As of last year’s Avengers: Infinity War, Thanos is up 1-0 on Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, yet in all the Avengers: Endgame promotional footage that’s been coming out in recent months, the triumphant villain has yet to show his face.
On this newly unveiled cover for the next issue of Empire, however, the Mad Titan is on full display, and boy does he not look happy. Dressed head to toe in armor, and sporting a scowl that’s a far cry from the expression of contentment he displayed in the final shot of Infinity War, the intergalactic conqueror has never seemed so menacing. Indeed, this is the look of a man whose plan for a quiet retirement has been rudely disrupted.
Thanks to various promo art and merchandise leaks – not to mention the poster that dropped yesterday – it’s been known for a while now that Thanos would be wearing his armor again in next month’s release, and its been the subject of a fair amount of speculation. Specifically, seeing how the tyrant ditched his armor near the start of Infinity War because he felt that his Infinity Gauntlet kept him protected enough, the question is raised of why Thanos would take precautions this time, with the most popular prediction being that his trusty gauntlet is no longer working at full capacity.
The Mad Titan’s specific role in the story has also been the topic of many a fan theory. Previous leaks teasing “an even greater threat,” for instance, have fueled speculation of a new foe entering the fray, though looking at the above image, it’s clear that Thanos can still make for an intimidating enough villain in his own right. We’ll see how our heroes deal with this hulking figure when Avengers: Endgame hits theaters on April 26th.