Marvel Studios has revealed yet another hero capable of taking down the Mad Titan himself. Once the ultimate villain of the Infinity Saga, Thanos (Josh Brolin) has now been bested several times across different corners of the Marvel multiverse. The newest Disney+ series from Marvel Studios marks the fifth time the cosmic conqueror has met his defeat, proving that even the mightiest can fall.
Marvel Studios' Marvel Zombies delivered closure to a four-year-old What If...? cliffhanger, and with it, another shocking defeat for Thanos. Picking up five years after the 2021 episode "What If... Zombies?!," the new series revisits the moment when Spider-Man, Scott Lang, and T'Challa arrived in Wakanda only to face a zombified Thanos wielding five Infinity Stones.
Episode 3 reveals the full scope of that battle through Peter Parker's narration, describing how the infected Thanos' power was hindered by his deteriorating mind.
As Thanos ravaged Wakanda's Golden City and unleashed the molten vibranium beneath it, Thor, Groot, and Rocket briefly joined the fight... only to be instantly vaporized by the Power Stone.
With the Mind Stone as their last hope, T'Challa took on the mantle of savior, using it to strike Thanos before realizing the only way to stop him for good. The hero, following in the footsteps of many before him, tackled Thanos into the reactor core, killing them both and preventing another Snap.
The Infinity Stones shattered in the explosion, releasing a devastating energy storm that warped reality itself, setting the stage for Infinity Hulk in the final episode of the series.
While this was a turning point in Marvel Zombies, this is far from the first time Thanos has been defeated in a Marvel Studios project.
4 Heroes Who Defeated Thanos
Thor
In the thunderous opening of Avengers: Endgame (2019), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), still burdened by his failure in Infinity War, unleashes an act of (pointless) vengeance that defines the character's dark path for the next five years.
After tracking down the post-Snap Thanos to his remote garden, Thor joins the Avengers' interrogation in search of the missing Infinity Stones (which have been reduced to atoms).
Consumed by rage and grief, he summons Stormbreaker (one of the most powerful weapons) and decapitates Thanos swiftly, delivering one of the best MCU "defeats" ever, as the villain died victorious.
Iron Man
At the climax of Avengers: Endgame, Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) completes his journey from playboy to selfless savior.
As the final battle engulfs the ruins of the Avengers compound, Stark sneakily snatches the Infinity Stones from Thanos' gauntlet and says, "I am… Iron Man," before snapping his fingers.
His iconic sacrifice delivers both vengeance and closure to the Infinity Saga, which makes the actors' return as Doctor Doom all the more controversial and confusing.
Illuminati
In Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, the Illuminati of Earth-838 are revealed to have already defeated their version of Thanos, showcasing the strength of their Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch).
Formed by a variant Doctor Strange to protect reality, the team includes Professor X (Patrick Stewart), Reed Richards (John Krasinski), Black Bolt (Anson Mount), Captain Marvel (Lashana Lynch), Captain Carter (Hayley Atwell), and Baron Mordo (Chiwetel Ejiofor).
During their universe's Infinity War, they use the Book of Vishanti to turn Thanos' own weapon against him, killing the Titan before a Snap could occur. In this universe, Stephen Strange posed much more of a threat, needing to die after Thanos.
Ravager T'Challa
In What If...? Season 1, Episode 2, a variant T'Challa, raised by the Ravagers instead of ruling Wakanda, "defeats" Thanos not through combat but conviction.
On this timeline, T'Challa persuades the Mad Titan to abandon his genocidal plan for balance, exposing its moral flaws. Redeemed, Thanos joins T'Challa and the Ravagers to battle greater evils like the Collector, preventing the Snap and reshaping the universe into one of unexpected hope.
BONUS: Infinity Ultron
Sticking to the animated multiverse stories, in What If...? Season 1, Episode 8, Infinity Ultron (Ross Marquand) eliminates Thanos in seconds.
After wiping out humanity and seizing Vision's body, Ultron collects the Infinity Stones and instantly vaporizes Thanos with a single blast.
Wielding godlike power and no restraint, Ultron's kill highlighted ambition, forcing The Watcher (Jeffrey Wright) to finally intervene to save reality itself.
BONUS: Killmonger
Finally, in What If...? Season 2, Episode 9, Killmonger (Michael B. Jordan) betrays Thanos in a power grab, using the Infinity Stones to snap the Titan out of existence (one of seven times the villain has died).
Recruited by The Watcher for a multiversal crisis, Killmonger's ambition soon consumes him as he turns on his team to claim ultimate power.
