History Analysis / AvengersInfinityWar

In Avengers: Infinity War, the main goal of Thanos is that once he obtains all six Infinity Stones, he will use it to wipe out half of the Universe. Thanos's belief is that by culling half of the population, the species can survive as he proves with Gamora's homeworld. However the idea of removing half goes against Chinese Taoism.

In Chinese Taoism, there exists a balance of Yin and Yang, Light and Dark. One half is needed for the other to survive. When one is removed, there is imbalance. The theme of Chinese Taoism is prevalent throughout the movie. Each character has someone to complement the other.

Steve Rogers/Captain America has Bucky. Two friends now together again.

Tony Stark/Iron Man has Spider-Man. A mentor and his student.

Thor and Loki. Two Brothers reunited.

Rocket and Groot. Partners and Best Friends.

Peter Quill/Starlord and Gamora. Lovers.

Black Panther and Okoye. A King and the aide.

Vision with Wanda Maximoff. Lovers.

And the list goes on.

However due to Thanos's actions, he not only destroyed his enemies but he ruins himself. During his search for the Soul Stone, in his quest for his mad dream, he had to sacrifice the one he truly loves, his adopted daughter; Gamora. Gamora was Thanos's half. The theme of Yin and Yang reflects this in his last vision with Gamora when she was a child, the vision of Gamora asks what did his victory cost and Thanos replies everything. Thanos won but is now imbalanced. Steve lost the friend he worked so hard to get back, Tony lost his protege who was like a son to him and so on. By the end of the film, the balance has been disrupted and it needs to be restored.

Sacrifice appears to be the central theme of the movie. Six characters have to [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trolley_problem make a choice]] between an Infinity Stone (power to do the "greater good") and another person.

Two characters choose to sacrifice the Stone or its location for their sibling (Loki for Thor, Gamora for Nebula) as an ActOfTrueLove, and as a result both suffer death at the hand of Thanos. One character gives up the Stone for the life of an ally (Doctor Strange for Tony Stark) as a part of a BatmanGambit and in the end turns to ash. These sacrifices are ''accepted'': Thanos spares all three victims (Thor, Nebula, Tony), and all of them also survive the Snap.

Two characters choose to [[KillTheOnesYouLove sacrifice a loved one]] for the Stone at the other's request (Peter Quill attempts to kill Gamora, Wanda - Vision). Both sacrifices are praised by Thanos but ''rejected'': the reality turns out distorted by the Reality Stone, or the time is reversed by the Time Stone. Thanos gets both Stones and kills both victims (Gamora, Vision) anyway. In the end, those who made the choice (Quill, Wanda) also turn to ash.

Finally, Thanos himself chooses to sacrifice his daughter (Gamora) for the Stone without her consent. However, as Gamora puts it: "This isn't love". While Thanos appears to succeed horribly, this decision may very well lead to his demise.

The directors of the film stated that some of its major questions are: "What it costs to be a hero in a complicated world" and "Does the value of doing what's right outweigh the cost?" Thanos is an [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Utilitarianism utilitarian]] who believes that [[IDidWhatIHadToDo he does what he has to do]] to balance the supply (resources) and demand (population) and thus to achieve the greater good on a universal scale. From his standpoint, inability to sacrifice personal attachments to meet TheNeedsOfTheMany is a weakness and a sign of the lack of will.

Steve Rogers insists on the opposite: "We don't trade lives" of others (they are [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commensurability_(ethics) not interchangeable]]), we can only lay down our own. Taken UpToEleven by [[Creator/FyodorDostoevsky Dostoevsky]] : "The higher harmony is not worth the tears of one tortured child." From this standpoint, Thanos is a murderer "on a scale hitherto undreamt of", the characters who refused to trade the lives of their siblings for an abstract "greater good" and died for them are morally justified in their choice and have performed a HeroicSacrifice, and all the rest (Doctor Strange, Quill, Wanda) are in the grey area. (Quill having sworn on his mother's memory to fulfill [[ThePromise his promise]] to Gamora; and Wanda helping Vision to make ''his'' HeroicSacrifice after he assures her that she could never hurt him).

