Thanos Hosting Saturday Night Live Proves We Need to Know the Pop Culture State of the MCU

Does Saturday Night Live exist in the MCU? I can assume that whichever stars they get to impersonate the Avengers are the Alec Baldwin-as-Trump guest stars of the series. But imagine an Avenger, or rather an Avengers villain, actually hosting an episode? I’m sure half the audience would dig it.

Writer Dominick Nero wrote a spec script for an episode of Saturday Night Live where Thanos himself hosts an episode, with musical guest Hoobastank (yes, the ones who sang the song “The Reason,” which definitely topped all our high school OTP playlists). Featuring the current cast of SNL and countless Snapture jokes, the episode is a solid SNL attempt buoyed by the Titan hosting it.

There’s also a Ben Affleck as Batman joke, which appeals to my DC heart.

Overall, there are some good sketch ideas in there, though I could’ve done without the extended one that focuses on Thanos’s tush. Overall, it made me really need some more spec scripts that bring the Avengers into popular shows, in character. This should be a Disney+ series: popular TV shows, in-universe, featuring guest appearances from Tony, Steve, Thor, and others.

Of course, there’d be appearances on late night talk shows, which you can’t really spec but would make great material. Tony Stark undoubtably did the late night tour on multiple occasions, but I wouldn’t mind seeing Steve as a guest with Stephen Colbert. Thor could also make a late night appearance or two, but only if Taika is writing his dialogue, because Taika Thor is best Thor.

Honestly, my big dream would be an in-universe sketch where John Oliver recaps the Avengers’ shenanigans. Be it breaking down the cost of the Battle of New York or unraveling the Accords, I’d honestly pay for that Disney+ subscription if HBO and Disney partnered to give us the MCU version of Last Week Tonight With John Oliver.

What would you do if you could get any Avenger to guest star on a popular show? Bruce Banner on The Big Bang Theory? Natasha guest starring as an ally of Sansa on Game of Thrones? In fact, let’s have a series that’s just the Avengers watching or recapping popular TV shows in character. I would pay to watch that.

What show would you spec to include the Avengers? Let us know in the comments!

(via IndieWire, image: Marvel)

Want more stories like this? Become a subscriber and support the site!

—The Mary Sue has a strict comment policy that forbids, but is not limited to, personal insults toward anyone, hate speech, and trolling.—

Have a tip we should know? tips@themarysue.com

Author

Close

Kate Gardner

Kate (they/them) says sorry a lot for someone who is not sorry about the amount of strongly held opinions they have. Raised on a steady diet of The West Wing and classic film, they are now a cosplayer who will fight you over issues of inclusion in media while also writing coffee shop AU fanfic for their favorite rare pairs.