In the latest proof that the superhero film genre has entered a period of creative bankruptcy, Thanos actor Josh Brolin has revealed that, at least according to what he’s heard “through the grapevine”, Marvel Studios is reportedly looking to bring back the Mad Titan for another outing in their eponymous cinematic universe.
Brolin, who portrayed the purple-skinned despot in both Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame, offered this regarding the villain’s potential franchise return during a February interview given to Comicbook.com in promotion of his upcoming appearance in Dune: Part Two.
Following a discussion about his second stint as the second silver-screen incarnation of the sci-fi series’ Halleck, the outlet’s Jamie Jirak eventually moved to ask the actor whether or not there were any plans for Thanos to rear his wrinkly-chinned head once more in the MCU.
In turn, the actor surprisingly revealed, “You know, I hear kind of like through the grapevine, that they’re gonna bring him back.”
“And there’s the What If…? series and that’s a different kind of Thanos and all that,” he then added, making a reference to the ‘heroic’ version of the Eternal-Deviant hybrid that appeared in the alternate-universe-hopping show’s first season episode What If…T’Challa Became a Star-Lord? “But I don’t know in the Marvel world whether they’re going to bring him back”.
From there, Brolin brought this brief insight into his possible MCU future to a close with the observation that, “I didn’t know that he was the most killed-off Marvel villain … You learn something new every day.”
(To Brolin’s point, it should be noted that Thanos – or at least a version of him – has been killed a total of seven times in the MCU: Once each by Thor and Iron Man in Endgame, the Illuminati in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Ultron in the first season What If…? episode What If…Ultron Won? Ronan and an Infinity Stone-wielding Killmonger in the second season outings What If…Nebula joined the Nova Corps? and What If…Supreme Strange Intervened?
And while some have attempted to argue that Gamora’s ‘stabbing’ of Thanos in Avengers: Infinity War and the appearance of a zombie Thanos in the What If…? episode What if…Zombies?! qualify as entries on this list, the fact that the former was merely a Reality Stone-induced illusion which the Mad Titan himself allowed and the latter was technically still ‘undead’ leaves their inclusions as arugable at best.)
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As of writing, it’s unclear which future MCU project proper, if any, Marvel may be planning to use as a vehicle for Thanos’ return.
However, in light of the rumors that the upcoming Avengers: Secret Wars will both feature cameo appearances from across Marvel’s MCU and non-MCU cinematic history and serve as a gigantic celebration of the entire cinematic endeavor before ultimately rebooting it come its conclusion, an educated guess would suggest that Thano will make an appearance as one of the final conflict’s numerous contenders.
As of writing, Brolin’s next film, the aforementioned Dune: Part Two is currently on track to continue the search for Spice on March 2nd.
Meanwhile, Marvel’s next film, the multiversal Deadpool 3, has set its mutant-adjacent sights on a theatrical release date of July 26th.