Thanos is a WellIntentionedExtremist who firmly believes that he is doing something honorable and selfless. He’s experienced the horrors that are possible when demand for resources overwhelms the available supply, but it never occurs to him that there may be more reasonable ways to resolve an OverpopulationCrisis. Even with the Gauntlet, which essentially makes him omnipotent, it doesn’t occur to him to increase the supply of resources or change the fertility rate. He refuses to listen to anyone else’s ideas and won’t adapt his thought process to accommodate new knowledge. It’s no coincidence that the beautiful pastoral landscape Thanos is transported to at the end closely resembles the vision that he showed the heroes of Titan before it was destroyed. Thanos is trapped by the pain of his past, rendering him unable to move on and grow. In the film’s closing minutes, he forces that same block onto the entire universe.

The most literal example of this idea happens when Thanos murders his favorite daughter, but there are several scattered throughout the film. Tony Stark and Pepper Potts discuss having a child together. Peter Quill’s anger and immaturity gets the better of him when he winds up helping Thanos escape Mantis’ grip. Wakanda as a nation went against centuries of tradition by revealing themselves to the world, and find themselves dealing with an alien invasion soon after. Tony Stark makes Spider-Man an Avenger. TeenGenius Shuri identifies a key aspect of Vision’s design that never even crossed the mind of Bruce Banner, the man who helped create him. It’s even PlayedForLaughs when Peter Parker and Peter Quill debate whether or not ''Film/FootLoose'' is a classic movie, or when the Guardians scold Groot, who’s acting like a petty teenager.

Thanos's motivations are clear from the start of ''Infinity War''; wanting to protect the universe from another extinction event like on Titan. It's also clear that Thanos feels like this is a necessary evil, but it's not immediately clear why he feels like ''he'' has to be the one to carry it out. But, once you study his interactions with other characters, it's suddenly very obvious.

Thanos still refers to Gamora as "little one", even though she's already well in her twenties. He calls Wanda - another woman in her twenties - "my child". His followers (and victims, judging by Ebony Maw's speech to the Asgardians) are called "the Children of Thanos."

Thanos sees the universe as children, and himself as the parent.

Thanos feels like ''he'' has to be the responsible one, because the rest of the universe refuses to be. He doesn't see the resistance posed by the Guardians and the Avengers as a clash between ideologies, but rather as a child throwing a tantrum as he's dragging them to the dentist. He has to do the right thing, whether the people affected like it or not.

Now contrast this to Tony Stark.

Tony's relationship to Peter Parker can only be described as paternal. It's a relationship that started in ''Film/CaptainAmericaCivilWar'', was built up further in ''Film/SpiderManHomecoming'', and is felt all throughout ''Infinity War''. One could also argue that Tony's interactions with Mantis, Star-lord, Drax and (arguably) Strange feel like an exasperated father trying to deal with a bunch of hyperactive children.

However, the big difference between Tony and Thanos is how they treat their "kids."

Thanos sees everyone around him as beneath him, too stupid and childish to know any better, leaving him as the responsible adult.

Tony, on the other hand, sees Peter and the Guardians as his equals. While he still treats them - Peter especially - like children ("Shut up, the adults are talking"), he ''doesn't'' act like he's the only capable person in the room.

Tony lets Peter come up with a plan to save Doctor Strange, which he then helps carry out, choosing it over his own plans. He lets Peter help steer the Q-ship, and instantly listens when Peter tells him to turn. He doesn't get angry at Drax for not listening to his plans ("Okay, Mr. Clean's on his own page"). His first impulse when Strange panics when coming out of his trance is to try and calm him down. He doesn't try to pull Peter out of the fight like in ''Civil War'', because he knows Peter can handle himself. He tries to calm Star-lord down after they learn about Gamora's death, and again when Mantis and Drax fall to dust. And when Strange chooses to sacrifice the Time Stone in exchange for Tony's life, he doesn't yell, instead opting for a quiet "Why would you ''do'' that?"

And when Tony and Thanos finally go toe-to-toe, their pre- and post-fight talk goes a bit different than what one might have come to expect.

Thanos doesn't treat Tony like a child, but as another adult, his equal. And in a way, Tony ''is.''

