Is Thanos Really Dead Following The Events of ‘Avengers: Endgame’?

Out of all the burning questions and theories after “Avengers: Endgame,” the seemingly most pressing one of all is: is Thanos alive? Played by Josh Bolin in “Endgame” and “Infinity War,” Thanos serves as one of the most ruthless of all Marvel characters, one that many fans claim could potentially reappear in future Marvel movies.

The closing moments of “Endgame” saw Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) reversing the snap, thereby dusting Thanos and his entire armada. Yet, as revealed by ScreenRant, a new Marvel publication called “The Art of Marvel Studios’ Avengers: Endgame” details what may or may not have happened to Thanos after his own supposed demise.

Packed with concept art and exclusive interviews, Marvel’s new book dives deep into the behind-the-scenes action that made “Avengers: Endgame,” which earlier this year surpassed James Cameron’s “Avatar” to become the highest-grossing film in history. Two such interviews lend credence to the idea that the big purple baddie, who had placated the Avengers since their first collective on-screen appearance in 2012, may still be alive in some capacity.

“When someone dies, you cannot bring them back,” revealed Louis D’Esposito, Marvel Studio’s co-president, said. “It’s not like when Thanos snapped his fingers. You can reverse that.”

“Endgame” executive producer Trinh Tran added fuel to the fire, saying, “[Tony chooses] to snap his finger and blip Thanos and his minions away to save the universe.”

The so-called blip, coined in “Spider-Man: Far From Home,” is yet another purview into the idea that Thanos may not actually be dead, but imprisoned in a kind of soul world, much like his victims were at the end of “Avengers: Infinity War.” A deleted scene between that of the Ancient One (Tilda Swinton) and Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) alludes to the idea that the Infinity Stones can undo the snap, but not reverse death.

This would mean that none of the Marvel characters truly died when dusted. It also adds weight to Doctor Strange’s time meditation, wherein the Sorcerer Supreme saw millions of losing scenarios and one victorious one beyond his own snap. This, in line with the Ancient One’s claims that sorcerers cannot see beyond their death in 2016’s “Doctor Strange,” seemingly prove that the snap doesn’t kill.

Thus, Thanos may still be alive, just not in the material world of the MCU.