The Marvel Cinematic Universe continue to be an entertainment juggernaut, with new projects regularly arriving in theaters and streaming with a Disney+ subscription. Those of us who have spent years watching the Marvel movies in order have seen how the franchise has stumbled a bit after Thanos' storyline was finished in Endgame. A new Marvel rumor claims that the Mad Titan might be returning, but as a fan I'm conflicted about this idea.
We're currently in The Multiverse Saga, so it feels like just about anything could happen in upcoming Marvel movies. Fans are especially curious to see what's going to happen in big crossover movies like Avengers: Doomsday and Secret Wars, and a new rumor on Twitter claims the latter may feature Josh Brolin's purple villain. And while I'd like to see another badass fight with Thanos, I'm worried about his death losing its power.
We should take this rumor with a grain of salt for now, as there are countless reports online about what Kevin Feige and company might be hiding up their sleeves for the future of the MCU. But with Robert Downey Jr. returning to the MCU as Doctor Doom in those two Avengers flicks.
If Thanos comes back in Secret Wars, that means the character would presumably have to die yet again in the MCU. We've already seen the Mad Titan decapitated by Thor and later dusted by Iron Man in Endgame, with the latter being wildly satisfying after seeing his destruction. We also saw him cut in half during an episode of What If...?, as well as his corpse in an illuminati-related flashback for Doctor Strange 2. How many times is this guy gonna come back?
While fans were hyped that Robert Downey Jr. is going to be back in the MCU, he's not going to mess with Tony Stark's legacy. That character will seemingly stay dead, with a variant becoming the villain known as Doctor Doom. And seeing Thanos alive and kicking ass during Secret Wars might make for cool action, but it takes the power out of how many characters died to vanquish him once and for all in Endgame.
Since Secret Wars is expected to be a multiversal story, it makes sense that some big cameos might occur throughout its runtime. And after box office bombs like The Marvels, it stands to reason that Feige and company might want to bring in some of the Old Guard to help drum up excitement. But hopefully it does so without cheapening some of the meaningful onscreen deaths. After all, movies need lasting stakes!
The next MCU movie to hit theaters will be Captain America: Brave New World on February 14th. For now, check the 2025 movie release dates.
