Marvel Handled "Killmonger Was Right" Far Better Than Thanos Was Right

 

Thanos and Killmonger were both given motives when they were introduced to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but Killmonger's supporters in-universe make much more sense. Thanos served as the main antagonist of the entire Infinity Saga, but his real goals were mostly unknown until Avengers: Infinity War. He wanted to halve all life to prevent resources from becoming scarce across the entire universe. Killmonger, on the other hand, aimed to steal the throne of Wakanda for himself and become the new Black Panther.

In spite of their villainous actions, neither character was portrayed as a truly evil person. And apparently, they weren't alone in their beliefs. A scene in Hawkeye included graffiti reading that "Thanos was right", it creates a discussion about how each villain should be viewed in-universe. After suffering the Blip, where half of all life was snapped away for five years, it was surprising to find out that anyone would still support Thanos' thinking. Meanwhile, Killmonger's ideals still stand after his death as well. Killmonger's short appearance in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever supports that his ideals have merit, as he encouraged Shuri to fight back against Namor's forces.

Killmonger & Thanos Were Both Seen As Being Right In The MCU

In the cases of both Avengers: Infinity War and Black Panther, the villain was depicted as a sympathetic character interested in pursuing the greater good. When Killmonger was defeated at the end of Black Panther, he sat next to T'Challa and discussed why he fought so hard for his dream where Wakanda would become a dominant power. He wanted to overthrow a system that continued to reward those in power, rather than raise people without power. The message resonated with a lot of people, and in-universe Wakanda introduced itself to the world and began trying to work with other nations for the betterment of everyone. Without Killmonger, Wakanda would have remained closed off, and never would have joined the United Nations.

As for Thanos, his goal was on a much larger scale, but made some degree of sense in a utilitarian view. After watching his home planet, Titan, fall to starvation and in-fighting over resources, the Mad Titan wanted to remove half of all life in the universe to make sure no one would have to suffer the way that he did. By removing half of all life in the universe, natural resources would last longer and have less competition. His quest for the Infinity Stones lead to the Blip, and when the population that was erased came back, several crises came back with them. Food, housing, and nations all became competitions about going back to what was, or trying to move forward, and a lot of people - as seen in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier - became disillusioned, believing the world was better off during the Blip.

Wakanda Forever Properly Reckons With The Idea Killmonger Was Right

Wakanda Forever only briefly features Killmonger, but continues to support that his ideals weren't the problem. Shuri is torn between wanting to understand Namor, her place as Wakanda's newest ruler, and how to serve as its Black Panther. Killmonger mirrors Shuri's desire to protect Wakanda first and foremost, and encourages her to stop allowing Namor to continue his war against Wakanda. While Shuri doesn't end up killing Namor, she forces him to surrender and manages to overthrow Namor's army.

On a larger scale, Killmonger's lasting presence was felt by Wakanda and the rest of the world too. By having Wakanda join the United Nations, they became subject to other nations' judgment and will. At the beginning of Wakanda Forever, France openly stands against Wakanda for their actions, forcing the Wakandans to reconsider how they interact with other nations. Similar to Shuri, the entire nation struggles to find the balance between T'Challa's peaceful nature and Killmonger's individualistic ideals.