Here Is Why Thanos Looks Different In 'Avengers: Infinity War'

Thanos made his first appearance in the Marvel Cinematic Universe in a post-credits sequence in [...]

By Patrick Cavanaugh

Thanos made his first appearance in the Marvel Cinematic Universe in a post-credits sequence in Marvel's The Avengers, a surprise to even the most devout Marvel fans. Over the next six years, the character made additional cameos in films, though fans couldn't help but notice he looks drastically different in Avengers: Infinity War than he did in his debut. One of the film's visual effects supervisors, Matt Aitken, recently explained the advantage of Thanos' new design.

"Those sequences in Guardians is where we see him most clearly in the previous MCU films," Aitken shared with ScreenRant. "It was a wonderful freedom to not have to match that exactly. I think it's one thing to have a Thanos who in those scenes was definitely more stylized, holed up for those short beats that he was in those films. But when he had to be the lead character and hold film and appear in hundreds and hundreds of shots, it was great to have the latitude to refine his look, to make his facial appearance more natural, so he's definitely more detailed and has a more natural shape to his face, to his lips, to his brow, his nose, and all those details we're talking about in terms of the blemishes and the pores and the stubble."

When Thanos debuted in the 2012 film, Marvel fans instantly recognized the character because of how similar he looked to his comic book form. Over the years, the visual design team clearly wanted to alter his appearance to convey a more realistic character that was capable of a more powerful emotional performance in Infinity War.

The Mad Titan isn't the only character whose look has evolved over the years, with virtually every character changing their appearance and costume slightly with each chapter in the franchise. However, with Thanos' appearances being fewer and further between, the differences appear much more drastic.

"If we'd been confined to those earlier iterations, it would have been too much of a limitation, I think, so that was never an issue," Aitken noted. "Right from the start, Marvel recognized the need to go to the next version of Thanos, and we were never asked to match that earlier version at all."

You can see Thanos' current look in Avengers: Infinity War, in theaters now.

Other upcoming Marvel Cinematic Universe movies include Ant-Man and the Wasp on July 6th, Captain Marvel opens on March 8, 2019, the fourth Avengers movie on May 3, 2019, the sequel to Spider-Man: Homecoming on July 5, 2019, and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 in 2020.

Were you confused by the different look of the character? Let us know in the comments below!

[H/T ScreenRant]

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