Why Thanos Became a Farmer After His Infinity Gauntlet Snap

After Thanos reached the end of his ultimate quest in Marvel Comics, gained the Infinity Gauntlet, and snapped half of all life out of the universe, the Mad Titan ended up becoming a farmer on a quiet little world, attempting to live the rest of his life in peace. But, why? This isn’t something that’s unique to the comics, either, as Thanos does the exact same thing in the MCU, but – interestingly enough – for the exact opposite reason.

In the MCU film Avengers: Infinity War, fans witness Thanos gathering all six of the Infinity Stones while the Avengers try desperately to stop him. The efforts of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, unfortunately, fall short – the most dramatic of which was from Thor, who was mere inches away from killing Thanos before the Mad Titan completed his dark mission. In the end, Thanos succeeded in doing the Infinity Snap, and half of all life in the universe was snuffed out in an instant.

Thanos then teleported away to a far-off world that he had already scouted and set up for his own retirement. This world was an indication of Thanos’ contentment, a place he could live out the rest of his days in peace, knowing that he’d done a great service to the whole of his reality. Thanos won, and this peaceful retirement on a quiet farm was his reward – unlike in the comics.

Marvel Comics’ Thanos was Humbled After the Infinity Snap, & Found Meaning in a Simple Life

Infinity Gauntlet #6 by Jim Starlin and Ron Lim

Rather than isolating himself in a far-off world to live the rest of his life on a farm as a reward, Marvel Comics’ Thanos did so – initially – as a form of self-punishment. He was truly humbled after his defeat, as everything he worked his entire life for quite literally blew up in his face, so he went into exile in shame. Thanos achieved his quest, he eliminated half the universe, yet he had nothing to show for it.

However, rather than revel in the misery of his ultimate defeat, Thanos chose to find beauty in a simple life. He realized that tending the soil with his bare hands was just as significant in the grand scheme of the universe than using that same hand to murder trillions with the snap of his fingers. Not only that, but Thanos believes he got a better deal than the current wielder of the Infinity Gauntlet, Adam Warlock, marking a total change in his personality from this experience.

Marvel Comics & the MCU Used the Same Narrative Note in Opposite Ways

The endgame for Thanos in both tellings of Infinity Gauntlet is this farm, yet he gets there in two vastly different ways in the comics vs the MCU. If Thanos in the MCU failed, Avengers: Endgame proved that nothing would stop him from accomplishing his cosmic task, meaning he definitely wouldn’t lick his wounds on some farm before finding a deeper meaning in the simple life. On the other hand, if Thanos in the comics won, there’s no way he’d give up his power after something so trivial as erasing half of all life in the universe (indeed, he didn’t).

The overarching point here is that Thanos had two separate Infinity Snaps, one in Marvel Comics and one in the MCU, and both led to him becoming a farmer – yet the ‘why’ in each case is vastly different. But, at the same time, strangely the same. In the end, Thanos just wanted a fulfilling and accomplished life, and whether in victory or defeat, he found that on his farm. And that’s why Thanos became a farmer after his Infinity Gauntlet snap (in both instances).