- Fan theory asks why Ant-Man didn’t enter Thanos
- Ant-Man himself addressed theory in 2022
- Paul Rudd has to explain the absurd theory to co-star
Following the release of Ant-Man in 2015, Paul Rudd’s portrayal of Scott Lang quickly made him a fan-favorite among MCU fans. His lightheartedness in the face of danger and sharp wit endeared him to audiences. Rudd would go to play Ant-Man for four more films, but what he couldn’t have predicted, though, was that ten years later, he’d still be explaining a bizarre fan theory called Thanus.
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When wearing his Ant-Man suit, Lang has the ability to shrink to the size of an ant or grow to a giant size. These abilities aren’t typically considered as a superpower in the same sense as other Avengers. For instance, Vision can pass through solid objects, Thor can summon and control lightning, and Hulk can regenerate and heal from almost anything.
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Despite this, a popular fan theory dubbed ‘The Thanus Theory’ suggests that Ant-Man could have been the one superhero to defeat the as one of the most powerful beings in the Marvel Universe, Thanos.
The Thanus Theory
During the months leading up to the release of Avengers: Endgame (2019), fan theories began circulating online. Given that Ant-Man was set to play a significant role in the film, one particularly absurd theory suggested that the Avengers could defeat Thanos by having Ant-Man shrink to the size of an ant, enter Thanos’ anus, and then grow back to normal size, causing the Mad Titan to explode.
In 2018, while doing a promotional interview for the movie Ant-Man and the Wasp, Paul Rudd was told of the theory by entertainmentie. He was asked to read out a tweet from a fan theorising why Ant-Man didn’t feature in Avengers: Infinity War (2018). The fan wrote “Marvel saw the post about how Ant-Man could defeat Thanos by crawling into his ass and instantly growing in size, and that’s why they didn’t put him in the movie”. Rudd, seemingly a little taken back by the suggestion, said it was “an interesting tweet” and that he doesn’t think the idea “even made it into any of the drafts”.
Fans who watched the clip were quick to get behind the half-crack, half-serious theory, with @bloominjooj7541 commenting that Rudd “was visibly nervous. He knows we found out but he’s trying to cover it”.
@Raidoven praised the interviewer, saying “This is true journalism. Asking the REAL questions”.
When Rudd joined Hawkeye actor Jeremy Renner to promote Avengers Endgame in 2019, the Thanus theory once again surfaced. Speaking to the Los Angeles Times, when the theory was brought up, Renner quipped “He’s been sore,” with a knowing smile. Rudd said he had “been asked about it a bunch,” and was “amused a bit at how widespread it seems to have gotten.”
Even the Endgame directors, the Russo Brothers, found themselves being asked about the popular fan theory, when Fandango interviewed them. When asked if the fans had come close to figuring out the ending to the movie with “Ant-Man shrinking down and flying up Thanos’ butt”, Anthony Russo responded “we love the fact that fans are out there really thinking very deeply about these characters, very deeply about these stories, thinking about all the places they could go, even of certain places. My brother and I have a real certain youth ourselves, so we get a big kick out of it…”
Ant-Man addresses the theory
In 2022, Marvel finally acknowledged the bizarre fan theory in a video featuring Rudd as Ant-Man and Evangeline Lilly as The Wasp, which was shown on the new Disney Wish cruise ship. In the video, Ant-Man humorously tries to explain why he couldn’t have defeated Thanos by entering him. “I’ve heard a lot of chatter out there asking why I didn’t shrink down, go in, and uh … kill Thanos in a really creative way,” Rudd says. “First of all: gross. Secondly, it’s much more complicated than that. Allow me to explain.” But The Wasp cuts in with “If only we had the time!”
Theory still lives on
March 2025, and the Thanus theory is still something Rudd is needing to explain.
Doing the rounds to promote new horror comedy flick Death of a Unicorn alongside co-star Jenna Ortega, Rudd was asked by ComicBook.com about the theory.
“I often wonder, though, could he really have stopped Thanos in that way? Because didn’t he, at that point, have the Space Stone or whatever?” the actor pondered.
When Ortega looked visibly confused, Rudd said, “Do you know what we’re talking about? There was a theory – going against Thanos, why didn’t Ant-Man just…instead of Thanos, it was ‘Thanus,’ go up Thanos and then expand.”
Ortega questioned, “I thought he was already big … the purple one?” Rudd clarified, “I get really small,” with Ortega then remembering, “Oh, that’s right, you’re called Ant-Man!”
Rudd left it there, but seven years on from the theory being suggested on Twitter, fans and movie buffs are still clearly eager to revisit the now-infamous Thanus theory.
