Thanos is a different kind of villain. Unlike Emperor Palpatine of Star Wars or Sauron of Lord of the Rings or Lord Voledemort of Harry Potter, Thanos doesn't hunger and thirst after power for power's sake, or to be worshiped, or to conquer worlds to rule over them. Thanos seeks power for a specific, unexpected purpose: saving the universe.
One of the most prominent themes in Avengers: Infinity War is sacrifice. Thanos shows himself willing to commit the most extreme and heart-rending acts to save the universe in the way that he believes it needs saving. His sacrifices, though misguided, are great. Thanos weighs each sacrifice, and never acts unnecessarily. Throughout Infinity War, Thanos has opportunity to dispose of Avengers along the way, but spares them. He doesn't display open hostility, but humanity under all of his power. Interestingly, the Avengers themselves are far more reluctant to show the same level of dedication to save the universe from Thanos. A handful of them come to realize what this war will cost and the sacrifices they must make, but too late.
The opening moments of Avengers: Infinity War very nearly paint Thanos as cliche, but as the rest of the movie unfolds, we discover the most complex and layered villain in the MCU to date. Every strength-filled movement, from his soldierly stride to his tender handling of a child, commands respect. Thanos is solemnly wise, projecting confidence in every word, yet never arrogance. He approaches each infinity stone with reverence and caution, carefully and purposefully wielding their power. His motive is balance; a perfect reflection of who Thanos himself is. He is both scholar and soldier, ruthless leader and heartbroken father, resolute and reflective. Michael Canva of The Washington Post says of Thanos, "...one key element in his larger, mad makeup is his deep, reflective intelligence."
Thanos's depth and complexity effectively create a villain whose powers, characteristics, and motivations exist completely on their own, rather than as an antithesis to a particular protagonist. Captain America: The First Avenger pitted the all-American hero against a super Nazi. Ant-Man had Yellow Jacket to fight. The first Iron Man gave us Obadiah Stone, who ultimately donned his own Iron Man suit to fight Tony. Stephen Strange learned the powers of the mystic arts, naturally Kaecilius must come along and threaten those rules. Villains often (though not always) exist to demonstrate a specific point about their adversaries, but Thanos's greatness as the antagonist is largely due to the fact that he is not a contrivance to force our hero/es to face their inner demons or question their own strength, though they may as a byproduct of their encounters with him; Thanos simply is. In Avengers: Infinity War, Thanos is the focus of the story, and his interactions with the Avengers serve to demonstrate who he is, rather than the other way around.
Part of the genius of the character of Thanos is how masterfully we're led to see things from his perspective. Thanos's ultimate plan is a universal genocide, wiping out half the population of every planet without regard for age, gender, or social class for the purpose of conserving the universe's resources. Thanos has been accomplishing this by way of invasion and war for decades, and the planets that have benefited from his "mercy" have prospered as a result. Yet at no point does it seem that Thanos takes this mission lightly. He almost seems to agree with any criticisms of his plan being madness, yet holds firmly to the will to do what is necessary. His actions are evil, but not without purpose, and not for evil's sake. Thanos is relentless, and many lives are lost at his hands, and yet even with all that, you can't help but respect him.
The peerless writing of Joe and Anthony Russo in creating Thanos lays the framework for the incomparable character; Josh Brolin's stunning performance sells it. The miracle of motion-capture technology allows every nuance in Brolin's expressions to contribute to Thanos's emotional intensity. Following his most heinous act, horror and brokenness are evident in his nonhuman face. The steadiness of his voice conveys a rarely shaken resolve and tenacity that needs no raised tones or grand speeches to bring his enemies to a halt. Even in a personal moment shared with Dr. Strange, Thanos's tender reflections show not lunacy, but conviction. In the way he rests a hand on his knee and looks contemplatively at the ruined planet, in the way he fills the softly spoken line "I'm a survivor" with dignity and remorse, in the way that he smiles lightly yet genuinely, in the way that he sits very fatherly next to his daughter on a step rather than on his throne, Brolin's pristine performance weaves a Thanos that is compellingly, unsettlingly, empathetic.
The MCU has many more stories to tell and conflicts to solve, but the stakes will never be higher than they are in Infinity War and its forthcoming subsequent movie. In all the stories told, and all the stories yet to come, Thanos will always be one of the greatest villains, perhaps the greatest of the MCU. Excellently developed with minimal exposition, and elegantly constructed of the things we admire most and fear most, Thanos is not just superb villain, but a fascinating character.
