Sci-Fi Heroes That Could've Beaten Thanos

Thanos prides himself on his ability to create pragmatic schemes. Every truly great villain is indeed the hero in their own story. Thanos doesn't view himself as evil. He sees wiping out half of the population of the globe as a logical solution to overpopulation. Thanos saw the firsthand consequences of having sparse resources during his upbringing on Titan. Despite Thanos' seemingly "rational" approach to orchestrating his operation, he is still vulnerable to his emotions. So would he be able to defeat an actual robot?

In terms of iconic movie droids, few are as groundbreaking as Robby the Robot in the 1956 classic "Forbidden Planet." He is programmed by Dr. Edward Morbius (Walter Pidgeon), who orders him to assist their new visitors. Compared to other movie robots at the time, Robby was unique because of his personality. Robby's intelligence and wit would make him a natural fit for the Avengers.

There's no point in arguing about Marvel and DC. Both comic book brands have developed loyal fanbases for a reason, and a majority of superhero buffs enjoy both. Comic book fans should simply be thankful that we're getting so many films inspired by both publishers. You can love both the Avengers and the Justice League! There's no point in trying to pit them against each other.

That being said, if the Avengers were able to pull together and defeat Thanos, it's reasonable to think that the Justice League could do the same. If we had to single out just one member of the Justice League to defend Earth against Thanos, it would have to be Superman. We're specifically selecting the version of Clark Kent played by Christopher Reeve. While Henry Cavill's version of Superman from the modern DCEU may be too ignorant of collateral damage, Reeve's Superman has the one quality that has always eluded Thanos: compassion.

Although Reeve's version of Superman will always be a charming farm boy at heart, that doesn't mean that we would want to get on his bad side. In "Superman: The Movie," Superman flies around the Earth to turn back time and save Lois Lane (Margot Kidder) from death. He's also no novice when it comes to battling super villains. In "Superman II," Superman defeats General Zod (Terrence Stamp) in battle.

Thanos initially brings the Avengers to their knees in "Avengers: Infinity War" because he is able to take advantage of their compassion. Doctor Steven Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) makes the mistake of prioritizing Tony's life over potentially beating Thanos. If you're looking for a hero who would be able to put the mission first, then you have to find someone who doesn't have any soft edges. There aren't a lot of heroes in science fiction history that are as grim and non-nonsense as Kurt Russell's Snake Plissken, the lead character in 1981's "Escape From New York."

Thanos' challenging childhood on Titan gave him a harsh perspective on the universe. By comparison, the Avengers have never experienced what it's like to be constantly living in danger. In "Escape From New York," the United States is overrun with crime. To contain the potential violence, the American government turns New York into a maximum-security prison for dangerous criminals.

Snake is also no stranger to making the types of challenging decisions that would be necessary to defeat Thanos. In the 1996 sequel, "Escape From L.A.," he decides to deactivate all the technology in the world to bring down the totalitarian regime.

It takes the ultimate team of superheroes to defeat the evil Thanos. In "Endgame," the entire extended cast of the MCU joins forces to face off against the villainous alien warlord and his army. Although the Avengers had been split into different factions after the battle between Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) and Tony Stark in 2016's "Captain America: Civil War," they realize that the only way they can save the universe from Thanos' wrath is by working together.

The Avengers could have used the help of an alien superhero like Starman (Jeff Bridges). Although Starman doesn't know anything about Earth, he begins to learn about human behavior through his interactions with a woman named Jenny Hayden (Karen Allen). Throughout the film, Starman learns compassion, humility, courage, and selflessness — all the traits that might help defeat a villain like Thanos. He is also a fast learner and could assess Thanos' weaknesses.

Thanos thrusts the MCU into a dystopian future. Although the Marvel films have had their fair share of science fiction elements, they've always taken place in a somewhat recognizable version of reality. The references to modern popular culture make the films more endearing. A post-apocalyptic future is unlike anything that the MCU has ever had before. This takes the Avengers out of their comfort zone.

If Thanos created another dreary future, it would take a hero who has already experienced living in a post-apocalyptic world to defeat him. Look no further than the iconic character Max Rockatansky (Mel Gibson) from George Miller's "Mad Max" franchise. In 1979's "Mad Max," the titular character is a good-natured cop who watches the world descend into chaos. By the time that the world has truly gone "mad" in 1981's "Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior," Max has already learned how to survive in a cruel, lawless world. He certainly would have the stamina to hold his own against Thanos.

The Avengers are able to pull together in the end to defeat Thanos, but that doesn't mean that they always have made the best decisions. Sometimes, the "Earth's Mightiest Heroes" sure act like a bunch of idiots. In 2012's "The Avengers," the group descends into chaos when Loki gets under their skin. It's Tony's ignorance that unleashes a new villain in 2015's "Avengers: Age of Ultron," and it's Steve's unflinching loyalty to Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan) that splits the group in half in 2016's "Captain America: Civil War." When the Avengers finally use time travel in "Endgame," they create even more chaos during their adventure.

If you're looking for a leader who can inspire temperamental heroes, think about Rufus (George Carlin) for a moment. If he managed to guide wacky goofballs like Bill S. Preston (Alex Winter) and Ted "Theodore" Logan (Keanu Reeves) into becoming the basis for a utopian society, then surely he could put together a team to defeat Thanos. Rufus also knows his way around time travel.

There aren't a lot of science fiction movies that have opening scenes quite as exciting as 1999's "The Matrix." In the first major action sequence in the franchise, Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss) eludes the forces of Agent Smith (Hugo Weaving). She immediately proves that anyone that dares to cross her will ultimately regret it. 2021's "The Matrix Resurrections" only reinforced Trinity's importance in the franchise. She isn't just Neo's(Keanu Reeves) love interest. They are equals.

Trinity has been fighting the agents sent by the Matrix, so facing off against a character like Thanos would hardly be a challenge for her. Between martial arts, gunplay, and operating science fiction vehicles, Trinity is skilled in many forms of combat. Ultimately, the Avengers are only able to defeat Thanos through Tony Stark's self-sacrifice. Trinity learns the power of accepting one's fate when she initially dies in Neo's arms in 2003's "The Matrix Revolutions."

If you haven't seen the 2021 Netflix animated film "The Mitchells vs. The Machines," you're missing out on one of the most endearing science fiction films in recent memory. In the film, a young girl named Katie Mitchell (Abbi Jacobson) travels with her family on a cross-country road trip to her future college. Katie fears that her family will embarrass her. Being a teenager is stressful enough, but Katie and her family also have to save the world from robots.

Katie not only outwits the dastardly robots, but she also brings her family together. Katie has very different ideas about her future than her father, Rick (Danny McBride). However, they are able to find common ground. Essentially, the Avengers are one big, dysfunctional family. If Katie could stop a robot uprising with her wacky family, then surely she could find the allies that she needs to defeat Thanos.