Bring Back Ebony Maw

In Marvel's Infinity War, the mad Titan Thanos had a team of minions called the "Black Order" to help him accomplish his mission. Of all these evil sidekicks, Ebony Maw (aka Squidward) easily steals the show. Sure Tony Stark makes a joke that he resembles the character from Sponge Bob Square pants, but it is the voice of this character as he delivers these chilling sermons painting Thanos as a messiah that elevates him to a higher level. The Marvel cinematic universe has a deep roster of compelling heroes, but far too few effective villains.

Ebony Maw appears to die in the film, floating away like a popsicle into the vaccum of space. He's a wizard, so it's entirely plausible that he cast some form of spell to keep himself alive until he can be rescued later. Perhaps his species can be easily thawed out alive when frozen alive, or maybe they don't require oxygen. However you explain it, there are options to rationalize his revival. Filming has wrapped on Avengers 4, so his fate in part 2 has already been decided. That doesn't mean that his character cannot be revived for future movies.

The best destination for a Maw revival would be the Doctor Strange sequel movie. The Maw V Strange wizard fight in New York was easily one of the best scenes in Infinity War. We have only scratched the surface of what these two could bring to a prolonged conflict. Maw proved himself to be a formidable adversary, fighting multiple heroes while also capturing the Doctor, his mission successful, only to be defeated later by trickery. Had he seen the movie Aliens, perhaps he could have anticipated their move.

Adding more Maw to future movies does also allow for the infusion of more humour. Stark's Squidward reference elicited a strong laugh out loud from theater goers in Infinity War. Having a villain that heroes can crack jokes about while also being powerful and menacing can boost the entertainment value of the film. Humour has become a hallmark of Marvel movies. Thor Ragnarok, the best movie of 2017, was practically a comedy.

It's unclear what role Thanos might play in future Marvel movies, or if Josh Brolin will even play the character again. Ebony Maw is a better fit as a minion who serves a more powerful master. Even if the Thanos character is retired, one villain who may return to the MCU is Galactus, and Maw would be a perfect fit for his herald. The Fox sale to Disney is still not final, but the best franchise for a Galactus revival is either Guardians of the Galaxy, Avengers, Fantastic Four, or Captain Marvel. I'm not sure how Doctor Strange would match up against Galactus, as that level of foe requires a team effort.

Whatever franchise they might decide as the next destination for Maw, we would love to see him again in future movies.