Since the end of the Infinity Saga, old Marvel Cinematic Universe concept art has found its way onto the internet. Most times, this never-before-seen art is a gift to the fans from the concept artist themselves. A major figure who does this the most is celebrated concept designer Jerad S. Marantz, who recently shared some concept art for Avengers: Infinity War nemesis Thanos.
As the main antagonist for the Avengers, Thanos caused chaos throughout Infinity War and Endgame as everyone was after those pesky Infinity Stones. To say Thanos was intimidating is an understatement. His nonchalant demeanor and massive size made him the perfect nemesis for the Avengers as the Infinity Saga ended. The character’s introduction in Infinity War caused a splintered Avengers to come together to keep him from claiming Earth as his own. With the Avengers films done (for now!), Marantz took to Instagram to share an even more intimidating Thanos. Check it out:
According to Jerad S. Marantz's post, this version of Thanos was more about blocking out shapes and “work on the manikin,” though he mentions loving to show off "the process" of creating iconic character designs. The final design, as pointed out by Marantz, incorporated some of his design to Thanos’ warrior look in both Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame. As an MCU fan, I can see the similarities between the concept art and what viewers saw on the big screen. The fact that he could work out the design through 3D modeling is a plus – most studios probably would have moved on to another artist.
The concept artist has done quite a bit of work for the MCU. He has worked on the final two Avengers films and X-Men: Apocalypse. He has worked more extensively with Warner Bros. and DC on films such as Shazam! and Justice League, in addition to this work.
Infinity War and Endgame saw Thanos’ reign end (along with Captain America and Iron Man R.I.P.) The days of Thanos’ terror may be over, but that doesn’t mean the MCU is. Despite being delayed due to COVID-related theatre closures, Phase Four is scheduled to start with Black Widow on May 7, 2021. It will be followed by Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings on July 9. Eternals will premiere on Nov. 5, 2021 and the second Spider-Man sequel on Dec. 17, 2021. Thor: Love and Thunder will arrive on Feb. 11, 2022 and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness on Mar. 25, 2022.
You can watch Avengers: Infinity War on Digital, Ultra HD Blu-ray, Blu-ray and DVD as well as stream it on Disney+.
