Why Marvel Recast Thanos After The Avengers

A couple of characters in the Marvel Cinematic Universe have been recast, including Thanos himself, who wasn’t played by Josh Brolin when he first appeared in The Avengers. The MCU began back in 2008 with Jon Favreau’s Iron Man, and has since produced 22 films, with Spider-Man: Far From Home closing the Infinity Saga. The MCU reached its peak with Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame, which brought together all the superheroes in this universe to fight a common enemy: Thanos.

The Mad Titan’s presence in the MCU was teased in the mid-credits scene in The Avengers, back in 2012, and from that moment on, some of the films started building their stories around the Infinity Stones, the Infinity Gauntlet, and Thanos’ quest to get them. However, he didn’t become the actual villain in a Marvel film until Avengers: Infinity War, where he collected all the Stones, mounted them on the Gauntlet, and wiped out half of life in the universe with the snap of his fingers.

Viewers got used to having Josh Brolin playing Thanos, and it’s hard to imagine someone else playing the part, but if Marvel fans take a look back, they will remember that the Thanos seen in The Avengers was very different.

Why Marvel Recast Thanos After The Avengers

In The Avengers mid-credits scene, the Other tells Thanos that to challenge humans is to court death, with the Mad Titan turning to him and smiling. Thanos didn’t speak until his cameo appearance in Guardians of the Galaxy, but he also looked very different. Damion Poitier played Thanos in The Avengers, and from Guardians of the Galaxy on, the character was played by Josh Brolin via motion capture. Unlike other cases within the MCU, recasting Thanos had nothing to do with conflicts with the actor or their schedules, and it was instead a creative decision.

When Joss Whedon decided to tease Thanos’ involvement in an extra scene, there was no one cast, so Poitier stepped up and played the part. As Thanos’ arc evolved so did his physical appearance, and Marvel had time to find the right actor for the role. Meanwhile, Poitier stayed in the MCU for one more film – Captain America: Civil War, where he played one of Crossbones’ mercenaries. Because Thanos’ first appearance was very brief, fans easily forget that it was a completely different actor underneath all the CGI, though the Marvel Studios team did its best to keep as many similarities between old and new Thanos as possible.

About The Author

Adrienne Tyler
(3268 Articles Published)

See also  5 Ways Rick And Morty Is The Best Sci-Fi Animated Comedy (& 5 Ways It’s Futurama)

Adrienne Tyler is a features writer for Screen Rant. She is an Audiovisual Communication graduate who wanted to be a filmmaker, but life had other plans (and it turned out great). Prior to Screen Rant, she wrote for Pop Wrapped, 4 Your Excitement (4YE), and D20Crit, where she was also a regular guest at Netfreaks podcast. She was also a contributor for FanSided’s BamSmackPow and 1428 Elm. Adrienne is very into films and she enjoys a bit of everything: from superhero films to heartbreaking dramas, to low-budget horror films. Every time she manages to commit to a TV show without getting bored, an angel gets its wings.

When she’s not writing, you can find her trying to learn a new language, watching hockey (go Avs!), or wondering what life would have been like had Pushing Daisies, Firefly, and Limitless not been cancelled. Breakfast food is life and coffee is what makes the world go round.

Guillermo del Toro said “hi” to her once. It was great.

More From Adrienne Tyler