Will Josh Brolin’s Thanos Return for a Future MCU Project?
Thanos may have been snapped out of existence at the end of Avengers: Endgame, but don’t be surprised if the Mad Titan rears his purple head again in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Reports have started circulating that Marvel is planning to bring back the villain.
The rumor originated from @MyTimeToShineH, a scooper with a track record of accurate leaks, who claims Thanos will reappear in a future MCU project. Given where the Multiverse Saga is heading, there are a couple of likely candidates: Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars.
Both films are shaping up to be multiversal mega-events and in the case of Secret Wars, fans are already hoping for a moment straight out of the comics where Doctor Doom wipes Thanos off the map.
So what does Josh Brolin think of stepping back into the role that made him the most menacing villain in the MCU? He’s open to it—under the right conditions. He said last year:
“I’m not kidding — there’s a thing with playing Thanos. It’s like, 'Oh, they’re gonna bring Thanos back.' It’s like Sicario; it has to be right. Again, it’s what in his mind fits, what in my mind fits. Thanos has to fit if you’re going to bring him back. I would do anything that the Russos wanted me to do.”
And when asked if Marvel Studios had already reached out to him? Brolin didn't say yes… but he did cough. Interpret that however you want, but fans know that kind of dodge all too well.
The Multiverse gives Marvel a blank check when it comes to reviving old characters. We’ve already seen multiple Thanos Variants in What If...?, and that sandbox only gets bigger in the upcoming films. If Marvel wants Thanos back on the battlefield, there are plenty of ways to make it happen, and none of them require undoing his Endgame demise.
It helps that Avengers: Doomsday is shaping up to be one of Marvel’s biggest ensemble films yet. Alongside MCU mainstays like Chris Hemsworth, Anthony Mackie, and Tom Hiddleston, the cast includes returning legends like Robert Downey Jr. and Patrick Stewart, plus newcomers from the Fantastic Four, Deadpool & Wolverine, and X-Men franchises. With the Russo Brothers back at the helm and Stephen McFeely scripting, the scale here is massive.
Avengers: Doomsday drops December 18, 2026, followed by Avengers: Secret Wars on December 17, 2027.