Josh Brolin has played two major Marvel characters, but the actor is making it clear that one chapter is closed while another remains a possibility. While promoting his new project Whalefall at New York Comic Con, Brolin gave a candid update on his future in the superhero world. The verdict is simple: his time as the time-traveling mutant Cable is over, but the door for the Mad Titan Thanos is not locked.
The distinction matters because both roles sit at very different points in the Marvel Cinematic Universe timeline. Cable was a Fox-era character who crossed over just as the studio was being absorbed by Disney. Thanos, on the other hand, was the backbone of an entire saga that stretched across more than a decade of films. Brolin’s latest comments, first reported by The Direct during his Whalefall press tour, draw a sharp line between the two experiences.
Cable Was a One-Time Experience, and That Is Fine
Brolin’s history with Cable began in April 2017, when he was cast in Deadpool 2 and reportedly signed a multi-picture deal for the character. The film arrived in 2018, sandwiched between Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame, and it presented Brolin with a very different kind of superhero job. Cable was a straight-faced, cybernetic soldier dropped into a chaotic comedy, and the actor has been open about the fact that the tone was not always a comfortable fit.
“Deadpool 2, I’m glad happened. I’m glad [Cable] was isolated unto that experience, and it’s a good memory.”
That quote is the closest thing to a formal farewell. Brolin is not angry about how Cable’s story ended. He is not campaigning for another shot. He is describing a job that came, went, and left him with a positive memory. For a character who was once positioned for a larger X-Force future, that is a quiet but definitive closing statement.
The bigger picture explains why Cable’s path became complicated. When Disney acquired Fox, the mutant characters that had been living in their own universe suddenly belonged to Marvel Studios. Brolin was left out of Deadpool & Wolverine entirely, though Cable was referenced twice in the film. Rob Liefeld, the co-creator of Deadpool and Cable, later claimed that Marvel blocked a Brolin cameo, and he has continued to argue that there is “much more meat on those bones” for the character. But Liefeld’s enthusiasm does not change Brolin’s own position. The actor is not waiting by the phone for a Cable call.
Thanos Is a Different Conversation
The tone shifts completely when Brolin talks about Thanos. The character first appeared in a brief Guardians of the Galaxy role and a mid-credits scene in Avengers: Age of Ultron before becoming the central villain of Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame. That journey gave Brolin a much deeper creative experience, and his comments reflect it.
“Thanos to me is a very, very interesting role, and a role that I had a lot of fun doing. You know what I mean? A lot of fun doing. Joe Russo, Anthony Russo, those guys to me, they’re just unprecedented, unparalleled… There’s some practicality to it, but when you resort to your imagination, and they would come up, and they would reference Scarface or something like that, something that I understood, then it made it even better.”
The praise is not casual. Brolin is specifically crediting Joe and Anthony Russo for the way they built the character with him. He describes a collaborative process where the directors used familiar references to help shape a performance that was largely created through motion capture. That kind of creative partnership is rare, and Brolin is not hiding how much it meant to him.
The actor has already made his willingness known in more direct terms. During an appearance on the Happy Sad Confused podcast in August 2025, Brolin said:
“If they called me in London right now and said, ‘Let’s do this,’ I’d be like, ‘I’ll be there tomorrow.’”
That statement has not changed. The Russos are currently directing Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars, the two films that will close out the Multiverse Saga. Their involvement is the key variable. Brolin has repeatedly tied his Thanos return to their involvement, and the fact that they are back behind the camera for the next two Avengers films has kept the conversation alive.
Why Cable’s Exit Makes Sense for the MCU Right Now
Cable’s story belongs to a version of Marvel that no longer exists in the same form. Deadpool 2 was made under the Fox banner, and while Ryan Reynolds has successfully brought Deadpool into the MCU, the supporting cast of that film has not been a priority. Deadpool & Wolverine focused on the relationship between Reynolds and Hugh Jackman, and it used its multiverse premise to bring back characters from other eras of Marvel movies. Cable was not part of that plan.
