When The Avengers came out, fans all over the world wept with joy when Thanos, the Mad Titan, was revealed to be the true puppeteer behind Loki’s actions in the post-credits scene. However, it looks like those fans will have to wait a little while longer to see Thanos become the main villain in a Marvel Cinematic Universe film. Desde Hollywood (via ComicBookMovie) recently spoke with director Joss Whedon at the LA premiere of Iron Man 3, and he said:
“Thanos is more powerful. He’s not someone you just trot out and punch him. Like you did in the comics, you want him to be threading through the universe and to save the big finale for the big finale. He’s definitely a part of what I’ve got going on. The thing about The Avengers is, that they are very powerful, but they aren’t very stable. There’ll definitely be some people who are gonna shake them up in the next instalment!”
What does the filmmaker mean by “grand finale”? Does he mean that Thanos won’t appear until the end of The Avengers 2? Maybe he will pop up in a post-credits scene? My guess is as good as yours. However, I bet Whedon is saving Thanos for The Avengers 3. Why? The team barely managed to defeat Loki’s small, visibly uncoordinated army in The Avengers. They’re hardly ready to face Thanos.
Even though it was rumored the aforementioned villain would serve as the main antagonist in Guardians of the Galaxy, it was recently revealed that Lee Pace had been cast in the role of Thanos’ henchman The Controller, who is said to be the film’s true villain, thus possibly relegating the Mad Titan to a supporting role.
Whedon also expressed his desire for Robert Downey Jr. to return as Iron Man in The Avengers 2, but claimed he will understand if the actor ends up giving up the role.
What do you think? How long do we have to wait to witness the wrath of Thanos?