We all know Thanos is the most dangerous foe in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as yet, thanks to his immense strength, single-mindedness and the helpful accessory that is his Infinity Gauntlet. But at least part of his formidability comes from his old age. In a new interview, Avengers: Endgame co-director Joe Russo revealed that the foe has been around a lot longer than some fans might’ve realized.
While discussing the might of Thanos’ double-edged blade, which he uses to destroy Cap’s shield – made of vibranium, the most powerful metal on Earth – in Endgame, Russo explained that the Mad Titan has lived so long that it makes sense that he’d have found himself the best weapon in the universe over the centuries. In doing so, he revealed that Thanos is at least 1,000 years old.
“Clearly, Thanos, you know, is a thousand-year-old character who has fought everyone in the universe. He’s the greatest. He’s the Genghis Khan of the universe. He would have the greatest weapon.”
This makes most of the Avengers seem like toddlers in comparison to Thanos, but one of them is actually even older. If you’ll recall, Thor told Rocket in Avengers: Infinity War that he was 1,500 years old. Likewise, the God of Thunder’s father Odin must be much, much older than that. Plus, brothers the Grandmaster and the Collector were both born shortly after the beginning of the universe. But hey, that’s still a pretty impressive lifespan you had there, Thanos. Shame you had to push your luck by going against Iron Man.
Thanos’ age fits with his origins in the comics, too, in which he’s established as being a Deviant, a mutated, deformed subset of the Eternals race. This immortal species will soon be introduced into the MCU themselves in The Eternals, which is set to star Angelina Jolie and Richard Madden, among others. Hopefully there’s something in that movie that ties them to the Avengers: Endgame villain. Perhaps his father, A’lars, could appear after being referenced in Infinity War. Time will tell, but as soon as we know more, we’ll be sure to share it.