Thanos creator Jim Starlin has been fairly accurate in predicting where the Mad Titan will pop up in the MCU. But now, even though his greatest comic book creation (of many great cosmic characters) has been destroyed as of Avengers: Endgame, Starlin thinks Thanos’ story is far from over.
Speaking with Comicbook.com, Starlin brought up a rumor of Thanos appearing in next year’s Eternals, albeit in a different form than we’re used to…
“Well, I understand that the story’s not completely ended,” Starlin said. “They’ve already announced that. I think a young Thanos appears in The Eternals. I remember reading that somewhere.”
That is definitely a rumor but as I said before, Starlin seems to be a good predictor of Thanos’ big-screen appearances. He continued on by giving a pretty good rationale for why he thinks Thanos will return: $$$.
“They made a shit load of money off this guy. So I don’t see them retiring him anytime soon. Comic book characters tend to have an extended lifespan beyond the actors who work on them. I’m half expecting to see much more Thanos down the line.”
So there ya go, and it’s hard to argue with him. Teasing Thanos’ return, even through flashback, is an easy hook that Eternals could really use. It’s such a high-concept, strange premise that Thanos could be what makes the movie feel more familiar. Plus, he’s an important part of the Eternals’ story as the most dangerous of their warmongering cousins, the Deviants. Hard to tell their story without him.
Eternals was recently delayed and will hit theaters on February 12th 2021.