Just like it is no coincidence that everything surrounding Thanos seems to be child-themed, it's also no coincidence that the scene that enters Tony into this movie is one where he opens up to Pepper about wanting to have a baby with her. Tony and Thanos are two sides of the same coin. Thanos embodies the toxic and abusive side of parenthood in his treatment of Gamora and Nebula, while Tony embodies the healthy and supportive side in his relationship with Peter.

And at the end of ''Infinity War'', both of them have lost their surrogate children. However, while Thanos himself killed Gamora for what he perceived as the greater good, Tony had to watch Peter slowly die in his arms while he couldn't do anything to save him.

In an attempt to pin down abstract forces outside their control, Ancient Greeks came up with their many {{Anthropomorphic Personification}}s, such as Chronos for time, Ananke for destiny, Eros for love and Thanatos for death. Centuries later, Sigmund Freud suggested that all humans share a life instinct and a death drive, commonly called after the Greek gods -- Eros and Thanatos. When in 1970s Jim Starlin attended psychology classes, the idea served as an inspiration for his new comic book character -- the Mad Titan Thanos. In the comics, Thanos was in love with Lady Death and sowed destruction in an attempt to please her.


In ''Infinity War,'' Thanos is free of such concerns. He sees himself as an impersonal force that acts out of necessity, and thus is Ananke in the flesh. Not a petty god who craves worship but ''more'' than a god. (Hence his smirk at Loki's parting shot at him) And in his mind, death ''is'' [[NecessarilyEvil the necessity]], justifying his name. He convinced himself that he must kill half the universe, and the prospect [[AboveGoodAndEvil neither pleases nor disturbs]] him. As he tells Doctor Strange, sparing the other half is him showing mercy.


The heroes who oppose him, however, are very much human (even when they are talking raccoons). They want to live, and they share invisible bonds with one another that make it worth living -- those of love. And true to the source, "eros" and "thanatos" are intertwined.


Love kills -- Thanos uses Loki's and Gamora's feelings for their siblings to coerce them into giving up an Infinity Stone or its location, and then murders both of them. Love makes one kill -- Gamora appeals to Peter Quill's feelings for her and his mother to ensure that he kills her, and Thor seeks {{revenge}} for a personal loss. Death triumphs over love -- despite all her struggles Wanda has to kill Vision, Thanos forswears his last glimpse of humanity by tossing Gamora off the cliff, and in the end those who are dear to heroes vanish into thin air.


However, the final part of this interplay is...[[DownplayedTrope less clear]] -- the one where [[ThePowerOfLove love saves]]. There are numerous smaller moments where [[ThePowerOfFriendship the power of Philia (friendship)]] helps to preserve people. Heimdall rescues Bruce Banner from Thanos, and though he is killed for his act, Bruce lives. Loki gives up the Space stone, but in doing so, saves Thor's life. Gamora risks the universe, but finally "takes a fall" for Nebula, and lets her live. Groot gives up his arm, but in doing so creates the weapon that saves Thor's life. Vision has plenty of time to escape Corvius Glave, but [[Film/AvengersAgeOfUltron being on the side of life]] chooses to save Captain America. Small sacrifices, undertaken by love, and those who were sacrificed for live beyond Thanos's cruel march.

But in the grand scale of things, heroes fail to prevent Thanos from gaining the Stones, to take the Gauntlet from him, to extract revenge and ultimately to protect the universe. The true horror of the film comes from the realization that love seems powerless in the face of death, and it cannot overcome.

However, the final part of this interplay is...[[DownplayedTrope less clear]] in the story -- the one where [[ThePowerOfLove love saves]]. There are numerous smaller moments where [[ThePowerOfFriendship the power of Philia (friendship)]] helps to preserve people. Heimdall rescues Bruce Banner from Thanos, and though he is killed for his act, Bruce lives. Loki gives up the Space stone, but in doing so, saves Thor's life. Gamora risks the universe, but finally "takes a fall" for Nebula, and lets her live. Groot gives up his arm, but in doing so creates the weapon that saves Thor's life. Vision has plenty of time to escape Corvius Glave, but [[Film/AvengersAgeOfUltron being on the side of life]] chooses to save Captain America. Small sacrifices, undertaken by love, and those who were sacrificed for live beyond Thanos's cruel march.

