Josh Brolin’s Thanos Return Would Set Up The Definitive Match Between MCU And Versus

Thanos could return to the MCU in Avengers: Secret Wars and replicate an iconic scene straight from the comics. Avengers: Secret Wars is set to be released on May 7, 2027, and will conclude the MCU’s Multiverse Saga with what promises to be the most important events since Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame. With confirmation that Avengers: The Kang Dynasty was replaced by Avengers: Judgment Dayit is likely that the latter directly configures the Avengers: Secret Wars with Robert Downey Jr.’s Doctor Doom taking on the role of arch-villain in both.

Story details for Avengers: Secret Wars are yet to come, although it is possible to predict with certainty how they will unfold. The comic book that bears his name sees Doctor Doom presiding over a single planet cobbled together from sections of several universes destroyed by incursions with the powers of a god, becoming the impassable God Emperor Doom. The story brings together Marvel variants from across the multiverse, with Thanos among them in one of the most unforgettable interactions in Marvel Comics.

Thanos’ role in Secret Wars was unforgettable

Doom made quick work of the Mad Titan

Avengers: Secret Wars will likely adapt the 2015 series of the same name due to the MCU’s current focus on the Multiverse and Doom’s central role. If that’s the case, it could replicate a series of Marvel Comics panels that saw Doctor Doom face off against major villain Thanos in a decidedly brief encounter. In it, Thanos challenges Doom’s godhood with the Annihilation Horde at his back, confidently stating that he could defeat Doom even without the Infinity Gauntlet in his possession. Doom then drives his fist into Thanos’ chest and rips out his spine..

Even without a full Infinity Gauntlet, Thanos is no joke. After all, he defeated Hulk at the beginning of Avengers: Infinity War in hand-to-hand combat. Without his god-like powers, Doom would indeed have cause for concern in a confrontation with Thanos – especially when the Mad Titan descends on Doom in a surprise attack, leaving the strategic genius little time to prepare. In this specific circumstance, however, Thanos’ arrogance helps demonstrate just how powerful God Emperor Doom has become.

Josh Brolin’s Return Means Secret Wars Can Play This Comic Book Scene Directly

The fight would be reminiscent of Thanos defeating Hulk in Avengers: Infinity War

Josh Brolin, who played Thanos throughout the Infinity Saga, was recently asked by Collider whether he would return to the role if asked Avengers: Secret Wars. Brolin confirmed that he would be happy to do so as long as the circumstances were rightstating “Thanos needs to adapt if you want to bring him back. I would do anything the Russians wanted me to do.” The Multiverse Saga offers a lot of room for cameos, but this interaction perfectly suits Brolin’s conditions.

Thanos plays a minor role in the events of Secret Wars. Brolin’s return would only need to be as brief as his scenes throughout the Infinity Saga before Avengers: Infinity War. However, the scene would be crucial in one fundamental way: establishing just how powerful the MCU’s newest arch-villain is. Having Doom effortlessly destroy the villain who caused so much devastation in the Infinity Saga would make it clear how high the stakes have become compared to the past.

Could the Infinity Stones return in Secret Wars?

Comic book precedent says they can

Thanos is so inexorably linked to the Infinity Stones that his arrival in Avengers: Secret Wars would raise the question of whether they would come with him. It is also impossible not to consider the power of the stones in the face of the hopelessness generated by Doom’s seemingly insurmountable superiority. In the comics, Thanos doesn’t have the stones – but they appear. Moments after Doom destroyed Thanos, Black Panther enters the fray with a full Infinity Gauntlet and challenges Doom to a godly battle.

This further demonstrates the power at Doom’s disposal, as the two continue to be balanced. Amidst the typical energy blasts deployed by both parties, the two can also be seen piloting mechas and transforming into cosmic beasts. Ultimately, Black Panther falls into Doom’s hands before admitting that their powerful brawl was simply a distraction to allow other parties to complete a more important mission to neutralize Doom. Still, for the same reasons as Thanos’ reintroduction, replicating this scene in Avengers: Secret Wars it would be a surefire way to show how powerful Doom really is.

Source: Collider