A new piece of leaked concept art might reveal that Thanos is set to get a new look in Avengers 4. There’s the possibility that it might not be genuine, of course, but the fact that it was shared alongside another piece of the assembled heroes that looks very authentic leads us to believe that we can trust this as the real deal.
As you can see down below, the concept art shows the Mad Titan decked out in sparkling new armor that, though it retains his usual purple and gold color scheme, is somewhat sleeker than the version featured in Infinity War. In fact, he mostly went for a stripped-back look in that film, but this suggests he’ll return to his grander, more ceremonial garb in Avengers 4.
Perhaps the most noticeable thing about this look for the character is that he’s sporting a new weapon – a bulky, alien sword. And no, the cursor isn’t part of its design. While it looks cool, and could bring another, more dynamic, edge to his combat scenes with the Avengers, the sword’s introduction does beg the question: why does he need it when he has the all-powerful Infinity Gauntlet on his other hand?
Sure, the Gauntlet appeared to be burned out at the end of Infinity War following The Snap, but in this artwork it’s seen as gleaming and in perfect working order again. Unless, and this is pure speculation, he’s attempting to hide the fact that it’s now useless from his enemies, which is why he needs the extra weapon.
It’s also worth mentioning that screenwriter Christopher Markus has teased that Thanos’ left arm was left badly damaged by The Snap, as it took such an incredible amount of energy to wipe out half the universe to the extent that it’s now useless. So maybe the shiny Gauntlet is just for show? Either way, we’ll find out when Avengers 4 hits theaters next May.