However, the final part of this interplay is...[[DownplayedTrope less clear]] in the story -- the one where [[ThePowerOfLove love saves]]. There are numerous smaller moments where [[ThePowerOfFriendship the power of Philia (friendship)]] helps to preserve people. Heimdall rescues Bruce Banner from Thanos, and though he is killed for his act, Bruce lives. Loki gives up the Space stone, but in doing so, saves Thor's life. Gamora risks the universe, but finally "takes a fall" for Nebula, and lets her live. Groot gives up his arm, but in doing so creates the weapon that saves Thor's life. Vision has plenty of time to escape Corvius Glave, but [[Film/AvengersAgeOfUltron being on the side of life]] chooses to save Captain America. Small sacrifices, undertaken by love, and by the end of it, those who were sacrificed for live beyond Thanos's cruel march.


And yet, in the grand scale of things, heroes fail to prevent Thanos from gaining the Stones, to take the Gauntlet from him, to extract revenge and ultimately to protect the universe, but that is not the worst thing. The true horror of the film comes from the realization that love seems powerless in the face of death, and it cannot overcome.


Which brings us to one additional sacrifice, and the one that actually points to something transcendent about the interplay of Love and Death: that Time is the only way to face Death and for Love to conquer. Dr. Stephen Strange is very much like Thanos in that he is strictly professional in all his interactions with others. He sees himself as a defending force, meant to shelter all of reality, and plans to use the Time stone as their greatest weapon against the Mad Titan. He runs into problems with this at first, but always keeps his perspective as clinical as possible. Defend the stone from Thanos, save life. He has affection for Wong, but they know that their duty comes long before any personal bonds. Hence how he told Iron Man he "wouldn't hesitate" to sacrifice him for the stone. And yet, a moment comes when he looks into the future, seeing 14 million possibilities, but only one where they can "win". And to that end, as the heroes clash and death seems imminent for Tony Stark, Strange gives up the time stone. The very thing he said he wouldn't do. When death comes for even him, he merely tells Tony that, "There was no other way." The fact of all his work before this points to the idea that victory of Love over Death will take time. That though Death will triumph over love today, there is a tomorrow when Love will conquer all.


Grief and pain rule The Avengers today, but [[RayOfHopeEnding this will not be the last word]].

However, the final part of this interplay is...[[DownplayedTrope less clear]] in the story -- the one where [[ThePowerOfLove love saves]]. We have countless smaller moments where [[ThePowerOfFriendship the power of Philia (friendship)]] helps to preserve people. Yes, Thanos was an unstoppable force, but love could still save in the small moments. Heimdall rescued Bruce Banner from Thanos, and though he was killed for his act, Bruce lived. Loki gave up the Space stone, but in doing so, saved Thor's life. Gamora risked the universe, but finally "took a fall" for Nebula's life, and let her live. Groot gave up his arm, but in doing so created the weapon that saved Thor's life. Vision had plenty of time to escape Corvius Glave, but [[Film/AvengersAgeOfUltron being on the side of life]] chose to save Captain America's life. Small sacrifices, undertaken by love, and by the end of it, those who were sacrificed for lived beyond Thanos's cruel march.


And yet, in the grand scale of things, Heroes fail to prevent Thanos from gaining the Stones, to take the Gauntlet from him, to extract revenge and ultimately to protect the universe, but that is not the worst thing. The true horror of the film comes from the realization that love seems powerless in the face of death, and it cannot overcome.


Which brings us to one additional sacrifice, and the one that actually points to something transcendent about the interplay of Love and Death: that Time is the only way to face Death and for Love to conquer. Dr. Stephen Strange is very much like Thanos in that he is strictly professional in all his interactions with others. He sees himself as a defending force, meant to shelter all of reality, and plans to use the Time stone as their greatest weapon against the Mad Titan. He runs into problems with this at first, but always keeps his perspective as clinical as possible. Defend the stone from Thanos, save life. He has affection for Wong, but they know that their duty comes long before any personal bonds. Hence how he told Iron Man he "wouldn't hesitate" to sacrifice him for the stone. And yet, a moment comes when he looks into the future, seeing 14 million possibilities, but only one where they can "win". And to that end, as the heroes clash and death seems imminent for Tony Stark, Strange gives up the time stone. The very thing he said he wouldn't do. When death comes for even him, he merely tells Tony that, "There was no other way." The fact of all his work before this points to the idea that victory of Love over Death will take time. That though Death will triumph over love today, there is a tomorrow when Love will conquer all. That despite the devastation, there are forces in play so that Death will not be the final word.

