If you’ve kept up with the concept art that’s appeared online and that awesome leaked Comic-Con trailer, you’ll have seen that Thanos has a very different look in Avengers: Infinity War. When we previously saw Josh Brolin’s Mad Titan in the likes of Avengers: Age of Ultron and Guardians of the Galaxy, he was sporting his very comic book accurate blue and gold armor and helmet. Infinity War, however, will see a stripped-back version of the powerful purple warlord.
Speaking to IGN at San Diego Comic-Con, the film’s co-director Joe Russo explained the thinking behind removing Thanos’ armour and why the character decides to take on the Avengers in such a “casual” way:
“[Thanos] has a more casual approach in this film, and it’s very philosophical for him. It’s part of his character definition. It’s a spiritual journey for him to collect the Stones, and one with which he doesn’t need armor. Once he starts acquiring the Stones, he doesn’t need armor in the same way he did when he was a war lord. It’s a very symbolic costume.”
Having Thanos’ ego be so great that he believes he doesn’t need his armour when he has possession of the Infinity Stones is a neat idea, and it goes some way to presenting him as a massively powerful and confident foe for Earth’s the Galaxy’s Mightiest Heroes. It is a big change from the comics, though, in which Thanos is always decked out in his signature armor, so some hardcore fans might not be on board with the decision.
This is just one creative change that the Russos have made in order to make sure that the Mad Titan lives up to the hype surrounding his long-awaited big introduction. After all, Joe Russo has previously stated that he wants to “turn Thanos into Darth Vader for a new generation.” Those are some lofty ambitions but who knows, they could pull it off?
One way or another, we’ll find out when Avengers: Infinity War lands on May 4th, 2018.