Could Thanos return in Avengers: Secret Wars? Josh Brolin is open to the idea

If Marvel’s Multiverse Saga has taught audiences one thing, any character can return, even the dead ones. With that in mind, could Thanos ever return to wreak havoc in the MCU?

In an interview with Collider at New York Comic Con, Josh Brolin spoke about reprising his role as Thanos for future MCU films, especially Avengers: Secret Wars. With the Russo Brothers directing, Brolin would return if the story feels right and makes sense. Brolin compared it to his character in Sicario, who returned for the sequel, Sicario: Day of the Soldado.

“I’m not kidding — There’s a thing with playing Thanos. It’s like, ‘Oh, they’re gonna bring Thanos back,'” Brolin said. “It’s like Sicario; it has to be right. It’s like Ryan Reynolds and I talking about Taylor Swift, and we should be talking about Deadpool 4. But we go back and forth. Again, it’s what in his mind fits, what in my mind fits. Thanos has to fit if you’re going to bring him back. I would do anything that the Russos wanted me to do.”

Though Thanos could return for Avengers: Doomsday, bringing the Mad Titan back for Avengers: Secret Wars makes more sense. Thanos plays a major role in the Secret Wars, the 2015 Marvel Comics storyline. After Doctor Doom seizes control of Battleworld, Thanos challenges him for control of the planet.

Thanos returning as a variant to face Doom in the film adaptation could be a fun storyline for Secret Wars. The return of Robert Downey Jr. makes it even more interesting. Downey’s Iron Man delivered the epic snap to disintegrate Thanos and his army in Avengers: Endgame. In Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars, Downey will play Victor Von Doom. If Downey is the villain, would Brolin’s Thanos become the “good guy?” It’s definitely a compelling plot point.

Avengers: Doomsday opens in theaters on May 1, 2026, while Avengers: Secret Wars arrives one year later on May 7, 2027.