Brolin’s honesty about the role reflects a practical reality. He is not the only actor from the Fox era who has moved on. The MCU is rebuilding its mutant strategy from the ground up, and Cable’s future, if it exists at all, would likely require a new creative framework. Brolin is not interested in forcing that framework into existence. He is satisfied with the one film he made, and he is not pretending otherwise.
Thanos is a different calculation because the character is woven into the foundation of the MCU’s most successful era. His defeat in Endgame was a definitive ending, but the multiverse introduces the possibility of variants, alternate timelines, and characters who exist outside the main continuity. A Thanos return would not necessarily undo the emotional weight of Endgame. It could take a different form entirely.
The Russos Hold the Key
Every comment Brolin has made about Thanos circles back to the same condition. He is not interested in returning for the sake of a cameo. He is interested in working with the Russos again. The directors gave him a character arc that spanned multiple films and allowed him to deliver one of the most quoted villain performances in modern blockbuster history. That relationship is the foundation of his openness.
The Russos themselves have not confirmed any plans to bring Thanos back. Marvel Studios has not announced Brolin’s involvement in Avengers: Doomsday or Avengers: Secret Wars. The first film is scheduled to arrive in theaters on December 18, 2026, and the second is set for 2027. Until those films are closer to release, the studio is unlikely to reveal whether Thanos will appear in any form.
Brolin’s comments are best understood as a statement of preference, not a confirmation of a deal. He is saying that he loved playing Thanos, he loved working with the Russos, and he would say yes if the right call came. That is not the same as saying he will return. It is a clear signal that the door is open, and in an industry where actors often shut doors completely, that distinction matters.
What Cable’s Story Says About Marvel’s Changing Priorities
The contrast between Brolin’s two Marvel roles also highlights how the studio’s priorities have shifted. Cable was introduced during a period when Fox was still trying to build its own interconnected mutant universe. That universe never fully materialized, and the characters were eventually folded into a much larger corporate structure. The MCU of 2026 is not the same creative landscape that produced Deadpool 2.
Brolin’s willingness to close the Cable chapter is a reflection of that change. He is not clinging to a role that no longer has a clear path forward. He is also not using the interview to criticize Marvel or the way the character was handled. He is simply stating what he feels: the experience was good, it is over, and he is at peace with it.
Thanos operates under a different set of rules. The character is tied to the most successful creative partnership of Brolin’s blockbuster career, and the directors who shaped that partnership are back in the driver’s seat. That does not guarantee a return. It does mean that the question will keep coming up, and Brolin will keep giving the same answer. The door is open, but the Russos have to knock.
A Brief History of Brolin’s Two Marvel Roles
Brolin’s Thanos debut came in 2014 with a small role in Guardians of the Galaxy. He followed it with a mid-credits appearance in 2015’s Avengers: Age of Ultron before taking center stage in 2018’s Avengers: Infinity War. That film gave him a full character study, and Endgame in 2019 completed the arc. The role made him one of the most recognizable villains in modern cinema.
Cable arrived in the middle of that run. Brolin was cast in 2017, and Deadpool 2 released in 2018, the same year as Infinity War. The character was a fan favorite from the comics, and the multi-picture deal suggested that Fox had larger plans. Those plans were disrupted by the Disney merger, and Cable’s screen future became one of the many loose threads left by the transition.
The actor has never spoken badly about either experience. He has been honest about the differences in tone and creative freedom, but he has also made it clear that both roles were meaningful in their own way. The distinction in his latest comments is about possibility, not quality. Cable is finished. Thanos might not be.
What Fans Are Left With
Brolin’s interview does not provide a roadmap for the MCU’s future. It provides something simpler and more useful: a clear picture of where the actor stands. Cable is a closed book, and Thanos is a character he would happily revisit if the right people asked. That is the extent of the news, and it is enough to keep the conversation moving.
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The next major MCU release is Avengers: Doomsday, arriving in theaters on December 18, 2026. Avengers: Secret Wars will follow in 2027. Whether Thanos appears in either film remains unconfirmed. Brolin has given his answer. The rest is up to Marvel and the Russos.
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