Thanos was the main villain of the Marvel’s Infinity Saga, and he became one of the best villains in the superhero genre. The same was supposed to happen with Kang – the Conqueror, who was announced as the big bad of the Multiverse Saga. But things didn’t quite go as planned. While Thanos was able to connect with audiences and left a lasting impression, while Kang didn’t seem to have the same impact.
After Jonathan Majors’ scandal, Marvel fired him and abandoned the story of Kang. Now Doctor Doom is the new big bad of Multiverse Saga. Thanos worked, and Kang didn’t. So, what went wrong? In this article, we’ll dive into the five key reasons why Thanos worked and succeeded as a villain, while Kang fell short.
The Build-Up: Thanos vs. Kang
Thanos’ introduction to the MCU was nothing short of brilliant. We first saw him in the post-credits scene of the first Avengers movie in 2012. It was completely unexpected because, at that time, there weren’t even rumors that the villain could appear in live-action movie. So, when he showed up, it took everyone by surprise. He didn’t even say a word, but that one shot was enough to spark everyone’s curiosity—even among those who didn’t know who he was.
Thanos’ smile in that scene convinced us all that this guy was going to be the biggest threat the Avengers would ever face. He didn’t need to do much to make an impact; the mystery and anticipation were enough to get everyone excited.
Kang’s introduction, on the other hand, didn’t have the same effect. He first appeared in the finale of Loki Season 1. But unlike Thanos, his appearance wasn’t much of a surprise. Fans were already expecting Marvel to reveal that Kang was behind the TVA, and Marvel delivered, but not in the best way. The episode ended up being more of an anti-climax, with a long explanation of how the multiverse works and why the TVA exists. Sure, this information was necessary for both the Loki show and the rest of the Multiversal Saga, but it didn’t pack the same punch as Thanos’ introduction.
The problem with Kang’s introduction was that the version we saw wasn’t even the definitive Kang. This was He Who Remains, a variant of Kang who wasn’t really a threat to Loki or Sylvie. In fact, what he did was keep the 616 universe safe. Maybe his methods wouldn’t be approved by the Avengers, but he was much closer to being a hero than a villain.
He wasn’t intimidating; he spent most of his time making jokes and came off as quite the extrovert. This is the complete opposite of Thanos, who seemed like a villain to be feared from the very first moment. With Kang, we had no reason to be afraid of him, and that’s a big difference.
Characterization and Threat Level
Thanos was a character who didn’t need to say much to make an impact. In fact, he barely had any lines of dialogue before Infinity War. He said nothing in the post-credits scene of Avengers 1, and only threw out a few one-liners in Guardians of the Galaxy and the post-credits scene of Age of Ultron. But when Infinity War kicked off, Thanos didn’t waste any time showing us just how powerful he was.
In the very first scene, he defeats Thor off-screen, kills Loki, kills Heimdall, and takes down the Hulk in hand-to-hand combat—without any help, tricks, or even using the Infinity Stones. Right from that moment, we all believed Thanos was a serious villain. He wasn’t just talking about being a threat; he showed it by taking down some of the most powerful Avengers with ease.
On the flip side, Kang’s characterization didn’t have the same impact. From his first appearance in Loki Season 1, all Kang did was talk. In the finale, he spent the entire episode explaining the multiverse, the TVA, and his role in it, but he didn’t actually do much. He wasn’t threatening, and he didn’t make us fear what he could do.
Even in Quantumania, when we finally meet a more evil version of Kang, the same problem persisted—he just kept talking. Kang constantly tells us how powerful he is, how he’s defeated the Avengers before, and how many timelines he’s destroyed. But the problem is, we don’t see him doing any of these things in any movie or series. It’s all talk and no action.
Thanos, on the other hand, let his actions speak for him. He didn’t need to boast about his power; we saw it firsthand when he fought the Avengers, obtained the Infinity Stones, and ultimately snapped his fingers, wiping out half the universe. Kang, however, just hasn’t backed up his claims with actions. He says he’s powerful, but when it came down to it, he couldn’t even defeat Ant-Man and MODOK without a struggle. It’s hard to take a villain seriously when they’re all talk and no action, and that’s where Kang falls short compared to Thanos.
