Thanos’ philosophy in the Marvel Cinematic Universe gets a surprising response from The Boys’ Homelander actor Antony Starr.
In the MCU movies, Thanos believes that half of all life needs to be eliminated from the universe in order to restore balance. While he has valid concerns about overpopulation, dwindling resources, and long-term survival, it is generally agreed upon that the villain goes too far when he erases half of all life at the end of Avengers: Infinity War, and that this nullifies any good intentions he had.
While answering questions in a video for Wired, Starr acknowledges that what Thanos does is “horrible,” but also argues that there is merit behind the character’s thinking. He argues that this kind of complexity is what makes audiences fascinated by villains like Thanos and Homelander, despite the latter’s difference in philosophy and intention. Check out Starr’s comments below:
He was doing a horrific thing, but he had such a good philosophy behind it about balancing the universe. And there’s a little part of me that’s like, “He’s got a pretty good point.”
I don’t think Homelander has anywhere the same philosophy or intention, but … the point being, he’s complex. There’s more to him than just the bad guy, and I think people respond to that.
Starr’s outlook can be considered a hot take, although believing that Thanos was right is a perspective that exists within the MCU. This includes bathroom graffiti Clint Barton sees in Hawkeye that says “Thanos was right” and the Flag Smashers in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier who believe life was better when half the population was gone.
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01
The Ultimate Universe (Earth-1610) was launched in 2000 with a reimagined version of Marvel’s most popular teenage superhero. Which comic series kicked off the Ultimate line?
AThe Ultimates
BUltimate X-Men
CUltimate Spider-Man
DUltimate Fantastic Four
✓ Correct! Ultimate Spider-Man #1, written by Brian Michael Bendis with art by Mark Bagley, launched in October 2000 and retold Peter Parker’s origin for a modern audience. It became the flagship title of the Ultimate line and ran for 160 issues.
✗ That answer didn’t survive Ultimatum! The answer is Ultimate Spider-Man. Written by Brian Michael Bendis, it was the first Ultimate title, debuting in 2000. The Ultimates and Ultimate X-Men followed in 2001, while Ultimate Fantastic Four didn’t launch until 2004.
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02
In the Ultimate Universe, Peter Parker’s Spider-Man eventually died heroically. A new character then took up the Spider-Man mantle and later crossed over into the main Marvel universe. Who is this character?
ABen Reilly
BMiguel O’Hara
CMiles Morales
DGwen Stacy
✓ Correct! Miles Morales debuted in Ultimate Fallout #4 (2011) after Peter Parker’s death in the “Death of Spider-Man” storyline. Created by Brian Michael Bendis and Sara Pichelli, Miles became one of Marvel’s most beloved characters and later migrated to Earth-616 after Secret Wars (2015).
✗ That answer didn’t survive Ultimatum! The answer is Miles Morales. Ben Reilly is the Scarlet Spider clone from Earth-616, Miguel O’Hara is Spider-Man 2099, and while Gwen Stacy existed in the Ultimate Universe, she didn’t become Spider-Woman there — that’s Earth-65’s Spider-Gwen.
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03
The Ultimates was the Ultimate Universe’s version of the Avengers. This series reimagined the team as a government-sponsored superhero squad. Who wrote the influential first two volumes of The Ultimates?
ABrian Michael Bendis
BMark Millar
CJeph Loeb
DJonathan Hickman
✓ Correct! Mark Millar, alongside artist Bryan Hitch, created The Ultimates (2002) and The Ultimates 2 (2004). Their cinematic, widescreen approach to superhero storytelling heavily influenced the Marvel Cinematic Universe, particularly the first Avengers film.
✗ That answer didn’t survive Ultimatum! The answer is Mark Millar. Bendis wrote Ultimate Spider-Man and Ultimate X-Men, Jeph Loeb took over the Ultimates later with volume 3, and Jonathan Hickman wrote the 2024 Ultimate Universe relaunch. Millar and Bryan Hitch defined The Ultimates.
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04
In the Ultimate Universe, many characters were dramatically different from their main universe counterparts. Ultimate Reed Richards underwent a shocking transformation, becoming a major villain. What villain name did Ultimate Reed Richards adopt?
AThe Thinker
BThe Maker
CDoctor Doom
DMolecule Man
✓ Correct! The Maker is one of the most terrifying villains to come out of the Ultimate Universe. After being rejected by Sue Storm and experiencing a mental breakdown, Ultimate Reed Richards turned evil, stretching his brain to enhance his already genius-level intellect and becoming a multiversal threat.
✗ That answer didn’t survive Ultimatum! The answer is The Maker. The Thinker is a different FF villain, Doctor Doom is a separate character entirely (though Ultimate Doom was Victor Van Damme), and Molecule Man is an Earth-616 entity. The Maker survived Secret Wars and became a major threat across the multiverse.
