Though we all loved Josh Brolin’s run as the Mad Titan in Marvel’s cinematic universe, it seems original character creator Jim Starlin never envisioned the one-time Jonah Hex actor in the role. For Starlin, Arnold Schwarzenegger, or even Idris Elba, were the top choices for his beloved villain.
While speaking to Chuck Load of Comics during the recent ACE Comic Con in Chicago this weekend, the nearly 70-year-old revealed that Brolin wasn’t even on his mind in the earliest days. Though it wasn’t necessarily due to quality perceptions, but more so because of technological concerns at the time.
Here’s what he had to say:
“Because I always thought it was going to be just a voice over job, you know, [an] animated character. That’s how they were doing it at that point, and the new technology was only being introduced that they first introduced him in The Avengers.”
“I was thinking somebody like Arnold Schwarzenegger, Idris Elba, anybody with a deep voice. That was the only thing I had on the agenda as far as I was thinking who to have.”
Since then though, things have certainly changed quite a bit. As you’re surely aware, the author has said on several occasions that he loves what Brolin did with his performance and even told Chuck Load that he’s gone as far to alter how he reads Thanos in the comics. Whereas before he envisioned the character as having a very gravelly voice, now he says that this isn’t the case.
Of course, Brolin will reprise the role in Avengers 4 this coming May. While early rumors did suggest that Starlin would have more of his iconic characters in the next movie, that hasn’t been confirmed quite yet. Circling back to Thanos, though, and do you think Schwarzenegger or Elba could have played the role better than Brolin? Personally, I say Idris might’ve been a decent choice, but as always, be sure to give us your own thoughts in the comments section down below.