Josh Brolin talks Thanos and his Apocalypse Now inspiration

Josh Brolin hints at Thanos’ return and the inspiration for his Marvel movie role

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Through 10 films, we’ve only had a few glimpses of one of the biggest bad guys in Marvel’s cinematic universe, but the looming threat posed by the “Mad Titan” Thanos has been made even more apparent lately thanks to a somewhat larger role in Guardians of the Galaxy — and Josh Brolin, the actor lending his voice to Thanos, couldn’t be happier about it.

In an interview with IGN about his upcoming role in Sin City: A Dame To Kill For, Brolin shared some of his thoughts on the character and the Marvel movie-verse, hinted at when we’ll see him next, and described his inspiration for the role.

“I know what one appearance is going to be for sure,” teased Brolin, likely alluding to the third Avengers film, which is expected to pit the team against Thanos in a battle that could decide the fate of the universe, not just Earth. “There’s one or two that I don’t know.”

Brolin indicated that one of the things that attracted him to Marvel’s cinematic universe was the studio’s preference for filmmakers with storytelling background over directors known for their visual effects. But it wasn’t until his appearance at Comic-Con International in San Diego this year that he really understood what he was getting into and appreciated it.

“We had constructed this small thing, [Marvel Studios President] Kevin Feige and I and Robert [Downey Jr.], and going on-stage at Comic-Con,” he recalled. “Then it became something else. Once I got on-stage, it sort of became its own improv. I knew at that point, because I saw the rivalry between Robert and I, and I thought, ‘I get this. I suddenly really get it.’ So I feel like I’m more inside it than I was. It was more a display to me before that. It was more cosmetic. Now I think I’m starting to get who the guy is a little bit.”

Brolin said that in addition to the character’s long history in comics, he’s also turning to a few well-known characters from Hollywood history for inspiration as he gets into the mind of Thanos. Among those characters is Marlon Brando’s Colonel Kurtz in Apocalypse Now, which should make a lot of sense to anyone familiar with the two characters.

You can see Brolin next in Sin City: A Dame to Kill For, which hits theaters August 22.

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