If Thanos returns, Marvel‘s nostalgia problem is officially out of control.
Thanos’ MCU arc was completed in Avengers: Endgame when Iron Man’s snap disintegrated the Mad Titan and his army. Thanos’ death ended his reign of terror and closed out the Infinity Saga. Despite his death, Marvel’s recent decisions have shown characters can come back as variants, especially during the Multiverse Saga.
During a recent interview promoting The Dog Stars, Josh Brolin, the actor who played Thanos, was asked by Collider if he thinks Thanos could return in the MCU. “I don’t know how to answer that question,” Brolin said. The actor then went on a tangent about Thanos’ mission to wipe half the population, saying it’s “not necessarily wrong” because of how humans are destroying the planet.
Regardless of the character’s mission and its parallels to our world, Brolin’s non-answer speaks volumes. Marvel actors are famous for lying about their involvement and then showing up in the movies. It’s not a denial, meaning it could be his way of keeping the door open.
There was a rumor that Thanos was cut from Avengers: Doomsday but would return for Avengers: Secret Wars. If Thanos returns, it’s a huge misfire by Marvel.
A Thanos return would be a step backward for Marvel
Marvel has a nostalgia epidemic. They refuse to allow their actors and characters to move on. Robert Downey Jr.’s arc as Iron Man came to a close in Endgame. Now, he’s back as Doctor Doom for the next two Avengers movies. There are even rumors that an Iron Man variant could show up in Secret Wars.
Downey is one of the many examples of Marvel relying too heavily on nostalgia. Chris Evans is back as Steve Rogers. Chris Hemsworth is still playing Thor. Many of Fox’s X-Men are back for Doomsday. When will Marvel end this strategy and allow its new characters to lead the MCU?
Thanos returning would be the final nail in the coffin for Marvel nostalgia. If the baddest and most notorious villain in the MCU returns, how can anyone believe a Marvel death going forward? Marvel is training audiences to believe that if a character dies, they can be resurrected in some form. Deaths have to matter. Endings must be respected. Otherwise, what’s the point? Marvel might as well keep everyone alive forever.
Thanos’ MCU run was a stroke of genius. Allowing him to return tarnishes his ending.
