The MCU Just Fixed The Problem With Thanos’ Nickname

Episode 2 of Marvel’s What If…? addressed a protracted problem with Thanos’ nickname of the “Mad Titan” through a clever piece of rebranding in a dramatic scene. The name of “Mad Titan”, used to describe Thanos both in the comics and the films, has traditionally referred to Thanos’ zealous nature and genocidal goals. While it’s certainly true that Thanos’ priorities and outlooks don’t match with reality as it is perceived by those around him, the term being used as a slur is troubling — most people experiencing mental illness are, after all, more likely to be the victims of violence than its perpetrators.

In the episode, efforts are made to show that Thanos’ use of the title, at least from his perspective, refers to the power of his fury rather than mental illness. It makes for a dramatic moment and gives considerable gravitas to the battle with Thanos’ Infinity War and Endgame allies, the Black Order. If they can make it stick, Marvel will have taken a step forward with at least one of the representation issues that they’ve had with their long-running characters. However, it may not spread beyond What If…?, since Infinity War firmly established Thanos’ reputation and nickname in the mainline MCU, by his own admission. If this was a deliberate attempt to mend fences, more work will need to be done.

The characterization of Thanos in What If…? had him behaving considerably more reasonably than his movie counterpart. It is implied (although the precise method never explained) that T’Challa was able to dissuade Thanos from his goal of eliminating half of all life through reasoned persuasion. This does imply that Thanos’ fellow Titans were less persuasive in their efforts to talk him out of his scheme, making this off-camera heroic feat all the more impressive. If Thanos appears weak in episode 2 of What If…?, it may be because this portrayal of him is fighting for lower stakes; his anger doesn’t compare to the weight that he gave his great task in Infinity War.

As a rebranding, Thanos the Furious is clearly a work in progress within the universe of the episode. Over a thousand years old, Thanos’ epithet was assigned to him by fellow Titans hundreds of years before T’Challa was even born, and with the primary point of departure from the MCU occurring in 1988, his nickname was centuries old by that point. As this version of Thanos seems more sociable and reasonable, it could be a deliberate effort to change how he is perceived; in the moment, it could also be a simple play on his long-held nickname. Either way, a full reimagining of the “Mad Titan” as being the Angry Titan clashes with Thanos having ignored T’Challa’s solution when it was first presented by his fellow Titans, so long before the events of the episode.

Whether Thanos’ efforts at fixing the pejorative were deliberate, a moment’s wordplay, or an effort to reflect the changes made in the character to fit the story, this shift could work — if it is continued and built upon. It’s never easy to change a past perception, especially one that has been leaned into, but Thanos’ noted ability to conjure forth a great deal of anger when the situation calls for it makes this a possible fit. Already dead in the MCU, it will remain to be seen whether this effort continues into other What If…? episodes or storylines.