Josh Brolin first played the MCU's Thanos in 2014's Guardians of the Galaxy, taking over the role from Damion Poitier, who portrayed the Mad Titan in The Avengers' post-credits scene.
The villain later took centre stage in Avengers: Infinity War, and was the movie's lead in many ways. Beheaded by Thor in the opening moments of Avengers: Endgame, the villain later returned as his 2014 Variant to lay siege to Earth's Mightiest Heroes.
Being snapped out of existence by Iron Man was where Thanos' story ended, though What If...? showed us that he still has plenty of Variants scattered throughout the Multiverse. King Thanos is being introduced as part of an upcoming Disneyland ride, but what about Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars?
Rumours have swirled for a while about Thanos returning to the MCU, and Daniel Richtman is today reporting that Brolin will reprise the role in 2027's Secret Wars.
With any luck, this means the Russo Brothers intend to recreate that iconic scene from Jonathan Hickman and Esad Ribic's Secret Wars, where Doctor Doom—now God Emperor Doom—effortlessly tears out the Mad Titan's spine.
That would be an incredible way to establish Victor Von Doom as an unstoppable threat, and it'ss a very specific moment from the comic books fans have made clear they want to see on screen. It's also something Marvel Studios has already hinted at.
In related MCU news, Richtman has reiterated past reports that Spider-Man: Brand New Day will feature more villains than those who have already leaked.
Last summer, Brolin confirmed that he'd happily reprise the role if the Russo Brothers come calling. "Deadpool 2, I was like, I was glad it was one experience. The Thanos thing, if they called me in London right now, and said, 'Let's do this,' I'd be like, 'I'll be there tomorrow.' I talk to Downey probably four to six times a year. I talk to the Russos probably four to six times a week. I talk to Joe a lot. I love both of them."
Sharing his take on what the Russo Brothers are bringing to the table with Doomsday and Secret Wars, the actor said, "Of course, they're going to come up with something fun. Who knows? That was a 10-year in-the-building kind of thing, and that was its own bookended deal. I don't know what they're going to do, but I'm sure it will be interesting. I think they do that very, very well."
The Russo Brothers direct Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars from a screenplay by Stephen McFeely, with whom they previously collaborated on the Avengers and Captain America franchises. Loki and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness's Michael Waldron has also been enlisted to help refine the story.
Avengers: Doomsday is set to be released on December 18, with Avengers: Secret Wars scheduled to arrive on December 17, 2027.