However, the final part of this interplay is...[[DownplayedTrope less clear]] in the story -- the one where [[ThePowerOfLove love saves]]. We have countless smaller moments where [[ThePowerOfFriendship the power of Philia (friendship)]] helps to preserve people. Yes, Thanos was an unstoppable force, but love could still save in the small moments. Heimdall rescued Bruce Banner from Thanos, and though he was killed for his act, Bruce lived. Loki gave up the Space stone, but in doing so, saved Thor's life. Gamora risked the universe, but finally "took a fall" for Nebula's life, and let her live. Groot gave up his arm, but in doing so created the weapon that saved Thor's life.

And yet, in the grand scale of things, Heroes fail to prevent Thanos from gaining the Stones, to take the Gauntlet from him, to extract revenge and ultimately to protect the universe, but that is not the worst thing. The true horror of the film comes from the realization that love is powerless in the face of death, and it cannot overcome.

'''Balance and Imbalance'''

'''Sacrifice'''

'''Maturation and Adaptation'''

'''Parenthood'''

'''Love and Death'''

In ''Infinity War,'' Thanos is free of such concerns. He sees himself as an impersonal force that acts out of necessity, and thus is Ananke in the flesh. Not a petty god who craves worship but ''more'' than a god. And in his mind, death ''is'' [[NecessarilyEvil the necessity]], justifying his name. He convinced himself that he must kill half the universe, and the prospect [[AboveGoodAndEvil neither pleases nor disturbs]] him. As he tells Doctor Strange, sparing the other half is him showing mercy.

However, one part is [[SubvertedTrope conspicuously absent]] from the story -- the one where [[ThePowerOfLove love saves]]. Heroes fail to prevent Thanos from gaining the Stones, to take the Gauntlet from him, to extract revenge and ultimately to protect the universe, but that is not the worst thing. The true horror of the film comes from the realization that love is powerless in the face of death, and it cannot overcome.

The arrows on both the SlidingScaleOfIdealismVersusCynicism and the scale of EmotionsVsStoicism are stuck in the outmost right position.

In an attempt to pin down abstract forces outside their control, Ancient Greeks came up with their many {{Anthropomorphic Personification}}s, such as Chronos for time, Ananke for destiny, Eros for love and Thanatos for death. Centuries later, Sigmund Freud suggested that all humans have a life instinct and a death drive, commonly called after the Greek gods -- Eros and Thanatos. When in 1970s Jim Starlin attended psychology classes, the idea served as an inspiration for his new comic book character -- the Mad Titan Thanos. In the comics, Thanos was madly in love with Lady Death and sowed death in an attempt to please her.

In ''Infinity War,'' Thanos is free of such concerns. He sees himself as an impersonal force that acts out of necessity, and thus is Ananke himself. Not a petty god who craves worship but ''more'' than a god. And in his mind, death ''is'' [[NecessarilyEvil the necessity]], justifying his name. He convinced himself that he must kill half the universe, and the prospect [[AboveGoodAndEvil neither pleases nor disturbs]] him. As he tells Doctor Strange, sparing the other half is him showing mercy.

Love causes death -- Thanos uses Loki's and Gamora's feelings for their siblings to coerce them into giving up an Infinity Stone or its location, and then murders both of them. Love makes one kill -- Gamora uses Peter Quill's feelings for her and his mother to make him kill her, and Thor wants {{revenge}} for a personal loss. Death triumphs over love -- despite all her struggles Wanda has to kill Vision, Thanos forswears his last glimpse of humanity by tossing Gamora off the cliff, and in the end those who are dear to heroes vanish into thin air.

The heroes who oppose him, however, are very much human (even when they are talking raccoons). They want to live, and they share invisible bonds with each another that make it worth living -- those of love. And true to the source, "eros" and "thanatos" are intertwined.

