Josh Brolin Teases Thanos and Doctor Doom Showdown in Avengers Secret Wars

At New York Comic Con 2026, Josh Brolin promoted his new movie Whalefall. Directed by Brian Duffield and based on a novel by Daniel Kraus, Whalefall features Austin Abrams from Resident Evil as a scuba diver swallowed whole by a sperm whale. Josh Brolin plays the diver’s father, whose remains the protagonist seeks when the accident occurs.

Polygon spoke with Josh Brolin about Whalefall, which releases on Oct. 16, and also asked about his time playing Thanos in Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame. With Robert Downey Jr. joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Doctor Doom in Avengers: Doomsday, many fans wonder if Doctor Doom will replace Thanos as the franchise’s most prominent villain. When asked if Thanos could defeat Doctor Doom, Josh Brolin expressed interest in the idea and suggested a confrontation could happen if Marvel Studios permitted it.

“I don’t know,” Brolin replied. “Any confrontation with Downey, I like the idea of. I love that he’s doing that, by the way. I can’t wait to see it.”

Josh Brolin did not give a definitive answer regarding who would win a fight. However, the comic books suggest Doctor Doom poses a serious threat to Thanos. In the 2015 storyline Secret Wars, Doctor Doom absorbed the powers of the Beyonders and ripped Thanos apart by the spine and skull. Similar violence could appear on screen in 2027’s Avengers: Secret Wars.

Whalefall opens in theaters on Oct. 16. Avengers: Doomsday premieres on Dec. 18.

Source: Polygon