Thanos Co-Creator Reveals Where He Thinks Character May Show Up Next in the MCU

Thanos (Josh Brolin) met his on-screen demise during the events of Avengers: Endgame to the applause of millions of movie-goers everywhere. If Jim Starlin gets his way, the Mad Titan will be back before you know it. In fact, the iconic Marvel creator behind Thanos (and dozens of other Marvel fan-favorites, for that matter) thinks the Infinity Gauntlet-wielding villain will be back within a year. ComicBook.com recently caught up with Starlin, who’s keeping busy during his quarantine by “kicking ass” on some upcoming creator-owned projects. When we asked if he was satisfied with how Thanos’ arc ended in Endgame, Starlin tells us he firmly believes the character’s on-screen story is far from over.

“Well, I understand that the story’s not completely ended,” Starlin tells us. “They’ve already announced that. I think a young Thanos appears in The Eternals. I remember reading that somewhere.”

It’s a move the makes sense. Thanos is a member of the ancient alien race and it’s been confirmed by Marvel Studios that The Eternals would take place over thousands of years, giving ample time for the Mad Titan to appear — perhaps in a less-tyrannical form this time around. After all, Thanos has been one of Marvel’s most marketable and merchandisable baddies, something Starlin is very well aware of.

“They made a shit load of money off this guy,” the writer reminds us. “So I don’t see them retiring him anytime soon. Comic book characters tend to have an extended lifespan beyond the actors who work on them. I’m half expecting to see much more Thanos down the line.”

All that said, Starlin said he was pleased by Brolin’s portrayal of the character and satisfied with how the directors and screenwriters treated the character he co-created decades ago. “But the way they handled him, I know I thought they did a terrific job. Russos and [Christopher] Markus and [Stephen] McFeely, they had a really great feel for the character,” Starlin adds. “They didn’t follow the letter of it. They certainly followed the spirit of it just faithfully. How can I say anything wrong about it at this point?”

The Eternals is now set to hit theaters February 12, 2021. Marvel’s new release slate is as follows: Black Widow arrives in theaters on November 6th, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings on May 5 2021, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness on November 5, 2021, Thor: Love and Thunder on February 18, 2022, Black Panther II on May 6, 2022, and Captain Marvel 2 on July 8, 2022.

Do you think Thanos will return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe? If so, where? Let us know your theories either in the comments section or by hitting me up on Twitter at @AdamBarnhardt to chat all things MCU!