'Avengers: Infinity War': Why Thanos Waited to Go For the Infinity Stones

(Note: This post contains spoilers for “Avengers: Infinity War.”)

It took 10 years and 19 movies of the Marvel Cinematic Universe for Thanos to make his play to wreck the universe in “Avengers: Infinity War,” and one big lingering question is, why’d he wait so long?

After all, Thanos (Josh Brolin) is ludicrously powerful. In “Infinity War,” we see him barely break a sweat kicking the Hulk’s ass, fight off the combined might of dozens of heroes more than once, and oh yeah, hold infinity stones in his hands without being vaporized. He’s so powerful that he manages to get his hands on all six Infinity Stones pretty much in a day or so.

Also Read: The 'Avengers: Infinity War' Deleted Scene That Should Have Been in the Movie

But if he could stomp his way through everything Earth’s mightiest heroes could throw at him, why is he just now doing it? Why, prior to “Infinity War,” in “The Avengers” and “Guardians of the Galaxy,” did Thanos rely on other villains to get the stones for him?

According to “Infinity War” directors Joe and Anthony Russo and screenwriters Chris Markus and Steve McFeely in the “Infinity War” commentary track, the answer to those questions begins with Thanos’ two adopted daughters, Gamora (Zoe Saldana) and Nebula (Karen Gillan). (Here’s everything else we learned from the “Infinity War” director commentary.)

As explained in “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2,” Nebula hated Gamora growing up because Thanos would force the two to fight each other. The loser of a fight was punished by having a body part replaced with cybernetics to make her stronger, and Nebula always lost to Gamora. Thanos also routinely humiliated Nebula by comparing her constantly to Gamora in front of everyone else.

Also Read: 20 Big Things We Learned From the 'Avengers: Infinity War' Director Commentary

This abuse led them to both escape from and oppose Thanos during the events of “Guardians of the Galaxy,” and in “Guardians 2,” they finally put aside their differences and become allies. Nebula then vows to try and kill Thanos, and free his other “adopted” children.

During “Infinity War,” we learn she made good on that vow, only to be captured. Thanos then searched around in her robot brain, and as we see during the scene with Thanos, Gamora and Nebula, discovered a memory recording of Gamora telling Nebula that she destroyed the map to the Soul Stone to keep it out of Thanos’ hands.

That, according to McFeely in the commentary, was “the catalyst for the whole movie.” Having “figured out where the Soul Stone was because he captured Nebula on his ship and rooted around in her brain and found out that Gamora knew where the Soul Stone was,” Thanos is inspired to finally make his play for universal domination.

Also Read: 'Avengers: Infinity War' Directors Explain Why Thanos Didn't Double the Universe's Resources

But why? In the commentary, Joe Russo explained further: “The reason why [Thanos] has not gone after the stones before is because the minute he does, the forces of the universe are gonna line up against him. If he doesn’t know where the Soul Stone is, then what is the point.”

In other words, if the people of the universe were tipped off to the fact that the big scary guy with a huge army was seeking godlike power, they could have mobilized to beat him. So, when he acted openly, he needed accomplish his aims as quickly as possible. Thanos might be incredibly powerful after all, but he’s not invincible, and neither are the armies and lieutenants who serve him – the longer it takes him to find all six stones, the more time there is for his enemies to stop him. Which is why he preferred to use proxies before now.

And until he knew the location of the Soul Stone, that necessary quickness wasn’t an option.

Also Read: 'Avengers: Infinity War' Does Have One Big Gamora-Related Plot Hole

It’s ironic that Gamora’s unwillingness to see Nebula tortured inadvertently doomed the universe. But that’s in keeping with the Mad Titan’s M.O. — he always forces his enemies to choose between killing someone they love, or letting him get what he wants, and every time it pays off.

Then again, refusing to accept Thanos’ sadistic choice might end up being the only way the heroes can defeat him in the long term, if Doctor Strange is any guide.

All 37 Stan Lee Marvel Movie Cameos Ranked (Photos)

