Thanos may have been turned to dust by Iron Man at the conclusion of Avengers: Endgame, but is there any chance of the Mad Titan returning in the future of the franchise? Maybe, as after all, no one’s truly dead in the Marvel universe. Even if a resurrection isn’t on the cards, though, MCU Phase 4 is expected to jump around the timeline a bit more, meaning Thanos could show up prior to his death. The Eternals is by far our best shot at seeing him again, but how likely is this to happen?
Well, we now have an answer to this question from the highest authority, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige. Brazilian site Omelete caught up with the producer at CCXP 2019 and asked him about whether Thanos is going to show up in Eternals. Intriguingly, Feige didn’t rule out the idea, admitting that there are “connections” to be drawn. However, he stressed that the main point of the movie is to introduce the new ensemble cast to viewers, not reference the past.
“Thanos in the comics was an Eternal on Titan, so there may be connections. But really this is about introducing those ten new characters that are played by an incredibly eclectic amazing group of actors that we’re focusing on.”
Like Feige says, Thanos is part of the Eternals race. Or, more specifically, he’s a Deviant, a mutated subspecies of Eternals. As such, he was shunned by his people for his disfigured appearance. This is a pretty key element of Thanos’ backstory that hasn’t been explored in the MCU yet. Even if Eternals is unlikely give him a major role, then, considering his prominence in the recent Avengers movies, a brief cameo from a young Thanos is surely an irresistible addition to the film.
In any case, those ten new characters Feige mentions are as follows: Thena (Angelina Jolie), Ikaris (Richard Madden), Kingo (Kumail Nanjiani). Makkari (Lauren Ridloff), Phastos (Brian Tyree Henry), Ajak (Salma Hayek), Sprite (Lia McHugh), Gilgamesh (Don Lee), Barry Keoghan (Druig) and Sersi (Gemma Chan). Kit Harington will also feature as British superhero Dane Whitman/Black Knight.
The Eternals arises in theaters on November 6th.