With ‘Avengers: Doomsday‘ approaching its long-awaited release in 2026, the hype surrounding the next major team-up in the Marvel Universe is approaching a fever pitch. Now, it appears that a familiar cosmic figure might be coming back to the battlefield.
As the Marvel Cinematic Universe prepares to welcome Doctor Doom, a shocking hint by Josh Brolin has revived fan speculation that the Mad Titan, Thanos himself, may not be finished with the MCU yet.
Thanos’ MCU Return Is Very Much Possible
In a recent interview with Entertainment Tonight, Josh Brolin spoke about Thanos and suggested that there could be talks of his possible comeback going on behind closed doors. Brolin smiled when questioned about the possibility of reprising his role and replied, “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.”
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It is a small statement. However, in the Marvel fandom, even the tiniest spark can set a wildfire of speculation ablaze. Since his defeat in ‘Avengers: Endgame’, Thanos has been a haunting presence in the MCU. He is the villain whose presence casts a big shadow over every plot that is pursued. His notorious snap not only transformed the fictional universe but also made an indelible impression on pop culture itself. So, when an actor such as Brolin indicates that he may come back, fans sit up and listen.
Storytelling-wise, a Thanos resurrection is a logical choice in the Multiverse Saga. As ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ is likely to delve into alternate realities and cross-dimensional timelines. So, the door is wide open for variant versions of the character. This concept has already been tested by the MCU in ‘What If…?’. In the animated show, Brolin played a reimagined version of Thanos, who became a member of the Guardians of the Multiverse.
This time, though, there’s another intriguing clue. ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ marketing materials have hinted at a world in which Doctor Doom had defeated Thanos. That revelation alone has led to theories that viewers may witness that same battle in flashback or even encounter a variant of Thanos that survived in an alternate timeline that was doomed.
Channing Tatum Calls ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ The “Biggest Movie Of The Next 10 Years”
While Brolin’s comments sent fans spiraling into speculation mode, ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ cast member Channing Tatum added even more fuel to the excitement fire. The actor, who is returning as Gambit, could not help but rave about the sheer size of the film in a recent Deadline interview. “Look, everyone in the world is going to see this movie,” Tatum stated. “They’ve topped themselves every time, and this time, it’s on another level. The scope of it. What they’re trying to do, what the Russos have cooked up, when I read it, I was just like. ‘How are they going to do this?’”
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Tatum is not wrong when he calls it the biggest movie of the next 10 years. The return of the Russo brothers to direct the first big ensemble movie of the Multiverse Saga is virtually a sure bet for a big, high-budget event. Tatum even alluded to the physicality of his role, saying that the production was an Everest of a mountain to climb. “I’m still in awe,” he said. “I do so much action in this movie, but that was just a small part of what they’re doing. It’s massive.”
Should the rumors hold true and Thanos does somehow appear, ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ might be more than just another superhero battle; it might also be a thematic link between two periods of Marvel narrative. The Infinity Saga was the climax of Marvel. It concluded a ten-year narrative that led to one of the most emotionally charged endings. However, as the Multiverse Saga is about to end with ‘Secret Wars’, the possibility of Thanos returning may represent the MCU facing its own history.
