In the VisionQuest trailer shown at New York Comic-Con (NYCC), Thanos makes his first live-action appearance in the MCU's Phase 6. While it is not the same kind of return that characters like Ultron will make, in that Thanos does not appear in any newly-shot footage, the footage marks the first time fans will see the Infinity Saga's big bad in the flesh in Phase 6.
The NYCC trailer was accompanied by a logo reveal for the series, which is slated to release in 2026, and some teasers of what is to come in the final installment of the trilogy that began with WandaVision and Agatha All Along. In the trailer, Vision can be seen watching his Avengers: Infinity War death on a screen, seeing Thanos rip the Mind Stone from his head.
Paul Bettany teased at NYCC that in VisionQuest, White Vision would be grappling with the fact that his memories are not exactly his own, harkening back to the Ship of Theseus debate at the end of WandaVision.
While that is specifically key for the memories of the Hex, Ultron's return in the VisionQuest trailer and this moment highlighting Thanos killing the original Vision indicate this could stretch back to Vision's pre-Infinity War days, too.
Could Thanos Return in New Scenes in VisionQuest?
A Thanos appearance via a new flashback in VisionQuest is not off the table, though there is no concrete evidence that he could appear in the show outside of reused footage from past Marvel projects.
A lot of VisionQuest's story remains unknown, with the NYCC trailer being the only footage from the show officially shown to any audience, and that footage is not even publicly available yet.
Still, the trailer has an eerie energy reminiscent of WandaVision, instilling the idea that anything is possible. Furthermore, of all the shows Marvel is releasing in the near future, VisionQuest seems like the most likely, if not only possible, candidate for a Thanos return in earnest.
A show like Daredevil: Born Again, for instance, would be a little too street-level and down-to-Earth for such a cosmic character. VisionQuest, however, is already introducing a range of unconventional concepts and characters, including the return of Tommy Maximoff.
That is not to say a true Thanos return, likely via a new flashback, is a sure thing. Still, it is fun to see the return of the iconic MCU villain, even if it is in footage from a previous movie.
Gillian Blum has been a writer at The Direct since 2022, reporting primarily from New York City. Though she covers news from across the entertainment industry, Gillian has a particular focus on Marvel and DC, including comics, movies, and television shows. She also commonly reports on Percy Jackson, Invincible, and other similar franchises.
