Josh Brolin’s teased return to theMCUas the Mad Titan,Thanos, creates the perfect opportunity for an annoying four-year-old mystery from one of Phase 4’s most divisive movies to finally be resolved. First seen in the post-credits scene of 2012’sThe Avengers, Thanos was introduced as the primary antagonist of the MCU’s Infinity Saga, though he posed the most significant threat inAvengers: Infinity WarandEndgame.Thanos' collection of the six Infinity Stonesallowed him to beat Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, though they eventually reversed his destruction and eradicated the iconic supervillain.
Despite Thanos' death (twice) inAvengers: Endgame, Josh Brolin revealed toComicBookin February 2024 thathe had heard"through the grapevine"that Marvel Studios wants the Mad Titan to return. Brolin has since reiterated these comments, spurring theories regardingwhere Thanos could make his next appearance in the MCU. Thanos' return to the MCU would be exciting for many reasons, bringing back one of the franchise’s most notable villains, but one of the most enticing possibilities addresses a hugemystery from 2021’sEternals.
Harry Styles' Eros Hasn’t Returned To The MCU Since His Eternals Cameo
Harry Styles Debuted In Eternals' Mid-Credits Scene
Chloé Zhao’sEternalsdelivered something completely new and fresh in the MCU’s Phase 4, and while this wasn’t to everyone’s taste, the ambitious movie has since earned more retrospective praise. Nevertheless,Eternalsestablished several exciting new storylines that haven’t yet been addressed, contributing to some of the biggest mysteries and unanswered questions the MCU has ever seen, and one of these centered around Harry Styles. The singer-turned-actor debuted asEros, a.k.a. Starfox, inEternals, a mysterious member of the titular synthetic species.
At the time ofHarry Styles' debut in the MCU, Marvel Studios was said to be very excited about the future of his character. Kevin Feige repeated this sentiment toEntertainment Tonightin November 2023, noting that"[Harry Styles is] excited, we’re excited, we will see.“Even so,Eros has not yet returned to the MCU even four years after his debut, which Feige cited as being due to many new characters being introduced in many new projectsthroughout the Multiverse Saga. Now, however, Eros' return could be on the horizon.
Eros' Best MCU Return Is Alongside His Brother, Josh Brolin’s Thanos
Eros Was Introduced As Thanos' Brother In Eternals
When he was introduced by Patton Oswalt’s Pip the Troll at the end ofEternals, a lengthy preamble revealed that Eros is the brother of Thanos in the MCU. This reflects the character’s Marvel Comics backstory, asboth Eros and Thanos are Eternals in the comics, though Thanos carries the Deviant gene, causing his grotesque appearance. Even thoughThanos' origins were changed for the live-action MCU,Eternalsstill retained his brotherhood with Eros, which means that Thanos' possible return could also bring back Harry Styles' Starfox.
It seems most likely that Josh Brolin will reprise the role of Thanos in eitherAvengers: DoomsdayorAvengers: Secret Warsin Phase 6. It’s also possible that themembers of the Eternals teamcould also return in these crossover movies, even though they haven’t yet been confirmed, which could bring Thanos and Eros together for the first time on-screen. While it would be great to see this weird family reunion,bringing Thanos and Eros together could also address major mysteries concerning both of these characters' origins in the MCU.
Thanos & Eros Coming Back To The MCU Can Answer Huge MCU Questions
How Are Thanos & Eros Brothers In The MCU?
Marvel Studios didn’t only change Thanos' backstory in the MCU, revealing that he is not an Eternal at all, but a member of a new species inhabiting the planet Titan rather than Saturn’s moon, butEros' origins were also drastically changed. In Marvel Comics, the Eternals are organic beings who are a superpowered offshoot of early humans, the product of Celestial experimentation. In the MCU, however,the Eternals are robots created by the Celestials to keep the evolving Deviants in check, which makes Thanos and Eros' familial connection very confusing.
Harry Styles' Eros Return Will Change The MCU Eternals' Origin
Eternals producer Nate Moore has spoken about the future of one shock character, and Harry Styles' Eros could change the MCU in a big way.
Thanos is not an Eternal, so the question remains as to how the Eternal Eros can be considered his brother.Some theories have suggested that Eros may have been adopted into Thanos' family after being sent to Titan to oversee the Emergence of a new Celestial, but this hasn’t been confirmed. BringingThanos and Eros back to the MCUin Phase 6 could finally explore the pair’s background, confirming how they’re connected, and perhaps makingThanosan even more empathetic villain by better-exploring his family history.
Marvel Cinematic Universe
The Marvel Cinematic Universe is a multimedia superhero franchise that began in 2008 with Paramount’s Iron Man starring Robert Downey Jr. The franchise quickly grew in popularity, with Disney eventually buying out Marvel Entertainment in 2009. The MCU consists of dozens of movies and TV shows, most notably Avengers: Endgame, WandaVision, and Loki.
