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Avengers: Infinity War directors explain why Thanos wants to wipe out half of all life in the universe

April 11, 2018 by Gary Collinson

Incredibly, we’re now just over a fortnight away from the release of Marvel’s hugely-anticipated superhero epic Avengers: Infinity War.

As previously mentioned by directors Anthony and Joe Russo, Josh Brolin’s Thanos is set to serve as the main character and focus of the movie, and so the filmmakers have been giving fans a little insight into the Mad Titan’s backstory, and his motivation for wanting to wipe out half of all life in the universe.

“Thanos is this virtually indestructible character who’s stronger than the Hulk, and has invincible skin,” the directors tell The Telegraph India. “He’s from a planet called Titan. Many years prior to the film his planet was experiencing a cataclysmic shift. They were running out of resources, and they were overpopulated. Thanos made a recommendation that they exterminate half the population randomly in order to save the rest of the population. Of course, the Titans rejected his notion, branded him a mad man, exiled him, and the planet ended up dying. So he has taken it upon himself to go planet-by-planet throughout the universe and wipe out half of the population of each planet as a way to correct the planet and bring it back into balance.”

The brothers also went on to discuss Thanos’ quest for the Infinity Stones, adding that: “Once he hears about the stones, he realises that if he can get hold of all of the Infinity Stones he can control the entire universe. With the snap of his fingers he could correct the universe permanently by removing 50 per cent of life from it. So, these are incredible stakes for our characters. If the Avengers were built for anything, it’s stopping Thanos from completing his goal.”

Whether they’ll succeed is another question. One we’ll have the answer to soon…

SEE ALSO: Avengers: Infinity War featurette showcases the Marvel family

SEE ALSO: More new footage in latest Avengers: Infinity War TV spots

An unprecedented cinematic journey ten years in the making and spanning the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe, Marvel Studios’ “Avengers: Infinity War” brings to the screen the ultimate, deadliest showdown of all time. The Avengers and their Super Hero allies must be willing to sacrifice all in an attempt to defeat the powerful Thanos before his blitz of devastation and ruin puts an end to the universe.

Avengers: Infinity War opens on April 27th 2018 and will feature an all-star cast including Robert Downey Jr. (Iron Man), Chris Evans (Captain America), Mark Ruffalo (Hulk), Chris Hemsworth (Thor), Scarlett Johansson (Black Widow), Jeremy Renner (Hawkeye), Chadwick Boseman (Black Panther), Tom Holland (Spider-Man), Sebastian Stan (Winter Soldier), Anthony Mackie (Falcon), Paul Rudd (Ant-Man), Paul Bettany (Vision), Elizabeth Olsen (Scarlet Witch), Don Cheadle (War Machine), Josh Brolin (Thanos), Benedict Cumberbatch (Doctor Strange), Benedict Wong (Wong), Chris Pratt (Star-Lord), Zoe Saldana (Gamora), Dave Bautista (Drax), Bradley Cooper (Rocket), Sean Gunn (Rocket, Kraglin), Vin Diesel (Groot), Karen Gillan (Nebula), Pom Klementieff (Mantis), Tessa Thompson (Valkyrie), Tom Hiddleston (Loki), Samuel L. Jackson (Nick Fury), Cobie Smulders (Maria Hill), Benicio Del Toro (The Collector), Danai Gurira (Okoye), Winston Duke (M’Baku) and Peter Dinklage and Terry Notary in as-yet-unrevealed roles.

Originally published April 11, 2018. Updated December 3, 2022.

Filed Under: Gary Collinson, Movies, News Tagged With: Avengers: Infinity War, Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe

About Gary Collinson

Gary Collinson is Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Flickering Myth. He is a film, television and digital content writer and producer, whose work includes the gothic horror feature The Baby in the Basket, suspense thriller Death Among the Pines, and horror franchise reboot Robert Returns. He is also the author of Holy Franchise, Batman! Bringing the Caped Crusader to the Screen.

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