Let it be known that Marvel’s Mad Titan is a formidable foe.
In anticipation of Avengers: Infinity War, Empire Magazine (via CBM) caught up with director Joe Russo to get the lowdown on Thanos, the MCU’s deadliest threat yet. On the prowl for all six Infinity Stones – word is he’s aiming to bring balance back to the universe, presumably at the expense of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes – Thanos is not to be trifled with, and thanks to Thor: Ragnarok‘s mid-credits scene, we already have a fair idea of the villain’s super-sized HQ, the Sanctuary II.
As for the being piloting said ship, Thanos has been described as an “incredible threat” by Joe Russo, who reaffirmed his desire to create a Darth Vader-like villain that will inspire (and terrify!) the next generation.
Darth Vader was the pre-eminent villain of my childhood, and we’re hoping to make a Darth Vader for a new generation. We’re hoping he has that complexity to him, and that he strikes fear into the heart of the audience, but at the same time they go on a journey with him. Frankly, Avengers 3 is his movie.
It’s interesting to hear Joe Russo describe Infinity War as Thanos’ film, as the power-mongering baddie has spent much of the MCU plotting total galactic domination from the shadows. But now it’s (almost) time for Josh Brolin’s mega-villain to shine, and when he does, he’ll be hurtling huge chunks of a nearby moon towards the Avengers:
It’s very important to us that Thanos has a level of photorealism that makes that audience believe him. [On the moon sequence] that’s one of many things Thanos does in this film. He’s an incredible threat!
That scene in question featured in the original D23 footage for Avengers: Infinity War, and subsequent analyses revealed that Thanos was only in possession of two Infinity Stones (Power Stone and Mind Stone), so we can only imagine the kind of power he’ll wield if (when?) he acquires all six.