Fans have been waiting to see Thanos unleash his awesome might on the big screen for five years now, ever since his arrival in the MCU in 2012’s The Avengers. Over the films that followed, the Mad Titan turned up now and again to remind us that he was out there, playing the long game in his hunt for the six Infinity Stones he needs to power his Infinity Gauntlet and gain mastery over the universe.
In May’s Avengers: Infinity War though, the villain will finally make his presence felt and he’ll be doing so in a major way, as he’s all set to be the biggest, baddest enemy the heroes of the Marvel universe have ever faced. Not only will Thanos have the Black Order there to help him, but he’ll also be in possession of the incredibly powerful Infinity Gauntlet, which will be fully equipped by the time the film rolls around. It’ll essentially allow the uber villain to wreak havoc and do just about anything he wants, which means he’s definitely going to be a force to be reckoned with.
But he’s not just another bad guy hellbent on world domination. In fact, according to director Joe Russo, Thanos is actually a “very interesting and complex” character, and that’s something we’re going to see explored in Infinity War.
“I’m most excited for the audience to learn about him,” says the filmmaker. “I think he’s a very interesting and complex villain. That’s why I like him. That’s why I’m excited for the audience to learn about him. I think his motivations, albeit psychotic, are compelling. And I think that in a lot of ways this is his movie, so it’s going to be very interesting to see how people respond to Thanos in the film.”
Russo’s comments here fall in line with pretty much everything we’ve heard so far. That being that Thanos is set to have a huge role in the upcoming pic and will establish himself as a real, terrifying threat. Still, it’s nice to hear that he won’t just be another one dimensional antagonist, like so many Marvel villains are, and that we’ll get to peel back the layers a bit in regards to his motivations and what makes him tick.
It’s been a long time coming, but now, after 10 years and 17 films’ worth of build-up – Black Panther notwithstanding – Avengers: Infinity War is finally prepped and ready to deliver a huge climax on May 4th. The fight against Thanos won’t end there, though, as Earth’s Mightiest Heroes will assemble one final time the following year, on May 3rd, to take down the Mad Titan once and for all.
