Before Josh Brolin became Thanos in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the Oscar-nominated actor could have had a major role in a different blockbuster franchise. During an appearance on the podcast Happy Sad Confused, the Weapons star reflected on his decision to turn down a part in the original Avatar movie. At one point, James Cameron was considering casting Brolin to portray the villainous Col. Miles Quaritch, the character played by Stephen Lang. While Brolin admitted it was hard passing on the opportunity to work with Cameron (or, at least harder than turning down a role in Lanterns), he feels it worked out for the best because Lang was such a strong fit for Avatar.
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“It was Stephen Lang,” Brolin said when sharing what Avatar role is was up for. “Who I knew and I was very happy for him. He’s amazing in it. So, it happened exactly as it should have. I’m a big believer in things happen like they should.”
Brolin previously explained his reasoning for turning down Avatar, saying his decision was “based on the project” than Cameron. As he says during the Happy Sad Confused interview, he wasn’t very interested in spending a year and a half on the film’s lengthy production process. Nevertheless, Cameron was reportedly quite angry when Brolin passed on the sci-fi epic.
Lang has gone on to become a fixture of the Avatar franchise. Though Quartich is killed at the end of the first film, the actor was able to return for the sequels thanks to the franchise’s introduction of recombinants. The memories of dead humans are transferred into a Na’vi body. Quaritch had a key supporting role in 2022’s Avatar: The Way of Water and will also be in this December’s Avatar: Fire and Ash. The film’s first trailer suggested Quaritch could work alongside the “Ash People” tribe.
Brolin is obviously a terrific actor with the skill set to portray a variety of roles. As he demonstrated with Thanos, he can easily bring an intimidating villain to life in a large-scale studio tentpole. Brolin would have been a strong Quaritch, but Lang proved to be a perfect choice. In the first Avatar, he truly shines as a no-nonsense military leader committed to his cause. Brolin is a fascinating “what if” for fans to consider, but at this point, it’s hard to imagine anyone else besides Lang in that role. He’s further illustrated why he was a great pick in the sequels, digging deep into Quartich’s character by exploring his dynamic with Spider.
As Lang continues to carve out his legacy in the Avatar franchise, Brolin made his own mark in the MCU. His Thanos carried Avengers: Infinity War and was quickly established as one of the franchise’s most compelling villains. There was a rich depth to Thanos, as viewers understood his viewpoint and goals even if they didn’t agree with his methods. Similar to Lang as Quartich, it’s hard to envision anyone else playing Thanos so well. Brolin seems to be right — things happened exactly as they should have.
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