Becoming The Mad Titan
Turns out it didn’t take much to convince Brolin to sign on for the role of the Mad Titan in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). Speaking to IGN, he couldn’t help but gush about the geeky nature of it all.
“First and foremost, I have a really good friend who I’ve known for years who’s the co-president of Marvel, Louis D’Esposito. I knew Louis as a first AD, and he’s the one who initially called me, and then [producer] Jeremy Latcham. Then I talked to Kevin Feige, ultimately. But there’s something about them that’s so insular and so geeky and so real. I loved it – because I’ve turned down a lot of those types of movies. Not Marvel, but I’ve turned down a lot of those types of movies.”
If you dissect his words, it reveals that several conversations took place. As an A-list actor, Brolin was probably reluctant to commit to a long-term deal because of potential projects in the pipeline. It’s similar to the Affleck scenario now, where he doesn’t want to be held hostage by Warner because of Batman, as it prevents him from doing other things. At the end of the day, acting is also about money – and with the fees these guys command, they don’t want to get stuck earning less than what they could.
Up until now, Thanos has been lurking in the background of the MCU. His appearances were what you could consider cameos, which were likely filmed in a short period of time and didn’t need Brolin to be on set much. Infinity War and its sequel required more of him; however, the fact that both films were shot back-to-back must’ve appealed to the actor and he was also allowed to jump between this set and Deadpool 2‘s. After next year, though, it’s unlikely that Thanos will play a part in the MCU. This allows Brolin some room to breathe, and not be tied down to this never-ending franchise.