Thanos will return in Avengers: Endgame, and here's everything we know about his role. The Marvel Cinematic Universe first teased the arrival of Thanos back in the mid-credits scene for The Avengers in 2012. His smile sent shockwaves through fans wanting to see the Mad Titan clash with the Avengers, but it took Marvel Studios six years to get there. Thanos made a brief appearance in Guardians of the Galaxy and then in the post-credits scene of Avengers: Age of Ultron, but it wasn't until Avengers: Infinity War last year that he got his due.

When Thanos (portrayed by Josh Brolin) came face-to-face with the Avengers, he proved just how devastating of a threat he could be. His mission was immediately clear as he set out to gather all six Infinity Stones so he could harness their incredible individual powers within the Infinity Gauntlet, and had two of them within minutes of Infinity War beginning. He didn't stop there and ultimately came out victorious when the movie came to end last year, with half of the universe's population being snapped away. This left fans both defeated and buzzing to find out what will come next, and Marvel decided to use the very end of the film to confirm that Thanos will return.

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He will do just that in Avengers: Endgame, although it may be difficult to tell from the marketing. The trailers for the film have been incredibly sparse on footage of the Mad Titan, as it was only in the Avengers: Endgame special look that fans got to see him in full form. With everything audiences have seen of Thanos so far, here's what we actually know about his role in Avengers: Endgame.

Thanos Is Damaged After Avengers: Infinity War

Thor stabbing Thanos in Avengers Infinity War

Thanos was the toughest villain the Avengers ever faced, but when it comes time for the potential rematch, Thanos will not be at full strength. His snap in Infinity War cost him "everything" as he told a younger version of Gamora in the Soul World, and part of this cost includes damage to himself. Aside from taking the mighty Stormbreaker to the chest, Thanos also has been injured as a result of the snap. The Russo brothers have confirmed that the snap in some way hurt Thanos.

They haven't revealed how this is the case, other than saying that the Infinity Gauntlet has been permanently fused to his hand and his entire left arm burned. Thanos is now incapable of taking off the glove, which may not be at its full strength following the snap either. The damage that he has suffered could make him an easier foe for the Avengers to take on in Endgame. The team on Titan nearly got the gauntlet off of him, while Iron Man was able to draw a drop of blood and Captain America momentarily hold off his strength. With all of the remaining heroes from Infinity War working together and the bonus of Captain Marvel and Ant-Man, Thanos could be in trouble if the injuries he's been given haven't healed.

Thanos Is Retired On "The Garden" At The Start Of Avengers: Endgame

Before any rematch takes place between the Avengers and Thanos, though, he'll have to be attacked or willingly leave his new sanctuary, as he's currently retired from his bad guy days. His old, home planet of Titan is even more destroyed following the fight that happened in Infinity War, and the end of the film showed that he is now retired on Titan 2, or what has commonly been called "The Garden." After successfully wiping out half of the universe, Thanos got to do exactly what he wanted to do there: watch the sun set. However, the biggest deviation is that this act did not result in a grateful universe.

Related: The MCU Can Have A Stronger Avengers Team After Endgame

Thanos has been almost entirely hidden from Endgame's marketing campaign, but what we have seen is that he's still living his Farmer Thanos lifestyle. The first trailer showed him with a long, baggy, and torn white shirt walking through his garden. This is where we got a glimpse at the damage that still remains for him and the gauntlet post-snap. His retired nature has been taken a step further, with him truly hanging up his armor that he wore early on in Infinity War and using it as a scarecrow for his crops. While it isn't clear how many pests are trying to steal his crops on "The Garden," Thanos is fully embracing the retired lifestyle, at least for now.

Thanos won't remain on "The Garden" or on the sidelines for the entirety of Endgame, however. Brolin was heavily involved during production and has previously teased some of the scenes he's filmed. One that made fans especially curious was a tease of a fight between the Mad Titan and Captain Marvel, and such a duel has only become more anticipated following the release of Captain Marvel. But it looks like Thanos is going to end up toe-to-toe with the Iron Man, Captain America, and Thor at some point in the film, as was shown in the recent Endgame special look promo.

Page 2 of 2: Thanos Will Get A New Weapon (& New Gauntlet) In Avengers: Endgame

Thanos Avengers Endgame Sword Weapon Hot Toys

Thanos Has A New Weapon In Avengers: Endgame

It was just months after Infinity War hit theaters that early promo art for Endgame arrived online, and in addition to seeing the lineup of the core heroes in battle, the Avengers 4 art also gave us the first look at a new double-bladed sword that Thanos will carry. The sword has continued to pop up in Avengers: Endgame leaks in the months that have followed, and his look has remained the same. Not only will Thanos have a new weapon at his disposal, but he's also been shown back in his armor.

As cool as the unofficial looks at Thanos' Endgame attire have been, the recently revealed Thanos Hot Toys figure for Endgame officially showed off the completed design. Much like the leaked images, Thanos is wearing his war armor that he used to conquer Gamora's home planet and dismantle Hulk, with the gold and black color design staying intact. However, the sword appears to actually have been upgraded from what the early images showed. In those, the blades of the sword looked to be two different lengths. This final, and likely movie accurate, design has both of the blades at equal lengths. Not only is armored Thanos holding this massive sword in his right hand, but he also has the Infinity Gauntlet on his left - and it isn't damaged anymore.

Furthermore, fans get a quick glimpse at the sword at the end of the Avengers: Endgame special look, which appears to be standing up (after having been placed in the ground) next to Thanos. It's on the left-side of the screen, but viewers will have to quickly spot it as it's partially concealed by Captain America and Thor's costumes.

Thanos May Have A New Infinity Gauntlet In Avengers: Endgame

Thanos and the Infinity Gauntlet in Avengers Infinity War

So, not only is Thanos putting on additional protection with his armor and adding a weapon for combat, but he may be getting a brand new and fully-functioning Infinity Gauntlet in Endgame as well. This has long been the subject of theories based on similar art, and it continues to look more likely that Thanos will be restored to his full god-like powers at some point during the movie. We do know that he at least starts with the damaged gauntlet, so the Avengers' best shot at taking him down may be sooner rather than later - unless that one shot is part of the trailer trickery the Russo brothers have teased.

If Thanos is getting a new Infinity Gauntlet in Endgame, the big question is, how will it happen? There have been some theories that Thanos will simply be able to use the power of the Infinity Stones to repair the one that he has. While that could work, we've also theorized that it could actually be Eitri (Peter Dinklage) who will be responsible for creating a new gauntlet for him - and maybe one for the Avengers as well. It appears any physical weaknesses that Thanos could have as a result of the snap and his previous battles with the Avengers is being compensated for with more protection and more weapons. And if he does happen to be at full power, then Thanos will be an even tougher opponent for the remaining heroes in Avengers: Endgame.

More: Theory: Endgame's Trailers Are Hiding A Big (& Early) Fight Scene

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