In MCU, Josh Brolin took on the role of Thanos, an iconic supervillain. Brolin’s portrayal of Thanos had a profound impact on viewers, establishing the character as a formidable presence.
Thanos made his debut in the MCU with a brief post-credits appearance in The Avengers (2012), with Brolin fully embracing the role in Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) and reaching the height of his performance in Avengers: Infinity War (2018) and Avengers: Endgame (2019). However, before that, he had the chance to play an iconic DC villain.
His initial foray into comic book characters came when he assumed the starring role in Jonah Hex for Warner Bros., and he continued to be a top contender on the studio’s radar during the formation of the DC Extended Universe (DCEU). Zack Snyder made efforts to persuade him to take on the role of the “cool” and revamped Lex Luthor in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.
It Wasn’t Just About Being Cool For Josh Brolin
Josh Brolin expressed that his approach doesn’t prioritize being trendy or aiming for iconic one-liners. Instead, he considers taking on roles that might not be traditionally seen as “cool.” His work often delves into characters and stories that have a distinctive and unconventional quality.
Brolin said (via NME):
“To me it’s not about being cool and all that stuff. Looking back over your shoulder and saying that one line everyone’s going to remember? Maybe I could do that. But I do roles that aren’t necessarily all that cool. All of my stuff is a little off.”
Jesse Eisenberg assumed the role of Luthor as a frenetic prodigy in both Dawn of Justice and Justice League. As of now, his return to this character remains uncertain.
What Convinced Josh Brolin To Play Thanos
Initially, when Marvel offered Josh Brolin the role of Thanos, he harbored worries that the motion-capture method might stifle his performance. However, a turning point came when he viewed a behind-the-scenes video of Benedict Cumberbatch employing motion capture to bring Smaug to life in The Hobbit.
Brolin said (via EW):
“He was in this [motion capture], and he was in this big warehouse, and he’s crawling around like a snake, snapping his tongue out doing this incredible performance. I saw that and was like, “All right, that’s the bar.” […] This is something you can actually… you have to sink your teeth into conviction, embarrassment, and all this kind of stuff. And I decided, ‘Yeah.'”
Before accepting Fox’s offer to portray Cable in Deadpool 2, Josh Brolin had already committed to playing Thanos in numerous Marvel productions. Initially hesitant, Brolin’s perspective shifted when his wife encouraged him to seriously contemplate the opportunity.
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is available for streaming on HBO Max.
