Was Thanos Trying to Save Species from Celestial Overpopulation?

Following the release of The Eternals within the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), a new and intriguing fan theory emerges: Was Thanos, with his “snap” in Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame, actually trying to stop the Celestials from overpopulating planets in the universe?

The Role of Celestials

According to the film, Celestials have a unique reproduction process that involves planting seeds in life-sustaining planets. Over time, these seeds “germinate” into fully grown, planet-devastating beings. These "baby Celestials" require a significant critical mass of sentient life-forms to feed off their energy and eventually hatch.

This process is observed in the film when Arishem tells Sersi that he created the Eternals long ago on Earth, possibly through a cosmic assembly line. Every few thousand years, he reprograms them. However, after the end-credits scene of The Eternals, Eros appears and identifies himself as the brother of Thanos, suggesting a close but complex relationship between them.

Thanos' Role in this Theory

One compelling theory suggests that Thanos was not simply trying to destroy life out of malice, but rather to prevent the Celestials from taking over more planets. His snap action, which wiped out half of all life in the universe, could have served as a strategic maneuver to stall the Celestials' reproductive process.

In the film, it is stated that the Celestials only hatch when the population of sentient life on a planet reaches a critical mass. Thus, Thanos' actions would have significantly delayed this process, postponing the "birth" of nascent Celestials across the universe.

The Technological Debate

Another crucial factor in this discussion is the nature of the Eternals and whether they are biological beings or technological constructs. Arishem's revelation that he created the Eternals through a cosmic assembly line implies that they are not just biological organisms. Instead, they may be advanced technological beings reprogrammed periodically.

This theory also aligns with Thanos being an Eternal with a deviant gene, as seen in the comics. The deviant gene in the comics suggests that Thanos has a unique perspective and experience, possibly experiencing the same visions as the character Thane. This subconscious influence may have driven his actions in wiping out half of all life, subtly aiming to prevent the Celestials from exerting their influence.

Conclusion

In conclusion, while the theory that Thanos was trying to save species from Celestial overpopulation is just a fan theory, it offers a fascinating perspective on his motivations. It ties together various elements from the MCU, including the unique reproduction process of the Celestials, the nature of the Eternals, and the presence of the deviant gene in the comics.

This theory not only adds depth to our understanding of Thanos as a character but also offers a speculative explanation for the significance of his actions in the grand scheme of the universe.

For more information on Thanos, Celestials, and the endgame, follow our further analysis and discussions.