For decades, Stan Lee was a staple of Marvel movies, making cameo appearances in most of them until his death in 2018. To celebrate his birthday -- he would have been 98 years old today -- let's look back at every one of his Marvel cameos over the years.
Marvel
37. "Deadpool 2" (2018) -
The bottom of this list consists of Lee's "blink and you'll miss it" cameos. In "Deadpool 2," he doesn't actually appear in the movie in person -- he pops up as a huge wall mural that's a bit tough to spot, and gone almost immediately.
Fox
36. "Spider-Man 2" (2004) -
Another super-quick Lee cameo, but during the first fight between Spidey and Doc Ock, Lee sees enough screen time to pull a women out of harm's way. Watch the clip here.
Sony
35. "Spider-Man" (2002) -
Same here. Lee gets a freeze-frame shot during one of the big fight scenes in the Sam Raimi original. This was before Stan Lee cameos became a major part of the Marvel moviegoing experience, explaining why so little thought was put into them. Watch the clip here.
Sony
34. Iron Man 3 (2013) -
You can catch Lee for a split second as a beauty pageant judge in this film. Compared to some of the other recent Lee cameos, this one is extremely forgettable. Watch the clip here.
Marvel
33. "X-Men: The Last Stand" (2006) -
Lee appears in a flashback scene where Jean Grey demonstrates her powers. Another one of the more forgettable cameos, this one at least gives fans time to register who they're looking at. Watch the clip here.
Fox
32. "X-Men" (2000) -
This was the first Marvel feature film to include Stan Lee, and as such was purely an easter egg for eagle-eyed fans. Lee can be seen for several seconds as a beach-side hot dog vendor, but he's not the focus of the shot as he is in later films. Watch the clip here.
Fox
31. "Daredevil" (2003) -
Here's where the cameos start getting good. Lee gets saved from walking into traffic by a young Matthew Murdock, marking the first time Lee is used as part of a gag in a Marvel film. Watch the clip here.
Fox
30. "Iron Man 2" (2010) -
This is another fleeting clip, but it ranks higher for portraying Lee as Larry King, complete with glasses and suspenders. Watch the clip here.
Marvel
29. "Fantastic Four" (2005) -
The first film in which Lee talks with one of his creations portrays him this time as a mailman who extends Reed Richards a friendly greeting. Beyond that, there's nothing too special about this appearance, but it demonstrates the pivot toward increased focus on these cameos. Watch the clip here.
Fox
28. "Doctor Strange" (2016) -
This quick cameo sees Lee reading Aldus Huxley's "The Doors of Perception" and otherwise remaining completely oblivious to the otherworldly goings-on just outside his bus window. Watch the clip here.
Marvel
27. "X-Men: Apocalypse" (2016) -
Lee appears with his wife, Joan Lee, pop up in "Apocalypse" as a couple watching as the world's nuclear weapons are launched -- although luckily, they're being rendered useless in space. It was Joan's final appearance on film before her death in 2017. Watch the clip here.
Fox
26. "Captain America: The First Avenger" (2011) -
Some films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe use Lee as the punchline for a gag scene. Here, Lee cameos as a military official at a White House press event that Cap no-shows. Watch the clip here.
Marvel
25. "Thor" (2011) -
Here's another gag scene in which Lee uses a truck to try to uproot Thor's hammer, which can only be wielded by someone who's "worthy," from the crater in which it's stuck. Watch the clip here.
Marvel
24. "Captain America: The Winter Soldier" (2014) -
Lee plays a security guard at a museum where Cap's suit is on display. Unfortunately for Stan's job security, Steve Rogers needs it back. Watch the clip here.
Marvel
23. "Spider-Man: Homecoming" (2017) -
Lee returns to New York to join in the neighborhood lecturing the Web-Slinger about a slightly botched attempt at heroism. Watch the clip here.
Sony
22. "Ant-Man" (2015) -
During Luis' madcap story, Lee appears as a bartender. Hearing Michael Pena's voice come out of Lee's mouth is a great surprise gag. Watch the clip here.
Marvel
21. "Iron Man" (2008) -
By the time "Iron Man" was released, Marvel knew its fans were on the lookout for the Stan cameo, so they put him in a smoking jacket, flanked him with some beautiful women and had him appear as Hugh Hefner. Watch the clip here.
Marvel
20. "The Avengers" (2012) -
This is a bit of a cheat. The actual Lee cameo used was another quick shot that would have ranked low on this list, but the deleted cameo is too funny to exclude. As Cap struggles to adjust to life in the 21st century, Lee shows up to call him out on his obliviousness. Watch the clip here.
Marvel
19. "Avengers: Infinity War" (2018) - Lee's back in New York and completely unimpressed by Thanos and his minions in his "Infinity War" cameo. There's a fair chance he's reprising his role from "Spider-Man: Homecoming" in this one. Watch the clip here.
Marvel
18. "Thor: The Dark World" (2013) -
Poor Dr. Selvig. After getting his brain scrambled by the Mind Stone in "The Avengers," he's left in a mental ward where he uses Stan Lee's shoe to deliver a lecture about the convergence theory before an ambivalent audience. Watch the clip here.
Marvel
17. "Guardians of the Galaxy" (2014) -
It's already surreal to see Rocket Raccoon in a blockbuster. It's even weirder to hear him voiced by an A-List actor like Bradley Cooper. But nothing is as weird as seeing Rocket ask Stan Lee from afar, "Where's your wife, you old codger?" Watch the clip here.
Marvel
16. "Deadpool" (2016) -
The raunchiest Marvel film deserves the raunchiest Stan Lee cameo. If you think it's weird to see him guest star as a strip club DJ, remember that this is the guy who created "Stripperella." Watch the clip here.
Fox
15. "Venom" (2018) -
At the very end of the movie, after Eddie has one last heartfelt conversation with Annie, Stan Lee pops up to encourage Eddie in a very knowing way: "Don't give up on her -- either of you."
Sony
14. "Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer" (2007) -
In a rare cameo as himself, Stan Lee tries and fails to get into a wedding guarded by a skeptical bouncer. Watch the clip here.
Fox
13. "The Amazing Spider-Man 2" (2014) -
During Gwen and Peter's graduation, Lee spots Peter swapping his Spider-Man costume for a cap and gown. "I think I know that guy," he exclaims. Watch the clip here.
Sony
12. "Black Panther" (2018) -
Lee is often seen as a blue collar guy just trying to make a living in his movie cameos, and in "Black Panther," he seizes an opportunity, disapproving glare of Everett Ross be damned. Watch the clip here.
Marvel
11. "Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018) - Lee is back to being oblivious in his "Ant-Man and the Wasp" cameo, when his car is shrunk by some collateral Ant-Man mayhem right before he can get inside. "Well, the '60s were fun, but now I'm payin' for 'em," Lee remarks, still holding his car keys.
Marvel
10. "Avengers: Endgame" (2019) -

