Thanos is one of the most popular villains in the MCU for a reason. Though his scheme to wipe out half of all life in the universe was undoubtedly, let’s say, extreme, the Mad Titan also has a surprisingly sympathetic edge that humanizes him. Plus, his worries about overpopulation are sound. All this has conspired to put many fans on Thanos’ side. You can’t have missed all the “Thanos was right” memes out there online.
Someone who’s definitely not a Thanos fan, though, is Guardians of the Galaxy director James Gunn, who had some strong words to say about the villain in a recent tweet. First of all, one fan relayed a few of his 6-year-old’s questions about Gunn’s first Marvel movie to him, to which he replied.
1. Yondu
2. No. He’s troubled but has a good soul.
3. Yes.
4. We don’t know yet.
5. That’s not a question?
6. I’m gonna take a wild guess and say the Orb?— James Gunn (@JamesGunn) April 26, 2020
Due to some confusion with Gunn’s numbering, however, some users felt that the director was saying that Thanos was “troubled but has a good soul,” when he was actually saying that about Yondu. When one fan followed up Gunn’s tweet praising his assessment of the tyrant, the filmmaker clarified his position. “That’s the answer for Yondu not Thanos,” he explained, before adding “F*ck Thanos.”
That’s the answer for Yondu not Thanos. Fuck Thanos.
— James Gunn (@JamesGunn) April 26, 2020
It’s no surprise that Gunn isn’t a Thanos defender. After all, in his Guardians films, the Titan hasn’t been portrayed with a shred of decency. He had a small role in the original and was depicted as arrogant and cruel, while he’s mentioned many times in the second, with Gamora and Nebula elaborating on how much of a horrible, abusive parent he was. Avengers: Infinity War then retroactively paints Thanos as truly loving Gamora, but it’s clear Gunn doesn’t see it this way.
Other MCU creatives are more on Thanos’ side, though. Captain America himself, Chris Evans, believes that he’s not really evil, for instance. Whose side to do you fall on, though? Do you join James Gunn in saying “f*ck Thanos,” or do you think he’s just misunderstood? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
