Thanos Will Never Be This Generation's Darth Vader

Director Joe Russo made it clear at last year's Comic-Con International in San Diego that he wants Avengers: Infinity War's Thanos to be the "Darth Vader for a new generation," a sentiment that he recently reiterated. In both statements, Russo emphasized -- among other things -- the power, cruelty and complexity of the Mad Titan, traits that he also attributed to Star Wars' most iconic villain.

However, Vader is so much more than those adjectival descriptions. That's why, regardless of how great he may prove to be in Infinity War and Avengers 4, Thanos won't be able to recreate the factors that have helped the Dark Lord of the Sith appeal to so many generations since his first appearance in 1977.

Even before Infinity War arrives, Thanos' relationship to audience expectations is fundamentally different from Darth Vader because of the hype that Marvel has built around the Mad Titan. There are also storytelling purposes that Vader serves in Star Wars that helped solidify his legacy in a way that Thanos simply cannot at this point.

Vader's Motivations Aren't Always Clear

The first place to start is their goals, as it's one of the key things that shapes how they interact with their respective film worlds. While the specifics aren't yet clear, it's safe to assume that Thanos' ultimate goals won't differ much from those of his comic book counterpart: Power and destruction. Thanos wants to use the Infinity Stones and Gauntlet to achieve those aims. He is a fundamentally simple character.

Vader's goals are much more more complex, because they involve his own role in the life of another human being. When he first appears at the start of A New Hope, Vader is something uncanny, a mixture of robotics and humanity, which serves as an immediate signifier that he's something to be feared. His goal, however, is simple and easily understood: Crush the Rebel Alliance. However, his aims change drastically in The Empire Strikes Back, when he starts attempting to turn his son to the Dark Side. By the end, the Star Wars films have unveiled a history and humanity to the fearsome, awe-inspiring character without ever undermining his power. Vader is an infinitely complex figure, and that's important to his enduring appeal; it's why Lucasfilm made three films centered on him prior to his fall.

The MCU Has Spent 6 Years Building Up Thanos

There's little mystery surrounding how powerful Thanos is going into Infinity War, and it's likely he'll kill an Avenger or two before achieving his ultimate goal. Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige has made it clear that "within the first five minutes of Infinity War, people will understand why Thanos is the biggest and baddest villain in the history of the Marvel Cinematic Universe." Thanos will clearly be showing his power from the start of the film, which is much different than Vader.

There are fewer expectations regarding Vader's strength at the start of the original trilogy, allowing him to become more terrifying with each new power and ability that the audience sees. Vader's skills, especially in his usage of the Force, are revealed slowly as he uses them to brutality murder others. By the time The Empire Strikes Back ends, director George Lucas has established Vader as a nigh-invincible monster, having him kill Obi-Wan, stop a blaster shot from Han Solo with a wave of his hand. and easily dispatch Luke Skywalker in a lightsaber duel. Each time he appears on screen, Vader demonstrates that he's even more powerful than he previously seemed.

The difference here between Thanos and Vader is, while Thanos must live up to the expectations that previous films and the MCU have set up for him, Vader inspires awe because of his ability to show how powerful he is gradually. Luke and the audience learn Vader's power together, making the Sith Lord appear larger than life.

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The expectations for Thanos are that he'll be like the villains that have appeared in previous Marvel films, but on a much grander scale. The specifics about his powers and his motivations may change, but he fundamentally exists as a villain for the heroes to eventually conquer. And while Vader is certainly a villain for Luke and the rest to overcome, he also serves another major purpose in the original trilogy: Showing audiences the true power of the Dark Side.

The power of the Force, one of the most important concepts in the Star Wars universe, is revealed throughout the films, and Vader serves as a counter-example to Obi-Wan and Yoda. As Obi-Wan introduces Luke -- and thus viewers -- to the Force, Vader illustrates the dark powers that one can derive from that common source. Obi-Wan uses mind tricks to convince Stormtroopers and the feeble minded to let him on his way, while Vader chokes people into submission using the Force. Yoda attempts to teach Luke to overcome anger; Vader encourages him to embrace it. Even the lightsabers of the Jedi and the Sith serve as a visual signifier for their opposite nature, with Vader's violently colored red saber hinting at his sinister nature.

Vader serves as an illustration of the power of the Dark Side, exemplifying for the audience the pinnacle of using the Force in an evil manner. While Thanos can certainly have his metaphorical power, he's unlikely to have that same function in the story as a way of introducing viewers to another way of being.

The Dark Lord's choice to kill Emperor Palpatine at the end of Return of the Jedi in order to save his son even challenges notions that someone as evil as Vader is beyond good acts, a message profound in its implications for Star Wars Universe. In contrast, there are two likely ends for Thanos: Death or imprisonment in an intergalactic supermax prison for CGI villains. Vader is emblematic of the struggle of light against dark in the Star Wars Universe, and that's one of the reasons that he's managed to endure in the popular imagination for so long. He's important to understanding his universe as a whole.

Thanos may end up being a great villain, and he's certain to affect the MCU in a long-lasting way. However, he won't become this generation's Darth Vader, because he's nothing like the Dark Lord of the Sith. Vader serves to introduce audiences to the power of the Dark Side of the Force while also demonstrating a complexity that makes him a fruitful subject of examination. This doesn't mean that Thanos won't matter to the future of cinema, but he's just not in the position to become the next Darth Vader.

Debuting May 4, 2018, director Anthony and Joe Russo' Avengers: Infinity War stars Robert Downey Jr., Josh Brolin, Mark Ruffalo, Tom Hiddleston, Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Jeremy Renner, Chris Pratt, Elizabeth Olsen, Sebastian Stan, Benedict Cumberbatch, Paul Bettany, Samuel L. Jackson, Cobie Smulders, Benedict Wong, Zoe Saldana, Karen Gillan, Vin Diesel, Dave Bautista, Pom Klementieff, Scarlett Johansson, Tom Holland and Anthony Mackie.