Matthew Waterson, the voice actor behind Magneto in X-Men ’97, has revealed that his Master of Magnetism could have easily taken on Thanos in the MCU. While several original voice actors from X-Men: The Animated Series reprised their iconic superhero roles in X-Men ’97, Matthew Waterson replaced X-Men: The Animated Series star David Hemblen as the voice of Magneto, following Hemblen’s passing in 2020. Magneto has been on a huge journey in X-Men ’97 season 1, which saw him become the new heroic leader of the X-Men, protect innocent mutants on Genosha, and eventually revert to his more villainous roots.
Speaking to the Phase Zero podcast on May 6, 2024, X-Men ’97’s Matthew Waterson suggested that “Magneto might have been an interesting addition into the Thanos” storyline of the MCU’s Infinity Saga. Magneto and Thanos may have never fought in Marvel Comics, but both are two of Marvel’s most powerful and significant villains, so it would be brilliant to see them battle in the MCU’s future X-Men stories. Waterson suggested to Phase Zero that Magneto would defeat the Mad Titan “relatively quickly,” though the outcome of the potential battle between Magneto and Thanos in the MCU may be less certain.
Marvel Studios first teased Thanos in The Avengers’ post-credits scene, and set him up through Guardians of the Galaxy, Avengers: Age of Ultron and Thor: Ragnarok, before Thanos truly began his Infinity Stone quest in 2018’s Avengers: Infinity War. Although set up as one of the most formidable supervillains in the live-action MCU, Josh Brolin’s Thanos had notably fewer abilities than his Marvel Comics counterpart, which presumably could have made him easier to defeat in battle. Indeed, this didn’t help the Avengers in Infinity War, as Thanos succeeded in his mission, but someone with Magneto’s abilities could have better luck.
Josh Brolin’s Thanos doesn’t have abilities such as telepathy and telekinesis, and cannot absorb or project cosmic energy in the live-action MCU, but his superhuman strength, stamina and reflexes would still make him a formidable opponent to Magneto. Thanos defeated the Avengers in Infinity War, despite some of them harboring impressive gits, but Magneto may have one clear advantage over the Mad Titan. Matthew Waterson noted to Phase Zero that Thanos’ Infinity Gauntlet is metal, suggesting that Magneto could have easily stripped Thanos of his most powerful weapons, rendering him all but powerless, and making him easier to take down.
Of course, Marvel Studios has never revealed exactly what kind of metal the Infinity Gauntlet, and Thanos’ other weapons, were made of. This means Magneto’s abilities might not actually work against the Infinity Gauntlet, which would make Thanos much more powerful than Magneto, particularly when enhanced by the six Infinity Stones. Since Magneto has often operated as an antihero, it makes more sense that the more heroic character would defeat the supervillain Thanos, and with the X-Men joining the MCU after X-Men ’97, and Thanos rumored to be returning, this epic battle could soon be seen in the live-action MCU.
Source: YouTube