Josh Brolin has Heard That Thanos may Return

Movies

If you thought at least phases 1-3 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe were safe from Marvel’s current wave of franchise-destroying bombs, a former arch-villain has some bad news for you. In an interview with ComicBook.com, Josh Brolin said that he’s heard Marvel wants to bring back Thanos, the main antagonist of the Infinity Saga. And he’s clear that he doesn’t mean Thanos will show up in What If…? or some animated off-shoot of the MCU proper that can be safely ignored; he means in the movies. Thanos is dead, having been wiped from existence by Tony Stark in Avengers: Endgame, but the multiverse means never having to say “consequences.”

“You know, I hear kind of 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. But I don’t know, in the Marvel world, whether they’re gonna bring him back.”

“Somehow, Thanos returned.”

Of course, this is far from confirmation, and Brolin admits he doesn’t know for sure one way or the other. But it sounds like something Marvel would do at this point because they’re in love with the multiverse concept. They’re also desperate for a hit, and rumors have swirled that they want to dust off some of the beloved characters who are technically dead but could draw an audience. Kevin Feige has said they won’t resurrect Iron Man because it would ruin his sacrifice.  (Although, if he’s on the level, it’s probably because Robert Downey Jr. doesn’t want to do it rather than for artistic reasons), and that’s true, but bringing Thanos back would do the same thing. Tony gave his life to defeat the Mad Titan and his armies once and for all, to make sure the MCU’s most evil and powerful monster couldn’t commit genocide on a universal scale again. If Thanos pops up after that, Tony died for nothing more than a momentary reprieve.

Moreover, Thanos’ death was perfect; it was the mirror image of his final scene in Infinity War, but instead of taking satisfaction in his victory, he was contemplating his ultimate defeat, knowing that his legacy was destroyed and his vision of the perfect universe would never be fulfilled. Why erase that? (Rhetorical question; I know the answer is “money.”) And it’s not like they have no villainous prospects; they screwed up Kang the Conqueror, MODOK, and the Skrulls, but they’ve got guys like Doctor Doom, Galactus, Annihilus, Magneto, Apocalypse, Mephisto, Blackheart, and a host of others. And Doctor Strange set up Dormammu for a future confrontation. But that would require creativity, which Marvel lacks at the moment, so don’t be surprised if Thanos rears his head once more, possibly with an alternate-universe Infinity Gauntlet on his left hand.