Is the MCU about to bring back Thanos? The Mad Titan helped define the first three phases of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, culminating with his defeat in Avengers: Endgame. However, just because he was killed doesn’t mean he can’t come back in some capacity. After all, Marvel is bringing back Robert Downey Jr., albeit now as Doctor Doom, for Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars, while it’s also heavily rumored (almost to the point of simply being a badly kept secret) that Chris Evans will be back as Captain America. To borrow from another Disney-owned franchise, no one’s ever really gone, so it wouldn’t be a huge shock if Thanos returned.
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Josh Brolin, who played Thanos from Guardians of the Galaxy onwards, has previously been open to a return, especially since it was confirmed that the Russo Brothers are also coming back for Avengers 5 and 6. Now he’s going a little bit further, with what feels more like teasing of his involvement as the villain in at least one of those movies. Speaking with Entertainment Tonight on a clip shared on X, the actor was once again asked about reprising the role.
Brolin said: “If Joe Russo comes to me, which he may have, I don’t know, and has an idea, then I might acquiesce. Probably pretty quickly.” While it’s by no means confirmation of anything happening, the tease that Joe Russo might have already contacted him about an idea at least feels like a playful hint that there’s something afoot and they might’ve already had a conversation.
How Thanos Could Return To The MCU
Brolin returning as Thanos would not necessarily mean either of the versions we saw die in Endgame is being resurrected. Though possible, that would be a mistake, and not something I’m sure anyone – fans, Brolin, or the Russos – would really want to explore, because it was such a fitting end to the Infinity Saga. But ever since then, Marvel has been diving into the multiverse, which does very much open the door for the Dune and Sicario star to take on another variant of the Mad Titan.
With that, there are almost unlimited possibilities, and we know that both Doomsday and Secret Wars will be multiversal events, and that they’ll very likely include variants of other MCU characters, so featuring Thanos is not a stretch. I would imagine the more likely option here is Secret Wars, not only because nothing concrete has come out yet about Brolin’s involvement in Doomsday, but due to that movie’s story and where Thanos might fit in.
Based on the comics, we can assume Secret Wars will include Battleworld, a universe created by Doctor Doom (who then styles himself God Emperor Doom). A variant of Thanos appearing here to establish the stakes of the new universe and Doom’s own powers could make sense. It’d be pretty easy to have the Mad Titan turn up and be easily dealt with by Doom, showing just how powerful he has become at this point. This would also fit with how Marvel has used Thanos since Endgame, as the animated multiversal series What If…? also featured him being defeated in multiple (often quite quick) ways.
Disney also has other plans for Thanos at its theme parks, including a variant known as King Thanos for a new attraction at Disney California Adventure. The multiverse ride, set for Avengers Campus, will include a Thanos who wasn’t defeated by the Avengers, and I can easily imagine some brand synergy where that character makes an appearance in Secret Wars. Whether Thanos should return is another matter, since there’s a strong argument for Endgame being where his (live-action) story concluded, but just don’t be shocked if it’s eventually confirmed he is coming back for more.
Avengers: Doomsday will be released on December 18th, 2026, with Avengers: Secret Wars arriving on December 17th, 2027.
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image courtesy of 20th Century Studios
