Movies

Marvel Just Teased Thanos's Shocking Return to the MCU

He is, after all, inevitable.

Marvel Studios

Thanos is the end-all-be-all of Marvel Cinematic Universe villains. He posed a colossal threat to Earth throughout the Infinity Saga, and he made good on his reputation when he dusted half the universe’s population for several years. Now, of course, he’s well and truly defeated... but will he have the chance to lend his terror to a new threat to the multiverse? It may seem improbable, but a new trailer is suggesting just that.

The Marvels, the follow-up to Captain Marvel that also stars WandaVision’s Monica Rambeau and Ms. Marvel’s Kamala Khan, features a brand new villain: Kree warrior Dar-Benn. However, it doesn’t seem like she’s working alone, and her backstory may tie her to the Mad Titan himself.

A new trailer for The Marvels features a mini-recap of what Carol Danvers has gone through so far, with a particular focus on the events of Avengers: Endgame. We see old footage of the Avengers, of Thanos, and of Iron Man in his final moments. But immediately after that we hear Thanos say, “There will always be more to finish my work.”

This is a new line, and it’s referring to Dar-Benn. Do the two have stronger ties than we thought? Maybe this is just a cut line from a previous movie being recycled, but it could still allude to a massive cameo in The Marvels: Thanos himself, appearing in flashback to establish his connection to Dar-Benn.

Dar-Benn could be trying to finish Thanos’ mission... or expand on it.

Marvel Studios

The Marvels is facing an uphill marketing battle given its focus on Monica and Kamala, who were introduced on Disney+ shows seen by smaller audiences. There’s no better way to hook movie-centric Marvel fans than with a big cameo, and cameos don’t get much bigger than Thanos himself.

It’s only a single line, so we can’t make too many assumptions yet. But Marvel loves subtle clues leading to big shocks, and a surprise Thanos reveal could be just the thing to give The Marvels some much-needed buzz.

The Marvels premieres in theaters on November 10, 2023.

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