The Snap
Dividing The Marvel Universe into Heaven and Hell?
Does Thanos' snap, which effectively kills half of the earth's population and many of our heroes, mean that he has brought his own Judgement Day upon the world? Is Thanos condemning the unworthy to some unknown Hell, while creating a Heaven on Earth for those who remain?
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It is certainly an interesting concept. As Saunders (2018) states,
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In trying to grant life and death – and as he puts it, 'salvation' to the universe – Thanos is not only playing God, but finding a way to divide humanity in two. For some, there is the potential of the Good Life: an elimination of the need created by over-population, and an age of prosperity to replace it. For the other half, there is death and destruction; a necessary yang in order for the first group to enjoy their ying. What's uncomfortable about this is the parallel with Christian ideas of the afterlife – God spitting the universe into two camps of sheep and goats, one getting heaven, and the other being sent to hell. (Saunders, 2018)
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If this is truly the case, then surely no heroes would have been killed by the snap, right? After all, aren't our heroes all supposed to be "the good guys?" Well, maybe not.
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It turns out that there may very well be some similarities between the characters that were lost at the end of the film. Many of these heroes may actually, at least by the Christian definition, be sinners. Don't believe me? Let's take a look at some examples.
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Bucky Barnes
Bucky Barnes is the first causality that we witness after Thanos' snap. He is the former Winter Soldier - a weapon of HYDRA (the bad guys) and the world's deadliest assassin. He's also the main villain in Captain America: The Winter Soldier. While he was under HYDRA's control, he was linked to countless murders over numerous decades. He was even sent to kill his own former best friend, Steve Rogers, and almost succeeded. Surely, as killer as notorious as he is wouldn't make it into Heaven.
Stephen Strange - Doctor Strange
Stephen Strange is a former surgeon, and current sorcerer. He practices magic and has supernatural abilities. He uses invocational magic - no words need to be spoken to summon his powers. This is forbidden in Christianity. Also, his belief in mysticism certainly proves that he is no Christian. So, as a magic-user and a non-Christian, it's evident that he would also be deemed unworthy of Heaven.
Wanda Maximoff - Scarlet Witch
As the name Scarlet Witch suggests, Wanda Maximoff is also a magic user, and one who relies on invocational magic. She has previously aligned herself with "evil," as she is initially an ally of Ultron (the bad guy) in Avengers: Age of Ultron. In this film she also uses her magic to manipulate the minds of others, notably Tony Stark. These could be suitable reasons as to why she is denied salvation.
T'Challa - Black Panther
T'Challa is the Black Panther, protector of Wakanda - and decidedly not Christian. As witnessed various times throughout Black Panther, his spirituality is something very different. And only Christians get into Heaven, right? Also, in the end of his movie, the Black Panther kills the main villain... who also happens to be his cousin. Not very Christian.
Notice which characters are suspiciously absent from the list of the snap victims? That's right, our previously established Christ figures. Interesting.
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While we don't know exactly what happens to those who perished in the film, we do know what Thanos had planned for those who remain. His ultimate goal was to alleviate the world of the problems of overpopulation. He planned to create a world free of suffering; a utopia. And he's not bluffing - he's done it before. He tells Gamora that her home planet began flourishing after his actions, that none of its inhabitants were starving or in pain anymore, and that all of their needs were now able to be met. So, a new world without suffering, where everyone is able to live peacefully and without wanting for anything... sounds like Heaven, right? And that's exactly what he intended to do - literally create Heaven on Earth for those who remain.
Not convinced yet? Don't worry, I have more!