he left.

Avengers 4 comes out on May 3, 2019.

Read:Thanos Co-Creator Jim Starlin Says Firing James Gunn Was a Mistake