Paul Rudd Recalls the Infamous ‘Infinity War’ “Thanus” Theory: “I often wonder, though, could he really have stopped Thanos in that way?”

May 2018 was a crazy time to be online after the release of Avengers: Infinity War. The whole internet was buzzing about the movie and what Endgame’ has in store for us next year. One of the most popular theories was the “Thanus” one (aka, there wasn’t even a need for the Endgame)

Seven years later, Paul Rudd still can’t stop thinking about a wild fan idea that’s been buzzing around for years. Fans have long speculated that Ant-Man could shrink to a tiny size, sneak into Thanos’ body through his rear end, and then grow huge to destroy the Mad Titan from the inside.

Rudd recently brought up this strange plan again while talking about his new movie, Death of a Unicorn, which hits theaters on March 28, 2025. Rudd shared his thoughts with his co-star Jenna Ortega, who hadn’t heard of the theory before.

“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?” Rudd said, questioning if Thanos’ powers from the Infinity Stones might have stopped Ant-Man’s attack.

He then turned to Ortega and explained, “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, puzzled at first, asked, “I thought he was already big … the purple one?” Rudd replied, “I get really small,” helping her recall, “Oh, that’s right, you’re called Ant-Man!”

The “Thanus” idea first popped up in 2017 before Avengers: Infinity War came out. Fans thought it could be a quick fix to stop Thanos from collecting all six Infinity Stones and wiping out half of life with a snap.

Rudd has talked about it before, even calling it “gross” in a 2022 video for Disney Cruise fans. Back then, he wondered why it had to be that specific entry point. “A lot of people have asked me recently if I shrink down and go… into Thanos, in a certain orifice, and then grow giant size… But why not the ear or the nose? Why does it have to be [that]?” he asked.

This time, Rudd seemed less sure the plan would even work. He pointed out that Thanos had powerful stones, like the Space Stone, which might have let the villain counter Ant-Man’s explosive move. The theory has stuck with fans for over six years since Endgame, where Thanos was finally beaten—but not by Ant-Man’s wild tactic.

Still, Rudd keeps mulling it over, especially when asked if it could stop another big bad, like Doctor Doom, in the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday.

For Rudd, it’s a mix of curiosity and doubt. He’s not the only one who’s been stumped—Ortega’s confusion shows how out-there the idea sounds to newcomers. Yet, it’s clear the “Thanus” theory isn’t going away anytime soon, keeping fans and even stars like Rudd wondering about what might have been.

You can watch the whole interview here:

Can we expect to see Paul Rudd as Ant-Man again?

Paul Rudd recently addressed rumors surrounding his involvement in the upcoming Avengers films, Doomsday and Secret Wars. While promoting his new movie, Death of a Unicorn, Rudd was asked if he had been in touch with the Russo brothers and he responded with a cryptic answer:

“As far as the Russos, they have my number. They know where I’m at, and that’s all I can say. I don’t really know how to play these things.”

When asked if he had any plans to travel to London soon, where Avengers: Doomsday is set to begin production, Rudd gave a sly response: “Isn’t everyone traveling to London soon now in this business?”

Both Doomsday and Secret Wars, at this point, have over 50 rumored characters that are supposed to appear in the movie, but only a few have been confirmed. It’s safe to say that we’re not getting anything out of Rudd, though.

What do you think? Could Ant-Man have taken down Thanos this way, or is it just a silly dream? Share your thoughts in the comments below!