‘Avengers: Endgame’: Leaked Deleted Scene Suggests Marvel Was Always Going to Bring Back Thanos
Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) willed Thanos (Josh Brolin) out of existence in Avengers: Endgame, but there is a small possibility that the Mad Titan will return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The idea that Marvel will bring Thanos back is based on a deleted scene from Endgame. The sequence features a conversation between Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) and the Ancient One (Tilda Swinton) and clearly opens the door for Thanos to return – if Marvel wants to go in that direction.
![Avengers: Endgame stars Josh Brolin and Robert Downey Jr](https://www.cheatsheet.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Avengers-Endgame-Thanos-Iron-Man.jpg?w=1024&h=787&strip=all&quality=89)
Inside the deleted scene from ‘Avengers: Endgame’
The deleted scene features a brief conversation between Hulk and the Ancient One when the Avengers travel back in time to retrieve the Infinity Stones. Unlike the final cut of the scene, Hulk expresses serious doubt about using the Infinity Stones to bring everyone back.
In response, the Ancient One tells Bruce that their plan could work because everyone who Thanos snapped out of existence didn’t really die. Instead, they were “willed out of existence,” which is a big difference.
“If someone dies, they will always die. Death is irreversible, but Thanos is not,” she told him. “Those you’ve lost are not dead. They’ve been willed out of existence, which means they can be willed back. But it doesn’t come cheap.”
The conversation matches up with everything that has happened in the MCU so far. After Thanos’ snap in Infinity War, Hulk brought everyone back in Avengers: Endgame while Iron Man finished the job by snapping Thanos out of existence.
The only problem is that Tony didn’t necessarily kill Thanos, as the Ancient One pointed out in the deleted scene. This opens the door for the Mad Titan’s return to the MCU – and there might be one character who would love to get him back.
This character might bring Thanos back
The deleted scene suggests that Marvel does have plans to bring Thanos back at some point. If that happens, there is a good chance that the Mad Titan’s son, Thane, is the one who does it.
According to We Got This Covered, Marvel is seriously considering introducing Thane in either Phase 4 or Phase 5 of the MCU. The studio would then have Thane travel back in time and use the Infinity Stones to bring Thanos back.
Marvel, of course, has not confirmed any of the rumors surrounding Thanos. While we wait to hear more on that front, there are also reports that the studio might introduce fans to Thanos’ brother, Starfox.
What about Thanos’ brother Starfox?
Although Thanos is out of the picture, his impact on the MCU will continue in Phase 4. As Marvel fans are well aware, Thanos’s parents were Eternals, a group of superheroes created by the Celestials who Marvel plans on introducing in The Eternals.
What fans may not know is that Thanos has a brother named Starfox, who also goes by the name Eros. Sources claimed that Marvel was going to introduce Eros in The Eternals, but the character is not listed in the cast.
Insiders still believe that Marvel will bring Starfox into the fold at some point, either in a future film or TV show. The studio, unfortunately, has not commented on the reports so we cannot confirm anything at this point.
In the comics, Starfox helped defend Titan against Thanos. He also fought alongside some of the Avengers and was a member of the Dark Guardians. He has the power to manipulate emotions and played an important role in defeating his brother.
What are the chances that Marvel resurrects Thanos following his demise in ‘Avengers: Endgame’?
Based on the deleted scene from Avengers: Endgame, there is certainly a chance that Marvel brings Thanos back at some point. That said, the fact that directors Joe and Anthony Russo cut the scene from the film suggests that Marvel didn’t want to go down that rabbit hole.
Bringing Thanos back would also downplay what happened in Endgame and essentially make Tony’s sacrifice pointless. With that in mind, it is unlikely that Marvel will resurrect Thanos at any point unless there is a good enough reason to do so.
The next movie in Marvel’s lineup is Black Widow, which is scheduled to hit theaters in November.
Fans can stream Avengers: Endgame on Disney+.