Josh Brolin left a massive impact on the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Thanos. In Avengers: Infinity War, the alien warlord changed the franchise forever when he used all six Infinity Stones to wipe out half of all life in the universe. Though the Avengers undid this damage, Thanos left an indelible mark on the MCU and established himself as one of the franchise's most fearsome villains.
Though Thanos seemed to have met his death in Avengers: Endgame, in Marvel, death is not always the end. Earlier this year, industry insider Daniel Richtman shared a rumor that Brolin will reprise his role in the 2027 film Avengers: Secret Wars. Not only that, howeverm Brolin himself has now weighed in on whether Thanos will return in the MCU.
Josh Brolin on whether Thanos will return
In an interview with Collider, Josh Brolin was asked whether Thanos is “dead-dead” and if there is a chance he could come back in the MCU. In response, Brolin said, “I don’t know how to answer that question.”
While Brolin didn't confirm or deny anything, MCU actors often keep spoilers about their films under wraps before their release. Either Brolin doesn't know whether Thanos will return in Avengers: Secret Wars, or he does know and has chosen not to reveal it.
Either way, the lack of an outright denial is very interesting, and Marvel fans have already begun speculating as to whether that could secretly suggest that Thanos will be back.
How could Thanos return to the MCU in Avengers: Secret Wars?
Avengers: Endgame not only showed Thor decapitating Thanos, but it also had Iron Man use the Infinity Stones to snap a variant of Thanos from 2014 out of existence. Though resurrection seems unlikely for Thanos at this point, the character could still technically reappear in the MCU. In fact, he already has.
Thanks to the rise of the Multiverse in Marvel Studios' Multiverse Saga, fans have seen many other variants of Thanos appear in projects like Marvel’s What If…? andDoctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness film. Since universes are set to collide in Avengers: Doomsday, it is possible for another variant of the Titan to appear in Avengers: Secret Wars.
As a result, fans hope the MCU will recreate the showdown between Thanos and Doctor Doom from the 2015 “Secret Wars” comic, which is a major inspiration for Avengers: Secret Wars. In this comic, Thanos challenges Doom, who has taken control of the Multiverse and established himself as the God Emperor of Battleworld. Though Thanos asserts that he is the true god, Doom quickly responds by ripping the Titan’s skeleton out of his body with his bare hand.
After Thanos cemented himself as a universal threat in the MCU's Infinity Saga, it would be a massive twist to see a variant of him go up against the main villain of the Multiverse Saga. And there has been a long-standing theory that Avengers: Doomsday would open with an adaptation of the scene we mentioned above, which would certainly go a long way in establishing Doctor Doom as the MCU's new Big Bad.
Though Thanos' return has yet to be confirmed, one of the MCU's most iconic villains appearing alongside Doctor Doom in Avengers: Secret Wars could make for an epic blockbuster.
Avengers: Secret Wars premieres in theaters on December 17, 2027.
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