Marvel’s First Thanos Actor Thought He Was Cast to Play a Huge Fantastic Four Villain

When Joss Whedon’s “The Avengers” was first announced, I was skeptical that it would ever come to fruition. The Avengers, in my opinion, were not as popular as other comic book superheroes like Superman, Batman, Spider-Man, or the X-Men. Therefore, those making the film would realize this and the project would fall apart in pre-production. Then, when the film was made, I still had the impression that it wouldn’t come to fruition. Were Thor and Captain America really beloved enough to draw huge crowds?

I was wrong again. “The Avengers” was a success in 2012subsequently becoming a pivot of all pop culture. In terms of quality, the film is excellent throughout, and it’s easy to see why it was so popular. The creators of the Marvel Cinematic Universe wisely pitched “The Avengers” as the finale of a six-film arc, essentially turning feature films into high-octane TV series, and audiences loved the build-up and the results. In terms of story, however, “The Avengers” is a pure Saturday morning hit. It’s little more than a group of superheroes doing superhero things and, like kindergartners, discovering the power of teamwork.

And then, as icing on the cake, “The Avengers” featured a post-credits tease of Thanos (Damion Poitier), implying that bigger fights lie ahead. Poitier had little to say and only smiled at the camera, but Marvel Comics readers knew who he was and what his cameo entailed. Back in 2014 (via Comic book movie), Poitier discussed his involvement in “The Avengers,” revealing that he thought he was going to play a different character. His role was of course kept secret, so he wasn’t told who he was playing until the last minute.

So, based on his makeup, he assumed he would play the “Fantastic Four” villain, Kl’rt, aka the Super-Skrull.

Poitier, it should be noted, only played Thanos in one scene in “The Avengers.” He was later replaced by Josh Brolin, who played the character via a complex motion capture performance in other MCU films. At the time, production of “The Avengers” was very secretive and there were many rumors about who the villain would be (or if the film would feature cameos). No one knew for sure if Thanos would be in the movie (not publicly, anyway).

Thanos, as Marvel Comics readers know, was originally drawn as having an oversized scrunched chin, a feature that was retained for his design in the MCU. However, as Poitier observed, Skrulls (a species of shape-shifting aliens) also have the same kind of oversized wrinkled chin. Kl’rt, the aforementioned Super-Skrull, is a common enemy of the Fantastic Four and is known to be able to absorb the powers of all four team members, allowing him to burn, turn invisible, stretch, and have rock-like super strength.

As Poitier explained, he wasn’t told he would play Thanos until he sat down to suit up for “The Avengers.” As he said:

“I found out when I was in the makeup chair what I was doing. […] They kept it quiet because they didn’t want to spoil it. So they kept what I was doing a secret, and I only found out when they cast my face to make the sculpture. […] I thought I was Kl’rt. […] I thought I was going to be the Super-Skrull, because all the rumor was that the Skrulls were going to be in “Avengers.”

The Skrulls, by the way, finally appeared in the MCU starting with “Captain Marvel.”

Because Thanos is only on screen for a few seconds in “The Avengers” and he didn’t have many lines, Poitier revealed that his audition process was super simple. He described it like this:

“It was a pretty simple audition process. They just wanted someone to stand up, turn around and smile, which was necessary. I happen to know Joss and everyone, so things are kind of [worked]. […] I’m in the makeup chair and I knew a few guys, but I didn’t know everyone, so I had to keep my cool. I was really excited, but then I was really horrified because I couldn’t tell anyone.”

It’s worth noting that Poitier starred as a stuntman in Whedon’s short-lived sci-fi series “Firefly” in the role of a “henchman.” He also played a character named Yankee in another Whedon science fiction series, “Dollhouse,” which had a slightly longer lifespan. Whedon probably knew Poitier well and may have only arranged an audition as a formality. Indeed, in 2014, Poitier had nothing but complimentary things to say about Whedon, noting the family atmosphere on his sets. This was before several stories came to light regarding Whedon’s Often Toxic Workplace Behavior and his tendency to intimidate his actors. Since those stories broke, Whedon has become persona non grata in Hollywood, despite once being a cult TV creator and director of some of the most successful films of all time.

It’s hard to say exactly why Poitier was replaced by Brolin for later MCU films. Whedon only directed one other MCU film after “The Avengers” (its 2015 sequel, “Avengers: Age of Ultron”), so presumably Thanos’ casting fell into someone else’s hands.