Love causes death -- Thanos uses Loki's and Gamora's feelings for their siblings to coerce them into giving up an Infinity Stone or its location, and then murders both of them. Love makes one kill -- Gamora uses Peter Quill's feelings for herself and his mother to make him kill her, and Thor wants {{revenge}} for a personal loss. Death triumphs over love -- despite all her struggles Wanda has to kill Vision, Thanos forswears his last glimpse of humanity by tossing Gamora off the cliff, and in the end those who are dear to heroes vanish into thin air.

Steve Rogers insists on the opposite: "We don't trade lives" of others (they are [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commensurability_(ethics) not interchangeable]]), we can only lay down our own. Taken UpToEleven by [[Creator/FyodorDostoevsky Dostoevsky]] : "The higher harmony is not worth the tears of one tortured child." From this standpoint, Thanos is a murderer "on a scale hitherto undreamt of", the characters who refused to trade the lives of their siblings for an abstract "greater good" and died for them are morally justified in their choice and have performed a HeroicSacrifice, and all the rest (Doctor Strange, Quill, Wanda) are in the grey area. (Quill having sworn on his mother's memory to fulfill [[ThePromise his promise]] to Gamora; and Wanda helping Vision to perform ''his'' HeroicSacrifice after he assures her that she could never hurt him).

Steve Rogers insists on the opposite: "We don't trade lives" of others (they are [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commensurability_(ethics) not interchangeable]]), we can only lay down our own. Taken UpToEleven by [[Creator/FyodorDostoevsky Dostoevsky]] : "The higher harmony is not worth the tears of one tortured child." From this standpoint, Thanos is a murderer "on a scale hitherto undreamt of", the characters who refused to trade the lives of their siblings for an abstract "greater good" and died for them are morally justified in their choice and have performed a HeroicSacrifice, and all the rest (Doctor Strange, Quill, Wanda) are in the grey area. (Quill having made a rather personal HeroicVow / ThePromise ''to'' Gamora about her father; and Wanda finally deciding to make a HeroicSacrifice ''of'' Vision.)

Steve Rogers insists on the opposite: "We don't trade lives" of others (they are [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commensurability_(ethics) not interchangeable]]), we can only lay down our own. Taken UpToEleven by [[Creator/FyodorDostoevsky Dostoevsky]] : "The higher harmony is not worth the tears of one tortured child." From this standpoint, Thanos is a murderer "on a scale hitherto undreamt of", the characters who refused to trade the lives of their siblings for an abstract "greater good" and died for them are morally justified in their choice and have performed a HeroicSacrifice, and all the rest (Doctor Strange, Quill, Wanda) are in the grey area. (Quill having made a rather personal HeroicVow/ThePromise ''to'' Gamora about her father; and Wanda finally deciding to make a HeroicSacrifice ''of'' Vision.)

Steve Rogers insists on the opposite: "We don't trade lives" of others (they are [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commensurability_(ethics) not interchangeable]]), we can only lay down our own. Taken UpToEleven by [[Creator/FyodorDostoevsky Dostoevsky]] : "The higher harmony is not worth the tears of one tortured child." From this standpoint, Thanos is a murderer "on a scale hitherto undreamt of", the characters who refused to trade the lives of their siblings for an abstract "greater good" and died for them are morally justified in their choice and have performed a HeroicSacrifice, and all the rest (Doctor Strange, Quill, Wanda) are in the grey area. (Quill having made a rather personal Heroic Vow/The Promise ''to'' Gamora about her father; and Wanda finally deciding to make a Heroic Sacrifice ''of'' Vision.)

Steve Rogers insists on the opposite: "We don't trade lives" of others (they are [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commensurability_(ethics) not interchangeable]]), we can only lay down our own. Taken UpToEleven by [[Creator/FyodorDostoevsky Dostoevsky]] : "The higher harmony is not worth the tears of one tortured child." From this standpoint, Thanos is a murderer "on a scale hitherto undreamt of", the characters who refused to trade the lives of their siblings for an abstract "greater good" and died for them are morally justified in their choice and have performed a HeroicSacrifice, and all the rest (Doctor Strange, Quill, Wanda) are in the grey area.