Physicality and Powers
Thanos’ physical presence was a crucial part of what made him such an effective villain. He was a Titan with superhuman strength, enhanced agility, and invulnerability. Even in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), where they didn’t fully adapt all his comic book powers—like flying or resisting psychic attacks—Thanos was still incredibly powerful. He could take on any of the Avengers in a fight, even without the Infinity Stones.
This was key because it meant that even if the heroes managed to take away the gauntlet, Thanos was still a formidable opponent. We saw this in the third act of Endgame when Thanos fought Iron Man, Thor, and Captain America using only his sword. His raw power and physicality made him a villain that the Avengers had to fear on every level.
Kang, on the other hand, doesn’t have the same physical presence. He’s just a human from the future with access to advanced technology and knowledge of different timelines. But if you strip away his armor and gadgets, he’s defenseless. He doesn’t have any superhuman abilities that allow him to go toe-to-toe with the Avengers in a physical fight.
In Quantumania, when his shields went down, he was left vulnerable and ultimately defeated by characters like Ant-Man and the Wasp—heroes who don’t have the same physical prowess as some of the other Avengers. This lack of physical power is a major weakness for Kang as a villain. While he might be able to outsmart or outmaneuver some opponents with his technology, he doesn’t inspire the same fear or respect that Thanos did because he can’t physically dominate the heroes in the same way.
Thanos’ ability to overpower any of the Avengers with his bare hands, even without the stones, set a high bar for what it means to be a truly terrifying villain. Kang’s reliance on technology makes him more vulnerable, and when that technology fails, so does he. This is a big reason why Kang hasn’t been able to establish himself as a credible threat in the same way Thanos did.
Motivations and Goals
Thanos’ motivations were clear and compelling from the start. In Infinity War, it was obvious what he wanted to achieve: obtain the Infinity Stones to eliminate half the population of the entire universe. His goal was to bring balance because he believed there weren’t enough resources for everyone. Thanos was portrayed as a fanatic, completely convinced that his actions were for the greater good. He wasn’t just a power-hungry tyrant; he truly believed in his mission.
This made him a more complex and interesting villain. He saw himself as altruistic and fair, willing to sacrifice even those he loved to achieve his goals. After defeating the Avengers in Infinity War, Thanos retired to live a quiet life on a farm, showing that he wasn’t interested in ruling the universe—just in fulfilling what he believed was his purpose. This made him a villain with depth, someone whose motivations, while twisted, were understandable.
Kang, on the other hand, suffers from a lack of clear motivations. From what we’ve seen of him in the MCU, his goals are confusing and inconsistent. Does he want to conquer? Take revenge on his variants for banishing him? Rewrite the entire multiverse? Or perhaps be the king of the multiverse?
The problem is, none of this has been clearly explained. We’ve seen Kang in three different projects, and yet, we still don’t have a solid understanding of what he actually wants to do. This makes it hard for audiences to connect with him or see him as a credible threat. In contrast to Thanos, whose motivations were laid out clearly and consistently, Kang’s unclear objectives make him a less compelling villain.
One of the strengths of Thanos was that, despite the flaws in his logic (like why he didn’t just increase the universe’s resources instead of halving its population), his motivations were still interesting. He reminded audiences of other complex villains like Magneto or Doctor Doom—characters who are morally wrong but can still make you see things from their perspective. Kang, however, hasn’t been able to convey his motivations in a way that resonates with the audience, leaving us unsure of what he truly wants or why we should fear him.
Narrative Impact and Victories
One of the key reasons Thanos worked so well as a villain was because he didn’t lose a single fight until Endgame. From the very beginning of Infinity War, Thanos is portrayed as an unstoppable force. We see him defeat Thor, kill Loki, kill Heimdall, and take down the Hulk all within the first few minutes of the movie. Throughout Infinity War, Thanos continues to dominate. He defeats Spider-Man, Iron Man, Doctor Strange, The Guardians, and even Captain America.
