"There's a great track record now about lobbing something in at the last moment to get the audience buzzing,"
Marvel's Kevin Feige told MTV News about the secret villain tucked into the ending of "The Avengers," which hits Blu-ray and DVD on September 25. "Particularly when it came to Thanos, [we knew] that most people in that audience had no idea who that purple guy was but they could clearly tell he was important, and knew if they asked the two or three people sitting next to them, somebody would know who he was."
The exact trajectory of where Thanos goes from here isn't entirely known, but most fans feel it's all but certain that the Mad Titan will appear in "
Guardians of the Galaxy," going on to serve as the major villain of
Joss Whedon's "Avengers" sequel. Feige's lips are sealed when it comes to the particulars, but he's quick to add that there is a very clear plan in place for Thanos' next appearance.
"Clearly, there's a purpose to us putting him in the end of that movie. We do have plans for him," said Feige. "I wouldn't say we ever feel the need to rush anything one way or the other. We succeeded in Phase One because we stuck to our guns and stuck to the plan. That plan took place over many, many years and it ultimately paid off. I see Phase Two unfolding in the same way of us taking our time, us doing what's right for each individual movie, while folding in elements that will not only build up to the culmination of Phase Two, but even Phase Three."
Wherever Thanos shows up next, he might look significantly different from his first appearance. Asked if Marvel feels married to
the casting of Damion Poitier, the actor behind Thanos in the "Avengers" stinger, Feige said, "I think we feel pretty free to recast. That was cast for literally that one shot. Depending on what the role requires from future movies, we'll go from there."