Take your pick. SlidingScaleOfIdealismVersusCynicism also applies. Note how those who made the most idealistic choice (Loki and Gamora) were punished for it the most, while the most cynical choice (Thanos's) bore most fruit. Or did it?

To quote Screen Prism’s [[https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ADMwOX30PLY video on the film]], the key reason why the cliffhanger ending affects the audience on such a visceral level is the fact that “the ''wrong'' characters disappear”. The majority of fans went into this movie expecting to see characters who’ve been part of the MCU for a while now be killed. Instead, all of the original Avengers are left standing, while much of the new guard, (in other words, the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe), turns to dust. Of course, it’s highly unlikely the deaths we saw will last past ''Avengers 4''. Not only do many of the dead have confirmed roles in upcoming movies, they’re necessary for the broader theme. The MCU is growing up, and for this franchise to have a future, so must its characters. But as for right now, this crisis belongs to the old guard. It’s up to them to assemble and set things right, to assure that they can pass the torch to the next generation of heroes.

Sacrifice appears to be the central theme of the movie. Six characters have to [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trolley_problem make a choice]] between an Infinity Stone (power to do "greater good") and another person.

The directors of the film stated that some of its major questions are: "What it costs to be a hero in a complicated world" and "Does the value of doing what's right outweigh the cost?" Thanos is an [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Utilitarianism utilitarian]] who believes that [[IDidWhatIHadToDo he does what he has to do]] to balance the supply (resources) and demand (population) and thus to achieve greater good on a universal scale. From his standpoint, inability to sacrifice personal attachments to meet TheNeedsOfTheMany is a weakness and a sign of the lack of will.

Take your pick. SlidingScaleOfIdealismVersusCynicism also applies. Note how those who made the most idealistic choice (Loki and Gamora) were punished for it the most, while the most cynical choice (Thanos's) bore most fruit.

Take your pick. SlidingScaleOfIdealismVersusCynicism also applies. Note how those who made the most idealistic choice (Loki and Gamora) were punished for it the most.

Steve Rogers insists on the opposite: "We don't trade lives" of others (they are [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commensurability_(ethics) not interchangeable]]), we can only lay down our own. Taken UpToEleven by [[Creator/FyodorDostoevsky Dostoevsky]] : "The higher harmony is not worth the tears of one tortured child." From this standpoint, Thanos is a murderer "on a scale hitherto undreamt of", the characters who refused to trade the lives of their siblings for an abstract "greater good" and died for that are morally justified in their choice and have performed a HeroicSacrifice, and all the rest (Doctor Strange, Quill, Wanda) are in the grey area.

Steve Rogers insists on the opposite: "We don't trade lives" of others (they are [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commensurability_(ethics) not interchangeable]]), we can only lay down our own. Taken UpToEleven by [[Creator/FyodorDostoevsky Dostoevsky]] : "The higher harmony is not worth the tears of one tortured child." From this standpoint, Thanos is a murderer "on a scale hitherto undreamt of", the characters who refused to trade the lives of their siblings for an abstract "greater good" are morally justified in their choice and have performed a HeroicSacrifice, and all the rest (Doctor Strange, Quill, Wanda) are in the grey area.

Steve Rogers insists on the opposite: "We don't trade lives" of others (they are [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commensurability_(ethics) not interchangeable]]), we can only lay down our own. Taken UpToEleven by [[Creator/FyodorDostoevsky Dostoevsky]] : "The higher harmony is not worth the tears of one tortured child." From this standpoint, Thanos is a murderer "on a scale hitherto undreamt of", the first two characters are morally justified in their choice and have performed a HeroicSacrifice, and all the rest (Doctor Strange, Quill, Wanda) are in the grey area.

Steve Rogers insists on the opposite: "We don't trade lives" of others (they are [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commensurability_(ethics) not interchangeable]]), we can only lay down our own. Taken UpToEleven by [[Creator/FyodorDostoevsky Dostoevsky]] : "The higher harmony is not worth the tears of one tortured child." From this standpoint, Thanos is a murderer "on a scale hitherto undreamt of", while the first three characters are morally justified in their choice and have performed a HeroicSacrifice.