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05
The Ultimate Universe suffered a catastrophic event that killed off many major characters and dramatically changed the line’s direction. What was this controversial crossover event called?
AUltimatum
BCataclysm
CSecret Wars
DUltimate Fallout
✓ Correct! Ultimatum (2008–2009), written by Jeph Loeb, saw Magneto use Thor’s hammer to reverse Earth’s magnetic poles, causing massive global devastation. Characters like Wolverine, Daredevil, Doctor Strange, and many others were killed, making it one of the most controversial Marvel events ever.
✗ That answer didn’t survive Ultimatum! The answer is, ironically, Ultimatum itself. Cataclysm was a later event involving Galactus attacking the Ultimate Universe, Secret Wars (2015) ended the Ultimate Universe entirely, and Ultimate Fallout dealt with the aftermath of Peter Parker’s death.
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06
Ultimate Nick Fury was redesigned to look very different from his main universe counterpart. His new appearance was so popular that it influenced a major casting decision in the MCU. Who was Ultimate Nick Fury visually modeled after?
ADenzel Washington
BWesley Snipes
CSamuel L. Jackson
DLaurence Fishburne
✓ Correct! Artist Bryan Hitch, with Mark Millar’s approval, deliberately modeled Ultimate Nick Fury after Samuel L. Jackson in The Ultimates. Jackson himself gave permission for his likeness to be used, and was later cast as Nick Fury in the MCU — one of the most perfect comics-to-film casting decisions ever.
✗ That answer didn’t survive Ultimatum! The answer is Samuel L. Jackson. Bryan Hitch specifically used Jackson’s likeness when redesigning Nick Fury for The Ultimates. Jackson actually gave his blessing, reportedly in exchange for first refusal on any film role — which led to his iconic MCU casting.
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07
The Ultimate Universe was eventually destroyed during Jonathan Hickman’s Secret Wars (2015) event, with some characters migrating to the main Marvel universe (Earth-616). Which of these characters did NOT originate in the Ultimate Universe?
AMiles Morales
BThe Maker (Reed Richards)
CKamala Khan
DJimmy Hudson
✓ Correct! Kamala Khan (Ms. Marvel) was created for the main Earth-616 universe, debuting in Captain Marvel #14 (2013) and getting her own series in 2014. Miles Morales, The Maker, and Jimmy Hudson (Wolverine’s son) all originated in the Ultimate Universe before crossing over.
✗ That answer didn’t survive Ultimatum! The answer is Kamala Khan. She was created by G. Willow Wilson and Sana Amanat for the main Marvel universe (Earth-616), not the Ultimate Universe. Miles Morales, The Maker, and Jimmy Hudson (Ultimate Wolverine’s son) all came from Earth-1610.
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08
In 2024, Marvel relaunched the Ultimate Universe with a new line of comics set on a reimagined Earth-6160. This new Ultimate Universe features a world where who has secretly controlled everything from behind the scenes?
AThanos
BThe Maker (Reed Richards)
CDoctor Doom
DMagneto
✓ Correct! In Jonathan Hickman’s 2024 Ultimate Universe relaunch, The Maker (Ultimate Reed Richards) has secretly reshaped Earth-6160 from behind the scenes, preventing many heroes from ever gaining their powers and manipulating global events. The new Ultimate line follows heroes discovering and resisting his hidden influence.
✗ That answer didn’t survive Ultimatum! The answer is The Maker (Reed Richards). In the 2024 Ultimate Universe relaunch by Jonathan Hickman, The Maker has been secretly pulling strings on Earth-6160, suppressing the emergence of superheroes and reshaping the world to his design. He is the central antagonist of the new Ultimate line.
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While some disagree about Thanos’ philosophy, the one thing that nearly everyone agrees on is the character being a compelling villain. Six years after Avengers: Infinity War and seven after Avengers: Endgame, Thanos is still widely regarded as one of the more complicated and fascinating antagonists, largely because of his philosophy and the reasons behind it, which distinguishes him from the more standard villains who are only after power or revenge.
The Boys’ Homelander does not have a philosophy or intention that overlaps with Thanos, with Homelander being driven by his narcissism as opposed to any extreme ideas about how to save the universe. As Starr points out, though, they are both villains elevated by their complexity. Instead of just being an evil version of Superman, The Boys digs into the childhood trauma and deep insecurities that make Homelander the simultaneously ruthless and pathetic villain that he is.
After a memorable journey, Thanos has an equally memorable ending, with his final scene opposite Tony Stark being among the most iconic to come out of pop culture in the past decade. With two episodes left to go in The Boys season 5 as of this writing, Homelander’s ending in the Prime Video series has yet to be revealed. Due to many changes that have already been made, it will have to be different from the ending in the comics.
If Homelander’s ending is well-received, it has the potential to have the same kind of enduring impact of Thanos’ conclusion in Avengers: Endgame and across the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
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