Josh Brolin Says He Heard ‘Through the Grapevine’ That Marvel Might Bring Back His “Avengers” Villain Thanos

The actor last appeared as the villain in 2019's 'Avengers: Endgame'

Don't rule out a return for Thanos, according to star Josh Brolin.

The Dune actor, who portrayed the Avengers’ worlds-ending antagonist in several of the franchise's entries, revealed there’s a possibility he could revisit the role in another capacity.

"You know, I hear kind of like through the grapevine that they're gonna bring him back," Brolin, 55, told Comicbook.com of Thanos.

Thanos was defeated in 2019's Avengers: Endgame. In alternate storylines, the villain has died multiple times, including in the Disney+ series What If...? and his death was referenced in a parallel universe in 2022's Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.

“There's the What If...? series and that's a different kind of Thanos and all that. But I don't know in the Marvel world whether they're going to bring him back," said Brolin.

He also reacted to the news that Thanos is the "most killed-off Marvel villain,” to which Brolin said: “You learn something new every day."

Related: Chris Evans Says 'No One's Spoken to Me' About Returning as Captain America for Future Marvel Movies

Brolin last portrayed Thanos for the epic 2019 conclusion to the Avengers franchise, with Robert Downey Jr.’s Iron Man making the ultimate sacrifice to defeat him.

Initially, though, he had signed onto the role when it was “a small thing, it was a cameo,” he said on Team Deakins Podcast in 2020.

"The fact that it was all the Avengers against this one guy, I liked that aspect of it," he said at the time. "The more I talked to the Russo brothers, I mentioned [Marlon] Brando in Apocalypse Now [as inspiration]. I started seeing the parallel which I liked for me."

Brolin also said the Russo brothers would reference classic cinema to him to inspire his portrayal of Thanos.

“They would constantly go back and reference Scarface or Dog Day Afternoon. Whether or not it was a manipulation, they knew what to throw out there to bring it back into something inspired," he said of the directors.

Related: Jonathan Majors Dropped By Marvel After Split Guilty Verdict in Assault Trial

He received some major props from his actor father, James Brolin, for the role, as the actor told Access following the film’s release, “I’m so proud.”

“It’s the biggest thing, he never has to work again." James said.

James also shared the advice he’d given his son: “Don’t be a leading man, ever. Be a character actor and you’ll work forever.” He reasoned that a “leading man has a little time span” and is “in and out.” In response to Josh taking the role in the MCU, James said, “Look at him, he takes this movie with Thanos and I go, ‘I didn’t mean that!’ ”

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The actor also admitted he didn’t entirely understand just what it meant to be Thanos’ “dad” when asked by Mario Lopez at the time.

“I don’t understand that movie,” James admitted, laughing. “I understand the cost and profit. I don’t understand the story, that’s all.”

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