In its early days, the Marvel Cinematic Universe was widely known for sidelining its many different supervillains in favor of giving the good guys the spotlight. Antagonists like Whiplash, Abomination, and Yellowjacket were perceived as little more than evil copies of their respective heroes, and they quickly vanished from fans' minds after failing to make a lasting impression. Fortunately, things have changed for the better in recent years. After all, a hero is only as good as the criminals terrorizing them.
There has been no shortage of three-dimensional and terrifying bad guys in recent superhero projects—such as the Kingpin, the Vulture, or Agatha—yet no one has been able to dethrone the Mad Titan himself. Thanos is widely considered to be the best MCU villain to date, and all eyes are set on Doctor Doom to finally compete for that spot. The ruler of Latveria made a quick cameo in The Fantastic Four: First Steps, but his proper debut is set to take place in Avengers: Doomsday. However, chances are he won't be alone in his plan to conquer the multiverse.
The Avengers movies are known for featuring multiple "villains" in the form of a disposable army for Earth's Mightiest Heroes to defeat. That being said, Avengers: Secret Wars might look to shake things up a little by bringing back another renowned big bad that fans once loved and feared.
Thanos will reportedly appear in Avengers: Secret Wars
According to reliable insider Daniel Richtman, the Mad Titan isn't done with the MCU just yet, as he's set to appear in the events of Avengers: Secret Wars. While Thanos bit the dust in Avengers: Endgame, we've seen deceased characters make a comeback in the form of a multiversal variant (with Loki and Gamora being the biggest examples). So, chances are we're about to witness a similar scenario here.
Acclaimed actor Josh Brolin teased that he had conversations with Avengers: Secret Wars co-director Joe Russo to be back as Thanos in the upcoming crossover: "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." Furthermore, Disney itself might have revealed the villain's big comeback ahead of time.
During a Merchandise Expo in Shanghai, China, Marvel held a light show that seemingly revealed Doctor Doom's design and showcased the villain fighting Thanos in a blink-and-you-miss-it moment. Interestingly enough, this very brief sequence appears to recreate that iconic comic panel in which Doom rips Thanos' spine from his back in one decisive move. With that in mind, there could be a chance that Marvel's most iconic bad guys are set to face each other.
There's a case to be made that the ruler of Latveria will kill a multiversal version of Thanos in either Avengers: Doomsday or Secret Wars as a means to quickly establish him as a force to be reckoned with. After all, Marvel hasn't really had a chance to set up Victor's character in previous MCU entries. That being said, there's also the possibility that the Mad Titan will be one of the many soldiers in Doom's army.
It has been reported that many MCU villains are set to make a comeback in the upcoming crossovers aside from Thanos. Maybe they could take the place that the Black Order had back in Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame, doing their master's every bidding. After all, if the X-Men, Thunderbolts, Fantastic Four, and Avengers all join forces, they will need plenty of bad guys to fight. So who better than established MCU characters to fulfill this role, instead of yet another faceless army?
Given that the Multiverse Saga is coming to an end, this is Marvel's last chance to bring back beloved characters fans thought were long gone. As such, it wouldn't be surprising to see Thanos in the flesh one last time to terrorize Earth's Mightiest Heroes. Fortunately, it won't be long before we finally find out Doom's plan and whether someone else will help execute it.
Avengers: Secret Wars will be released on Dec. 17, 2027