It took a whole army of Avengers and sacrificial deaths to defeat Thanos, but an old Asgardian god is believed to have prevented the Mad Titan from pursuing his plans for many years before the events in Avengers: Infinity War.
This is a popular and plausible theory that could actually have happened unbeknownst to the audience. After all, the MCU has become a web of complex narratives.
MCU Fans Believe Thanos Was Extremely Afraid Of Odin’s Powers
One famous hypothesis about Thanos is that he stalled and refused to make any move in the past as he genuinely feared Odin. Only when the Asgardian royalty died did the Mad Titan start collecting the Infinity Stones.
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Another fan butted in that he first tried to look for the Soul Stone, in case something happens to him during his expeditions. Then, he would gather them all before his enemies could gang up on him.
He was aware of the extent of Odin’s power and he knew coming up against a powerful Asgardian who had lived through several battles and united the Nine Realms would be an unwise move.
It is common knowledge that whenever the villainous figure wields the Infinity Gauntlet, he becomes unbeatable. Without it, he is still very dangerous as he can rip his foes without breaking a sweat, but he is substantially weaker than when wears it. Odin, on the other hand, has powers of infinite proportions.
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Another user theorized that “the entire infinity saga is the story of a power vacuum due to the lessening of Odin’s power.” It is very likely that this is the backstory to Thanos only coming for the Infinity Stones now when he could have done it a long time ago.
Did Thanos And Odin Ever Clash?
While the Mad Titan and Odin never confronted each other in the MCU, they have fought in the comics which earned the former his greatest respect from the most powerful Asgardian god. In Adam Warlock and the Infinity Watch #25 issue by Jim Starlin, Angel Medina, and Ian Laughlin, fans were able to witness an epic duel between them.
Thanos was so beaten up by Odin yet he remained standing, and this forced the Asgardian to wield his immensely powerful Odinforce. When he asked the Mad Titan to yield, he received a no for an answer.
In the end, Odin won the fight although he admitted he was impressed by his foe’s conviction. He would say, “Even in defeat, you are an adversary worth saluting, Thanos of Titan.”
It would have been a sight to behold had fans witnessed an epic fight between the two most feared characters in the MCU. Although, as the theory earlier postulated, fans wouldn’t have The Infinity Saga had the Mad Titan and Odin locked horns in the past.
Avengers: Infinity War is available to watch on Disney+.
