It’s no secret that Darkseid and Thanos are two of the most powerful and feared villains in the comic book universe. But with Avengers: Age of Ultron and Avengers: Infinity War’s phenomenal successes, one character in particular has emerged as a pop culture icon: The Mad Titan.
In the MCU films, Josh Brolin’s Thanos truly brought the dread, ferocity, spectacle, and shock factor when he assembled the Infinity Stones and snapped half of life away. However, the DC Universe and its heroes have also been afflicted by Darkseid. Naturally, Darkseid and Thanos have caused problems for the members of the primary superhero teams from DC (Justice League) and Marvel (Avengers) through their many battles. So who would win if Darkseid and Thanos faced off?
There have been numerous comparisons and connections drawn between the two villains. This age-old debate has recently been reignited, with DC fans claiming that Darkseid reigns supreme over the Mad Titan.
Fans Debate Who Reigns Supreme in the Age-Old Battle Between Thanos and Darkseid
For decades, comic book fans have debated who would win a fight between two of the most iconic villains from the DC and Marvel universes: Darkseid and Thanos.
Darkseid was set to be a potential future villain, but with James Gunn taking over the reigns, Darkseid is yet to be seen in any of Gunn’s plans. What is for sure, however, is that Darkseid is the DCEU’s equivalent of Thanos from the MCU.
Meanwhile, Thanos (Josh Brolin) remains one of the greatest comic book movie villains thanks to his role as the MCU’s main antagonist. Many DC fans believe that this status could be challenged because of Darkseid’s power.
Let’s see what fans are saying:
Thanos never had anything this cold in his LIFE
Best supervillain monologue in years imo pic.twitter.com/S5j0ca8vWP
— ThatGuy 🇵🇸 (@OSthatguy) April 17, 2024
A villain with no depth, barely any emotion in his face, barely any dialogue apart from this one, just sat there looking at the damn camera.. while Thanos had emotion, had depth, actually did shit.. made a lot of sacrifices.
— LifelessMe (@LifelessMe3) April 17, 2024
I'm gonna get jumped by Snyder fans but this isn't even close to half of Thanos's lines almost every thing Thanos said was cold
— Your local idiot (@Retard4207) April 17, 2024
Thanos never got beat so hard he literally forgot where the infinity stones were but ok
— Scoop Reviews (@Scoop5000) April 17, 2024
the bickering killed this franchise … they had so much room to grow ..
— 🐐MidWest Beezy♑️ (@ThaSageMaster) April 18, 2024
Darkseid done right is unmatched and terrifying.
It’s a shame people will assume Dsrkseid is the copy when in fact Thanos is the copy. MCU got to the gun first over the DCU.
Thanos is the man no doubt, but just differently. You almost root for Thanos. You hate Darkseid.
— BingalingDaDream (@ThisIsBing007) April 18, 2024
Ray Porter’s portrayal of Darkseid, who first appeared in the live-action feature film Zack Snyder’s Justice League, has been adapted for numerous media platforms.
The character, created by Jack Kirby, shares nothing in common with any other member of the Justice League. Darkseid is diametrically opposed to the heroes in every way, making him a formidable opponent because none of them can intimidate or defy him.
Darkseid: Ray Porter’s Insights on Playing the DC Villain
Ray Porter has provided some insight into his portrayal of Darkseid. In a 2022 interview with CBR, the actor shared his hopes to see more films in the Snyderverse. Notwithstanding, he conceded that there are several obstacles to the Snyderverse’s continuation and that “a lot of moving parts would have to shift into place for it to occur”. In his words:
“There’s always hope. I don’t know anything about it, and I think a lot of moving parts would have to shift into place for it to occur, but that’s way above my pay grade. I do know that this fandom — if they desire something enough — can move mountains. I believe in the fans, and I have hope.”
In a lengthy interview with LightCast (via DC Comics), Porter discussed what it was like to be cast as Darkseid in Zack Snyder’s Justice League:
“It felt amazing. I definitely knew I was part of something enormous. But the way Zack works, and the general attitude of everyone who’s worked so closely with him for so many years, is really positive. It was a very kind, friendly, happy set. And great work was getting done…”
Porter also revealed that he relied on Zack Snyder and screenwriter Chris Terrio to work on Darkseid’s character and his voice. The actor recalled:
“I will admit I didn’t know the character incredibly well right up to the point of being cast…so I didn’t know all of the canon. Fortunately, I happened to be on a set with people like Zack and Chris [Terrio]…I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone who understands all of the weird concatenations of that canon better than those people.”
Porter may have had a point, though, when he expressed optimism about the Snyderverse, given that the fan base has already accomplished the seemingly impossible with the Snyder cut.
Zack Snyder’s Justice League is streaming on Max.
