Darkseid vs. Thanos: Which Super Villain Better Dominates Cinema?
The debate of who is the best super villain is often left unanswered but when looking closely at Zack Snyder’s Justice League and The MCU’s Avengers franchise, the answer becomes a little clearer as to who dominates the screen.
With all the villains in superhero history it is commonly known that two cinematic figures battle for the title of best villain, DC’s Darkseid and Marvel’s Thanos. When looking to film, both characters have had their stories told in their entirety.
Essentially, this debate could depend on whether you preferred Marvel’s Avengers movies or Zack Snyder’s Justice League movies but in saying that, both characters representation in cinema has been astronomically successful so, the real question is: who has had a bigger impact on cinema?
Both characters seamlessly emerged into their retrospective franchises without much of an introduction. Thanos and Darkseid both appeared with dramatic villainous entrances which avid fans had been waiting for. Darkseid in The Justice League (2021) Synder cut when Steppenwolf discovered the Anti-Life Equation on Earth and Thanos during a series of small cameos, firstly in Avengers (2012).
If unfamiliar with each characters origins, not much is displayed through their movies. Although small details are revealed with time, Darkseid in particular is somewhat thrown into the DC franchise with little to no understanding of his intentions or goals. A character of his severity and importance deserved a rightful introduction but he was instead abruptly merged into the storyline with little to no build up. Again, it is wrong to assume all viewers are aware of Darkseid’s presence in the DC Universe and he should have been integrated into the narrative over several films not just one. Similarly to the way Thanos was graciously and strategically developed into Avengers movies but also Guardians of the Galaxy (2014).
Thanos, The Mad Titan’s backstory and development has been given room to grow on screen, we learn of his relationship with his daughters, an integral element to his character and his intentions with the infinity stones early on. Thanos has appeared in five MCU features to date: The Avengers (2012), The Guardians of the Galaxy (2014), Avengers: Age of Ultron (2016), Avengers: Infinity War (2018) and Avengers: Endgame (2019). With each feature audiences are encouraged to almost sympathise with Thanos and bring understanding to his intentions. His ultimate goals are to harness the power of the six stones, erase half of the universe to bring balance and order. Darkseid’s plans are to discover the anti-life equation which will allow him to control the minds of everything in the universe and conquer all.
When described in one simple sentence, both of their evil plans sound strangely familiar but Thanos’ execution of his goals have easily become some of cinemas most memorable and unforgettable moments. Thanos’ pure ambition to shred the universe down to its last atom was incredibly well executed. Thanos is a survivor, a warrior but most of all he convinced the world that his intentions were just, to this day Thanos has become a figure in cinematic history.
Overall, it must be addressed that without Darkseid we wouldn’t even have a Thanos. Creator of the character, Jim Starlin discussed using DC’s Darkseid as inspiration for Thanos’ look. Although he was adamant to make the character unique the appearance was Thanos was still greatly thanks to Darkseid.
When considering their features and presence on screen, Darkseid is extremely influential but is yet to reach the same heights that Thanos has… yet. I believe Darkseid vs Thanos in the comic books could conclude a different outcome but on screen, it is no question, Thanos wins.
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