Take your pick. SlidingScaleOfIdealismVersusCynicism also applies.

Three characters choose to sacrifice the Stone or its location for the life of the other and lose their own lives as a result (Loki for Thor, Gamora for Nebula, Doctor Strange for Tony Stark). For two of them, it is an ActOfTrueLove, for Doctor Strange - a BatmanGambit. These sacrifices are ''accepted'': Thanos spares the victims (Thor, Nebula, Tony), and all of them also survive the Snap.

Finally, Thanos himself chooses to sacrifice a loved one (Gamora) for the Stone without her consent. However, as Gamora puts it: "This isn't love". While Thanos appears to succeed horribly, this decision may very well lead to his demise.

The directors of the film stated that some of its major questions are: "What it costs to be a hero in a complicated world" and "Does the value of doing what's right outweigh the cost?". Thanos is an [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Utilitarianism utilitarian]] who believes that [[IDidWhatIHadToDo he does what he has to do]] to balance the supply (resources) and demand (population) and thus to achieve greater good on a universal scale. From his standpoint, inability to sacrifice personal attachments to meet TheNeedsOfTheMany is a weakness and a sign of the lack of will.

Steve Rogers insists on the opposite: "We don't trade lives" of others (they are [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commensurability_(ethics) not interchangeable]]), we can only lay down our own. Taken UpToEleven by [[Creator/FyodorDostoevsky Dostoevsky]] : "The higher harmony is not worth the tears of one tortured child." From this standpoint, Thanos is a murderer "on a scale hitherto undreamt of", while the first three characters are morally justified in their choice and performed a HeroicSacrifice.

Steve Rogers insists on the opposite: "We don't trade lives" of others (they are [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commensurability_(ethics) not interchangeable]]), we can only lay down our own. Taken UpToEleven by [[Creator/FyodorDostoevsky Dostoevsky]] : "The higher harmony is not worth the tears of one tortured child." From this standpoint, Thanos is a murderer "on a scale hitherto undreamt of" and the first three characters are morally justified in their choice and performed a HeroicSacrifice.

Steve Rogers insists on the opposite: "We don't trade lives" of others (they are [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commensurability_(ethics) not interchangeable]]), we can only lay down our own. Taken UpToEleven by [[Creator/FyodorDostoevsky Dostoevsky]] : "The higher harmony is not worth the tears of one tortured child." From this standpoint, Thanos is a murderer "on a scale hitherto undreamt of" and the first three characters are morally justified and performed a HeroicSacrifice.

Steve Rogers insists on the opposite: "We don't trade lives" of others (they are [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commensurability_(ethics) not interchangeable]]), we can only lay down our own. Taken UpToEleven by [[Creator/FyodorDostoevsky Dostoevsky]] : "The higher harmony is not worth the tears of one tortured child." From this standpoint, Thanos is a murderer "on a scale hitherto undreamt of" and the first three characters performed a HeroicSacrifice.

Steve Rogers insists on the opposite: "We don't trade lives" of others (they are [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commensurability_(ethics) not interchangeable]]), we can only lay down our own. Taken UpToEleven by [[Creator/FyodorDostoevsky Dostoevsky]] : "The higher harmony is not worth the tears of one tortured child." From this standpoint, Thanos is a murderer "on a scale hitherto undreamt of" and the first three characters are [[DoomedMoralVictor Doomed Moral Victors]] who performed a HeroicSacrifice.

Two characters choose to [[KillTheOnesYouLove sacrifice a loved one]] for the Stone ''at the other's request'' (Peter Quill attempts to kill Gamora, Wanda - Vision). Both sacrifices are praised by Thanos but ''rejected'': the reality turns out distorted by the Reality Stone, or the time is reversed by the Time Stone. Thanos gets both Stones and kills both victims (Gamora, Vision) anyway. In the end, those who made the choice (Quill, Wanda) also turn to ash.

Finally, Thanos himself chooses to sacrifice a loved one (Gamora) for the Stone ''without her consent''. However, as Gamora puts it: "This isn't love". While Thanos appears to succeed horribly, this decision may very well lead to his demise.