One of the great things about the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the longevity it has cultivated within its fandom is that a lot of the films and shows prompt discussion, debate, intrigue, and appreciation that lasts for years. Though we’re eight years removed from Avengers: Infinity War, you’re still going to find “Thanos was right” discussions somewhere on the internet to this day. On top of that, there’s a memeification to the MCU that is often unappreciated, which results in these memes taking on a life beyond Marvel fandom and simply becoming shorthand for every online denizen.
MCU memes have been a foundational piece of the internet since it began back in 2008, even if they weren’t as ubiquitous a piece of online life as they are now. One of the earliest examples was Tom Hiddleston as Loki crying out “Tell me!” from 2011’s Thor, which is on par with Steve Rogers’ “I understood that reference” from The Avengers. Perhaps the biggest is one that Marvel themselves didn’t even create, but which sprung to life, as many memes do, by accident: What was Thanos cooking in Avengers: Endgame? Now, Marvel is prepared to actually answer the question that has taken the internet by storm.
Marvel Will Finally Reveal What Thanos Was Cooking In His Endgame Soup
On November 29, 2020, the popular YouTube channel New Rockstars, who have made a name for themselves as very thorough examiners of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, posted a video titled “THANOS Death Scene in Avengers Endgame: What Was He Cooking? | BQ Bites.” The video was no different than any other that the channel has uploaded, simply the host, Erik Voss, answering user-submitted questions, but it came accompanied with an immediately iconic thumbnail, seen above.
To his credit, Voss answered the question of “What was Thanos cooking on the farm planet in Endgame?” quite earnestly, theorizing that perhaps the alien ingredients seen in the film equated to some kind of alien Butternut squash stew (Voss also notes that Thanos clearly seasons his food, which implies he has taste buds, a level of detail that even the Russos almost certainly didn’t consider). This was just the beginning, though, as the thumbnail posted for the video quickly went viral and created a whole new category of meme, one used in response to either confusion about what a basketball organization may be considering with a player trade or to mock someone playing Super Smash Bros. who makes a peculiar choice.
All of that is to say that this fall, Marvel Studios will officially answer the question, “What was he cooking?” This week saw confirmation from Simon & Schuster that Marvel Studios: The Official Cookbook will be released later this year. Featuring recipes inspired by the Marvel Cinematic Universe, including notable favorites from the films like “Another!” coffee and Team Schawarma, the table of contents page for the book also reveals two words that have sent Marvel fans spiraling: Thanos’ soup. Come this September, the question turned meme will finally have an answer, and we’ll have to wait and see if it’s actually seasoned butternut squash stew or not.
