Thanos got himself a mighty new weapon for Avengers: Endgame. The 2014 version of the villain armed himself with a giant double-edged blade in his climactic battle with the galaxy’s finest heroes, with the sword even proving capable of destroying Captain America’s shield. This was a shocking moment in the movie, but it caused a lot of fan discussion afterwards.
You see, Cap’s shield is made of Vibranium, repeatedly established in the MCU as the strongest metal on Earth and perhaps even in the universe, as it came to our world via a meteor that landed in Wakanda in prehistoric times. So, what’s the deal with Thanos’ blade?
Well, the Endgame filmmakers touched on the mystery behind its origins on the film’s commentary track, saying:
“You can also see that while Vibranium is the strongest substance on Earth, whatever Thanos’ straight razor there is made out of is stronger,” said co-writer Christopher Markus of the scene in which the Titan proves his blade is tougher than Cap’s shield.
“Well, Thanos clearly knew of Eitri,” added co-director Joe Russo, speaking of the Dwarf master craftsmen who previously constructed the Infinity Gauntlet for Thanos.
“That’s true, he’d have him make him a helicopter blade,” Stephen McFeely concluded.
McFeely’s comment reminds us that the blade has its origins as a tongue-in-cheek nod to the infamous Thanos Helicopter from the comics. Out of this joke, though, the villain’s weapon may hold a lot of importance for the franchise going forward.
After all, what’s the only metal in the Marvel universe that’s stronger than Vibranium? I’ll give you a hint: Wolverine’s bones are covered in it. And seeing as the X-Men are on their way to the MCU soon, it’s possible that the Infinity War sequel ends up being the first time Adamantium is featured in the franchise.
Avengers: Endgame is out on Digital HD now and will be released on DVD and Blu-Ray from August 13th.
