When Avengers: Infinity War arrives in theaters, it will be the culmination of Marvel's entire cinematic universe thus far. Big bad Thanos has been teased for multiple films, and in Infinity War, the "Mad Titan" will finally have his triumphant moment in the spotlight.
For the writers of the film, that means delivering on the hype that fans have built up around the character for years. Though the character has only had around 20 seconds of screen time thus far, fans expect big things.
"He hasn't had an amazing scene," writer Stephen McFeely told the Huffington Post. "I think it's an advantage ultimately, right? Because people are anticipating this guy coming in and really delivering the goods. So, I think they're eager, and we just have to deliver it. We don't have to convince them that he's gonna be interesting. We just have to execute what has been teased."
McFeely and fellow writer Christopher Markus also touched upon rumors that Avengers: Infinity War would include 67 Marvel characters. The writing duo said that's not exactly the case (the 67 number simply comes from the number of characters in the universe thus far). Toss in new characters who could be introduced into the film, and that number grows even larger, giving the creators of the movie a huge roster of potential characters to work with.
Despite the near limitless Marvel action figures in their toy box, McFeely said he knows what he's most excited about when it comes to Avengers: Infinity War.
"[Thanos]. It's easy," he said. "Really giving him good scenes. You know, he’s never been the villain in any of the movies. He’s never been the main character in that way, so giving lots of good screen time to Thanos is paramount and pretty fun."
Unfortunately, fans will have to wait a while until they get to see Thanos in action. Avengers: Infinity War will be released in two parts. The first part is set to arrive in the summer of 2018, with part two to come in 2019. Marvel's nearest upcoming film is Captain America: Civil War, which premieres in theaters on May 6.
