Thanos may have scored an impressive reputation as the main antagonist of the MCU's opening stretch, but there's one aspect of his character that doesn't command as much respect as his overall villainous demeanor. Thanos' design has always detracted from his ability to intimidate, and science fiction author Brandon Sanderson has spoken up about how the character's comic design detracts from his MCU counterpart.

On his YouTube channel, Brandon Sanderson sat down with Dan Wells during a page g and discussed various villains and what they thought of them. Eventually, Thanos was introduced in the conversation, and Sanderson had critiques about the design of this iconic Marvel foe. In reference to the MCU's decision to adapt Thanos as part of the Infinity Saga, he said:

You're gonna take Kevin Feige, you're gonna take the Russo Brothers, you're gonna say, "Alright, it to be Thanos. [...] If you were gonna design Thanos, would you make him look like this?" And everyone would be like, "No. If we're gonna make the big bad of the biggest movie series of all time, he's not gonna be a big purple guy with chin wrinkles. We're gonna come up with something cooler." But they had to do Thanos. [...] He's kind of dumb. It's one of those things where you throw all these things at the wall and you happen to write a really interesting character, and that's the design he has, so you're stuck with him.

While Thanos ended up being a successful character within the MCU, Sanderson's concerns suggest that his design from the comics has held him back from living up to his full potential as a threat to the Avengers.

"He's Kind of Dumb": Thanos' Design in the Comics May Have Sabotaged the MCU

Brandon Sanderson Criticizes Thanos, Pointing Out Flaws in His Design

As memorable as Thanos is due to his role in obtaining the Infinity Stones within both Marvel's comics and its cinematic universe, it can't be denied that Sanderson has a point when it comes to his design being "dumb". He may be cooler on the big screen, but in the original comics, he's definitely more goofy than other comic villains. With his big purple chin, in addition to laughable gimmicks like his Thanos-Copter, Thanos hardly looks like a threat. He does become legitimately menacing once he completes the Infinity Gauntlet, but it's still hard to look past his physical appearance.

Unfortunately, as Sanderson touched upon, the MCU was stuck with adapting Thanos' design once the Infinity Saga zeroed in on that overarching narrative. In the comics' The Infinity Gauntlet event, the Mad Titan famously went after the Infinity Stones, and the MCU ended up portraying its own version of that story. To do so, Thanos was a necessity, but the ridiculousness of his comic counterpart wouldn't blend well with the more grounded live-action take on Marvel lore. As such, changes needed to be made, though the MCU was stuck with retaining core aspects of the design so that Thanos would be recognizable.

The MCU Toned Thanos Down, But His Design Is Still Silly to Some

Is It Too Late to Make Thanos Look Cool? Marvel Will Keep Trying

The MCU's Thanos ended up combining his comic features with a more realistic approach so that he wouldn't be as silly-looking as the version from the original story. He traded his usual bright armor for a more subtle look that helped him appear less "cartoon-ish". Still, Sanderson has a point; Thanos, despite the MCU's efforts, can't help but look comical with his purple skin and wrinkled chin. The comics have since taken a similar approach by leaning less into gimmicks like the infamous helicopter, yet it seems that Thanos will always be difficult to take seriously due to his design.

Source: YouTube