Lee pops up here when Captain America and Iron Man travel back to the past to steal the Tesseract from a SHIELD base in the 1970s. Lee plays an old hippy who yells "Make love, not war" as he drives by the base. Watch the clip here.
Marvel
9. "Captain America: Civil War" (2016) -
The movie's greatest strength is its balance of comedy and drama. At the film's close, Tony and Rhodey have an emotional moment together when Lee arrives to lighten the mood as a mailman looking for "Tony Stank." Watch the clip here.
Marvel
8. "The Incredible Hulk" (2008) -
Quentin Tarantino has been known to subject himself to some gruesome fates in his own films. Here Stan Lee gets a tough break as a poor sucker who accidentally gets gamma radiation poisoning from a contaminated soda. Watch the clip here.
Universal
7. "The Amazing Spider-Man" (2012) -
While the first two "Spider-Man" films saw Lee scrambling to get out of danger, the Andrew Garfield reboot made him completely oblivious to it. Watch the clip here.
Sony
6. "Captain Marvel" (2019) -

Lee can be seen in this film on a bus reading the screenplay for the Kevin Smith movie "Mallrats," which Lee appeared in. It's one of the many nods to '90s pop culture in "Captain Marvel." Watch the clip here.
Marvel
5. "Thor: Ragnarok" (2017) -
Stan Lee follows his post "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2" cosmic cameo and shows up as a barber on the planet Sakaar, looking to cut Thor's hair. Lee says, "And don't you move, my hands aren't as steady as they used to be!" Watch the clip here.
Marvel
4. "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2" (2017) -
Seemingly confirming something Marvel fans have suspected for some time, Stan appears with the Watchers, the group of all-seeing cosmic beings who observe intelligent life in the universe. Fans have figured Lee shows up in every movie because he's a Watcher himself. Watch the clip here.
Marvel
3. "Hulk" (2003) -
This cameo isn't a gag, but it is the best easter egg in any Marvel movie. The fellow security guard to whom Lee is talking is none other than original TV Hulk Lou Ferrigno. Watch the clip here.
Universal
2. "Avengers: Age of Ultron" (2015) -
Stan the Man's cameos may never get funnier than this. As Lee demonstrates, Asgardian ale packs more punch than Thor's hammer. Watch the clip here.
Marvel
1. "Spider-Man 3" (2007) -
Our list began with a "Spider-man" film, so it's fitting that it ends with one. "Spider-man 3" may have polarized Marvel fans, but this Stan Lee cameo in which he smiles at Peter Parker is a heartwarming meeting between a comic book icon and his creator. Watch the clip here.
Sony

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On what would have been the comics legend’s 98th birthday, The Wrap looks back at his sometimes forgettable — other times hilarious — onscreen appearances

For decades, Stan Lee was a staple of Marvel movies, making cameo appearances in most of them until his death in 2018. To celebrate his birthday -- he would have been 98 years old today -- let's look back at every one of his Marvel cameos over the years.

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All 37 Stan Lee Marvel Movie Cameos Ranked (Photos)

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