There are many mysteries surrounding the upcoming Avengers: Infinity War, but one that has persisted in recent months is the identity of the actor playing a key member of Thanos' Black Order: Corvus Glaive. It's been revealed that Carrie Coon is Proxima Midnight, Terry Notary is Black Dwarf, and Tom Vaughan-Lawlor is Ebony Maw, but still Glaive has remained a mystery. Now, though, I have officially learned the answer thanks to directors Joe and Anthony Russo, who told me this morning that actor Michael James Shaw is the man behind the killer part:
Joe Russo: It's a gentleman named Michael Shaw... He's an actor, and we cast a wide net for these characters.Anthony Russo: In the same way we were approaching Thanos with Josh Brolin to bring sort of a very grounded, realistic performance, we wanted to do that with everyone in the Black Order. So we cast very, very good actors for those. And we had Terry Notary, so Terry worked very closely with every one of them to help them understand, including Josh, to help them understand movement, what the relationship between their body and their characters' bodies are, almost like a puppeteer.
The Avengers: Infinity War domestic press days are going down this weekend in Los Angeles, and it was during a two-on-one interview with Joe and Anthony Russo that I learned about Corvus Glaive. While we were chatting about the Black Order, I took a chance to ask about the identity of the actor playing the character, and while I was honestly expecting a, "You'll have to wait and see" answer, that's not what I received. Instead, the filmmakers were happy to deliver the scoop, as well as some background about the process it took to bring Thanos' terrifying minions to life.
Michael James Shaw is not exactly a household name right now, but he has built a solid small screen resume to date, and has actually already dipped his toe into the world of comic book adaptations. Back in 2014/2015 he landed the part of voodoo practitioner Papa Midnite on the short-lived Constantine television series, appearing in three episodes. He's also had recurring roles on Limitless and Bull, and his big screen credits include a character in Todd Solondz's 2016 film Wiener-Dog.
Not much is known about Corvus Glaive in Avengers: Infinity War, but what is clear is that he poses a serious threat. He one of the most powerful children of Thanos, and his last name comes from the insanely dangerous weapon that he wields. The glaive is not only incredibly sharp and can cut through anything, but in the comics as long as it is in one piece Corvus Glaive is immortal (it's not 100 percent clear if that will be featured in the film adaptation). He will be seen helping Thanos hunt for Infinity Stones, and should be a crazy dangerous opponent for any of the many, many heroes in the blockbuster.
We haven't see much of Corvus Glaive or the other members of the Black Order in the marketing for Avengers: Infinity War thus far, but the good news is that we don't have to wait much longer to see them all fully realized. The Marvel Studios blockbuster is now less than a week away from release -- set to arrive in theaters everywhere on April 27th -- and be sure to stay tuned here on CinemaBlend for a whole lot more from my interviews with the cast and filmmakers.