He also kills Gamora and Vision, and he stops Wanda from preventing the Snap. Despite a near-defeat by Thor, who almost kills him, Thanos still manages to snap his fingers and achieve his goal. By the end of the movie, Thanos wins. The final scene of Infinity War shows him smiling, victorious, because he did exactly what he set out to do. This made him a truly fearsome villain—one who was capable of beating all the Avengers and changing the universe forever.
Kang, on the other hand, has already been defeated multiple times. Every significant variant of Kang that we’ve seen so far has been beaten. He Who Remains was killed by Sylvie. Kang in Quantumania was defeated by Ant-Man, and we’ve seen other versions of Kang get taken down off-screen by their own variants. Even Victor Timely, a variant of Kang, dies repeatedly trying to fix the time loop.
The only versions of Kang that haven’t been defeated yet are those in the Council of Kangs, but given the track record, it’s hard to see them as serious threats. This pattern of defeat makes it difficult to take Kang seriously as a villain. It’s hard to imagine him as a true threat to the Avengers when he’s been beaten so many times already.
The problem with Kang is that we haven’t seen him achieve any significant victories. While Thanos was built up as an unbeatable force, Kang has been shown as someone who talks a lot about his power but can’t seem to win when it counts. The narrative impact of a villain is crucial in making them memorable, and Kang’s lack of victories has made it difficult for him to leave a lasting impression.
The only way to potentially fix this would be to have Kang deliver a major blow in the upcoming Kang Dynasty, such as killing an Avenger or destroying an entire universe. But as things stand, it might be too late for Kang to recover from the string of defeats he’s already suffered.
The Role of Variants and the Multiverse
One of the unique aspects of Kang as a villain is the concept of his multiple variants. In theory, this could make him an even bigger threat than Thanos because it’s not just one Kang that the Avengers have to deal with—there are potentially infinite versions of him across the multiverse. However, in practice, this concept has actually weakened Kang’s impact rather than strengthened it.
Thanos was a singular, unstoppable force. He was the one and only threat that the Avengers had to rally against, which made him more intimidating and allowed the story to build tension around his every move. Audiences knew that this one villain was a serious problem, and everything the Avengers did was focused on stopping him. This singular focus helped to build Thanos up as the ultimate big bad of the MCU.
Kang, on the other hand, is spread thin across multiple variants. The idea that there are many different Kangs with different abilities and knowledge of the future should theoretically make him a more complex and dangerous villain, but instead, it’s diluted his presence. Each Kang variant feels like just another version rather than the definitive villain that the Avengers need to defeat. This has made it harder for audiences to connect with Kang as a singular, menacing force. Instead of one clear villain, we have multiple versions, each with their own goals and motivations, which can be confusing and less impactful.
The concept of the multiverse and variants could have been an opportunity to make Kang an even more formidable villain, but without a clear and consistent portrayal of who Kang is and what he wants, it has made him less effective. Unlike Thanos, who had a clear, singular identity and purpose, Kang’s fragmented nature across the multiverse has made it difficult for him to resonate as a truly threatening antagonist.
Conclusion – Why Thanos Worked
In the end, the difference between Thanos and Kang as villains comes down to a few key factors that made Thanos an unforgettable adversary and left Kang struggling to connect with audiences. Thanos was introduced with mystery and built up as a powerful, singular threat who didn’t just talk about his plans—he executed them with devastating effect. His physicality, clear motivations, and consistent victories made him a villain that the Avengers and audiences alike had to take seriously.
Kang, on the other hand, has been all talk with little action. His introduction lacked the same impact as Thanos’, and his characterization has been more about explaining his powers and motivations than showing them in action. The reliance on multiple variants has diluted his presence, making it hard for audiences to see him as a singular, menacing force. His repeated defeats have further undermined his credibility as the next big villain in the MCU.
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