The MCU’s Infinity Saga saw the Avengers eventually triumph over Thanos, but they had other chances to beat the Mad Titan. The early movies of the MCU saw the franchise build its Infinity Saga, which saw Thanos emerge as the MCU’s first big bad. His plan involved collecting the Infinity Stones and using them to reshape reality by eradicating half of all life in the universe. The Infinity Saga’s two-part finale, made up of Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame, first saw Thanos triumph, then later had the Avengers undo his victory and defeat him once and for all. It didn’t have to work out that way, though.
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The MCU’s Avengers movies actually had several opportunities for the heroes to beat Thanos that were ultimately missed. Had the Avengers been more proactive or a little luckier, they likely could have prevented Thanos from winning in Infinity War. Despite Doctor Strange seeing only one way to beat Thanos, the events leading up to that moment could have led to a far more favorable outcome had things gone a little differently.
6) All the Avengers & Guardians Facing Thanos On Earth
The third act of Avengers: Infinity War might contain some of the most awesome MCU moments, but Thanos might not have triumphed if the Avengers and the Guardians had all faced him in one place. Half of the heroes battled Thanos on Titan, with the other half then facing him in Wakanda. Had the heroes simply come together rather than chasing Thanos across the galaxy, they likely would have been able to overcome him before he managed to take all six Infinity Stones.
5) Aiming For The Head
Going toe-to-toe with Thanos is one of Thor’s most impressive feats of power in the MCU, but, as the Mad Titan himself identified, the hero could have actually done better. After arriving at the Battle of Wakanda with Stormbreaker, Thor buries the axe in Thanos’ chest, only for the villain to tell him he should’ve aimed for the head. Had Thor actually done so, he quite possibly would have killed Thanos there and then, preventing the villain from using the Infinity Stones.
4) Calling In The Eternals
The Eternals rank among the MCU characters introduced after Endgame that could have beaten Thanos, but their debut established that they had been present on Earth all along. In fact, Eternals also established that Thor knew of their existence and, had they been asked to join the fight against Thanos, things might have gone very differently. The combined powers of the Eternals working to stop Thanos alongside the Avengers would undoubtedly have turned the tables in the heroes’ favor, meaning that if they’d simply been asked to help, Thanos might never have managed to win.
3) Destroying The Infinity Gauntlet
It might seem a pretty crude method of thwarting Thanos, but technically, there’s no reason that simply destroying his Infinity Gauntlet before he could fill it with Infinity Stones wouldn’t have worked. Seemingly made from gold and supposedly crafted in the heat of a dying star, the Gauntlet would likely have proven difficult to destroy. However, simply melting it down or even badly damaging it would likely have at least stalled Thanos long enough for the heroes of the MCU to find a way to stop the villain.
2) Using The Time Stone To Rapidly Age Thanos To Death
One of Avengers: Infinity War‘s key plot points saw Thanos take one of the MCU’s Infinity Stones, the Time Stone, from Doctor Strange. However, Strange could have used the powerful Stone while it was still in his possession to rapidly age Thanos. He had previously demonstrated the ability to move an apple through time without practice, so there’s no reason to assume that Strange would have been unable to do so with Thanos. It would have been a horrific end for the Mad Titan, but it could also have saved many lives if Doctor Strange had reacted a little quicker.
1) Star-Lord Keeping His Emotions In Check
Star-Lord’s actions in Avengers: Infinity War saw fans blame him for Thanos’ eventual victory. After cornering and restraining the Mad Titan, the Avengers and Guardians were in the process of removing his Infinity Gauntlet when Star-Lord lost control and attacked the villain. Doing so broke Mantis’ concentration and allowed Thanos to break free, but had Star-Lord just managed to control his emotions better, the heroes could have stopped Thanos before he managed to amass all six Infinity Stones.
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Courtesy of Bones Film
