The death-obsessed Thanos has been lurking in the background of the Marvel Cinematic Universe ever since his mysterious appearance at the end of the first Avengers film. However, aside from a short role atop his throne in Guardians Of The Galaxy and another post-credits appearance in Age Of Ultron we haven’t exactly learned a whole lot about him onscreen. All that will change soon, according to screenwriters Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely, who promise a huge entrance for Thanos in Avengers: Infinity War. "We don't get an element of surprise. Everyone knows he's coming, and yet he hasn't had terribly many scenes that have illuminated very much about him," Markus explained, adding, "You can count on a lot of scenes where we illuminate a lot about him very early."
Thanos’ entrance into the wider MCU isn’t the only task they face. With the amount of characters expected to be included in both films, it's certainly no small chore to make sure everyone gets their due. "The challenge is hanging on to character as motivation when you blow the canvas up to the entire universe. And not to make it seem like all your people look like tiny little video game characters running around," McFeely shared. "It's just trying to balance character moments in the middle of big, crazy Jim Starlin ['Thanos' creator] action," added Markus.
While the character has certainly had a slow build, it seems all but certain that his arrival will present the Avengers with the greatest foe they have ever faced. Are you excited for Thanos?
Directed by Joe and Anthony Russo, Avengers: Infinity War - Part 1 is scheduled for release on May 4, 2018.