Josh Brolin Was Convinced To Play Thanos By A Whole Bunch Of Homework
Josh Brolin was not interested in playing Thanos until he was given an in-depth character bible.
Josh Brolin was the perfect casting choice for MCU’s supervillain, Thanos, but audiences will be surprised to know he nearly turned it down. The award-winning actor told Variety, “I just didn’t have a real interest in doing it,” but after getting the character bible on Thanos, he said, “I was reading through volumes and volumes of information and I thought, this is really cool and I love how in depth this has gone.”
Josh Brolin, known for his serious roles in No Country for Old Men, True Grit, and American Gangster, took on the portrayal of Thanos, one of the most powerful beings in the Marvel Universe, when he was cast in 2014’s Guardians of the Galaxy. In this film, Thanos begins his quest to find all six Infinity stones with the help of his daughters, Gamora and Nebula.
Thanos does eventually collect all six Infinity stones in Avengers: Infinity War before snapping his fingers to eliminate half the population. The Mad Titan’s thirst for power ends up causing his demise in Avengers: Endgame when both versions of Thanos are killed by Thor and Iron Man. However, there is speculation that Josh Brolin will reprise his role in the next Avengers film if Thanos ends up coming back from the dead.
Josh Brolin is right that there are many depths to Thanos’ character and the Marvel Cinematic Universe as a whole. Since 2007, Marvel Studios has produced 31 films that include dynamic storylines and an ever-growing cast of Hollywood stars like Scarlett Johansson, Chris Evans, Brie Larson, Paul Rudd, and many more. There are currently 11 more MCU films that are currently in development, and we can expect to see the highly anticipated Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, The Marvels, and Captain America: New World Order within the next year.
Before Josh Brolin took on the role of Thanos, the character was first played by actor and stuntman, Damion Poitier. He was replaced because Marvel Studios felt they needed a bigger name to play such an iconic role. Though Damion Poitier has been acting and performing as a stuntman since the early 2000s, he hasn’t quite made a name for himself in the way that Josh Brolin has.
Josh Brolin began his acting career back in 1985 when he played Brand, the oldest member of The Goonies, alongside his co-stars Sean Astin, Corey Feldman, and recent Oscar winner, Ke Huy Quan. Since then, Josh Brolin has gone on to act in 73 films and tv shows, including his well-known roles as Llewelyn Moss in No Country for Old Men, Lt. Det. Christian F. Bigfoot” Bjornsen in Inherent Vice, and Cable in Deadpool 2.
In addition, Josh Brolin has won a Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture for his role in No Country for Old Men. He earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor for his role in Milk. And he a Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role as Thanos in Avengers: Infinity War.
The 55-year-old actor also began producing films and tv shows in 2008, and has gone on to produce projects like George & Tammy, A Bend in the River, and Outer Range. Josh Brolin is also producing and acting in two more upcoming projects: The Untitled Josh Brolin Project and Brothers, which we can hope to see by the end of 2023 or in 2024.
