Marvel is reportedly just a few days away from the start of principal photography on Avengers: Infinity War in Atlanta, GA. The film is set to be the culmination of everything the studio has done in the Marvel Cinematic Universe up until this point, with appearances by familiar characters being confirmed on a near-weekly basis. However, as much as fans are likely anticipating seeing the massive cast of heroes assemble for the film, there's no question one of the biggest stars is the villain Thanos.

Teased repeatedly in the MCU films ever since his first appearance at the end of 2012's The Avengers, Infinity War will be the first time that fans get to see Thanos as the central antagonist in one of the films.

In anticipation of the start of principal photography, Josh Brolin recently shared a fun new photo on his Instagram account, teasing his transformation from mild-mannered actor into the purple-skinned Mad Titan in the film:

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Now, this obviously isn't the first time that fans have gotten to see what Brolin is going to look like in the role, but it is exciting to see just how deeply committed it seems both he and Marvel are to making sure they get Thanos right in Infinity War. The studio has been building him up for years now, and expectations are understandably high, something that it seems like screenwriters Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely were acutely aware of while writing the film. The pressure may even be greater since Marvel has been under fire recently regarding the difficulties it has had in creating memorable villains to stand against their more fully realized heroes.

Those complaints add a certain degree of difficulty to what is shaping up to be Marvel's most ambitious cinematic endeavor yet. While the studio was smart in tapping Joe and Anthony Russo -- the sibling team behind Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Captain America: Civil War -- as directors, they face an uphill climb in terms of fitting so many characters into the film, and finding time to establish Thanos as a compelling character and an intimidating threat. Thankfully the Russos found success with the star-studded Civil War, suggesting the responsibilities of handling the massive cast required for Infinity War won't be too much for the directors to handle.

With any luck, the Russos and Brolin will find a way to pay off all those appearances by the Titan over the years, delivering a satisfying conclusion to the intergalactic intrigue set up back in 2012.

Source: Josh Brolin