Thanos’ MCU Return In Phase 6 Just Took Another Big Step Forward

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Could Thanos return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe? He was a major villain in the first three phases, finally defeated in Avengers: Endgame. But his death doesn’t necessarily mean he’s gone for good. Marvel is already bringing back Robert Downey Jr. as Doctor Doom for upcoming Avengers movies, and rumors strongly suggest Chris Evans will reprise his role as Captain America. Considering this, and echoing a famous line from Star Wars, it wouldn’t be surprising if Thanos reappeared.

Josh Brolin, known for playing Thanos in the Marvel Cinematic Universe starting with Guardians of the Galaxy, has hinted he might return to the role. This comes after it was announced that the directors of previous Avengers films, the Russo Brothers, are also involved in Avengers 5 and 6. In a recent interview with Entertainment Tonight, shared on X (formerly Twitter), Brolin seemed to suggest he could be back as the villain in at least one of those upcoming movies.

Josh Brolin has suggested that his character, Thanos, could reappear in a future Avengers movie within the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).

— Entertainment Tonight (@etnow) November 10, 2025

Josh Brolin mentioned that if Joe Russo approached him with an idea – which Russo may have already done – he’d likely agree, and probably quickly. While this doesn’t confirm anything, the suggestion that Russo has already discussed an idea with him hints that something might be happening and they’ve potentially talked about it.

How Thanos Could Return To The MCU

Josh Brolin reprising his role as Thanos doesn’t automatically mean the Thanos we saw defeated in Endgame is coming back to life. While it’s possible, revisiting that storyline would likely be a misstep – neither fans nor the filmmakers involved would probably want to undo such a definitive conclusion to the Infinity Saga. However, with Marvel now exploring the multiverse, there’s an opportunity for the actor to portray a different version of the character.

The potential for future storylines is huge, and we already know upcoming events like Doomsday and Secret Wars will involve multiple universes and different versions of existing Marvel characters. Because of this, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Thanos return. Secret Wars seems like the more probable option, as we haven’t heard anything about Josh Brolin’s involvement with Doomsday, and the story of Secret Wars naturally lends itself to including Thanos.

The upcoming Secret Wars storyline, inspired by the comics, will likely feature Battleworld – a universe created by Doctor Doom, who renames himself God Emperor Doom. It would make sense for a version of Thanos to appear, establishing the challenges of this new universe and showcasing Doom’s immense power. It would be simple to have Thanos show up and be quickly defeated by Doom, highlighting just how powerful he’s become. This approach aligns with how Marvel has handled Thanos since Endgame, as we’ve already seen him defeated in various ways – often quite easily – in the animated series What If…?

Disney is planning to feature Thanos in new ways at its theme parks, including a version called King Thanos in a new ride at Disney California Adventure’s Avengers Campus. This ride will present a Thanos who didn’t lose to the Avengers, and it’s likely this version will also appear in the upcoming Secret Wars movie. While some believe Thanos’ story ended perfectly with Endgame, don’t be surprised if he returns in future Marvel projects.

The next two major Avengers movies are scheduled to come out in December: Avengers: Doomsday on December 18th, 2026, and Avengers: Secret Wars on December 17th, 2027.

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2025-11-10 21:14