The MCU Must Move On From Thanos After Josh Brolin’s Recent Marvel Comments

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Josh Brolin recently hinted at a possible return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe in a future Avengers film, like Avengers: Doomsday or Avengers: Secret Wars. This raises the question of whether Marvel needs to definitively close the book on Thanos. While Thanos is a truly memorable villain, his story should have concluded after he was defeated twice in Avengers: Endgame. Marvel seems unable to move past him.

For the first decade of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Thanos was established as a powerful villain. This culminated in Avengers: Infinity War, where he successfully collected all the Infinity Stones. With these stones, he snapped his fingers, instantly wiping out half of all living beings in the universe. This devastating act left the heroes defeated and at their lowest point.

Despite facing incredible odds, the heroes managed to defeat Thanos – not just once, but twice. They first defeated the Thanos from their own timeline, and then Iron Man used a newly rebuilt Infinity Gauntlet to destroy a version of Thanos from 2014. This final victory marked the conclusive end of the epic Infinity Saga storyline from Marvel Studios.

Since his initial defeat, Thanos has shown up in the Marvel Cinematic Universe six more times due to the existence of the multiverse. This makes his previous deaths feel less impactful, and there’s a possibility he could reappear again.

What Josh Brolin Said About Returning To The MCU As Thanos

Even though Josh Brolin, who played Thanos, isn’t currently listed in the cast for the new Avengers: Doomsday movie, he was recently asked by Entertainment Tonight if he might return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe in a future Avengers film. Like many actors involved with Marvel, Brolin is skilled at keeping secrets, and his answer reflected that.

If Joe Russo approaches me with an idea – and he might have already – I’d likely agree to it, and probably quite fast.

Josh Brolin hasn’t said for sure whether he’ll be back in the next two Avengers films, directed by Joe and Anthony Russo. However, he hasn’t ruled it out either. His response is encouraging, suggesting a higher chance of his return than many other actors when asked about future Marvel projects.

Bringing Thanos back in future Marvel projects like Doomsday or Secret Wars would be a mistake. The Marvel Cinematic Universe needs to focus on new stories and leave Thanos in the past.

Why Josh Brolin Shouldn’t Return As Thanos In The MCU

Since the release of Endgame, Marvel has had difficulty establishing a strong direction for its Multiverse Saga. Now that Phases 4 and 5 are finished, and Phase 6 is underway with fewer projects, it’s fair to say this era has been a bit of a letdown for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It’s become apparent, especially with the announcement of Robert Downey Jr. playing Doctor Doom, that Marvel’s plan to improve things involves revisiting and reusing popular characters and storylines from the past.

Look, while this might give them a boost right now, I’m worried Marvel’s sacrificing the future for quick wins. They had something special with the long game – remember how brilliantly building towards Thanos paid off with Infinity War and Endgame? Bringing him back feels like a step backward, a reliance on what worked before instead of forging a new path. It’s hoping lightning strikes twice, and honestly, that’s rarely a good strategy.

Marvel can’t rely on past successes forever. To stay popular, they need to keep creating fresh, engaging stories and characters. The upcoming movies, Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars, offer a chance to revitalize the Marvel Cinematic Universe and launch a new, successful chapter, potentially moving beyond characters like Thanos.

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2025-11-11 16:58