Did Josh Brolin Struggle For 22 Years Before Becoming Thanos In MCU?

Yes, Josh Brolon struggled quite a bit. “For 22 years, the phone never rang,” he admitted. Yeah, Thanos had the Infinity Stones, but Brolin? He had stock trading and self-doubt to keep him afloat.

The 90s weren’t kind. Brolin spent years bouncing between roles that were so forgettable, even IMDb barely noticed. At one point, he co-founded a website tracking stock market trends. Hollywood stardom? More like finance bro side hustle. But his struggles weren’t just professional—1995 hit hard. His mother died in a car accident a day after his 27th birthday. That same year, his father divorced Jan Smithers, and two years later, married Barbra freaking Streisand. Life wasn’t just throwing curveballs—it was chucking boulders.

And then came No Country for Old Men. Brolin sent in a tape for the Coen brothers, who promptly dismissed it. Ouch. But luck turned when he scored a “courtesy meeting” and absolutely nailed it. That Texas welder role? It didn’t just reboot his career—it rocketed him into Hollywood’s serious actor club.

From there, it was one banger after another: Grindhouse, Milk (hello, Oscar nomination), American Gangster, and Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps. But even as his star rose, Brolin wrestled with insecurity. “Is my head too big? Are my legs too short?” he wondered. And the ultimate actor spiral: “Do I have any talent at all?”

Personal life? Still chaotic. In 2013, Brolin, then with Kathryn Boyd (his now-wife), almost died during a surfing trip in Costa Rica. Late-night McDonald’s cravings turned dangerous when a man stabbed him in the stomach. The knife missed his vital organs by mere inches. “On a lucky scale, I was about a 9.5 out of 10,” Brolin said. That’s some Marvel-level plot armor right there.

By 2018, Brolin was no longer the guy who almost got forgotten. He became Thanos, the MCU’s most iconic villain, and Cable in Deadpool 2. Suddenly, he wasn’t just a star—he was a franchise. But even then, Brolin had turned down big tentpole movies before. “Do you want to do Terminator Salvation?” they asked. “Nah,” he replied. It wasn’t until Avengers and Deadpool 2 that he decided to lean into the blockbuster life.

Looking back, Brolin’s journey is anything but typical. From years of rejection to indie darlings like Flag Day and mega-hits like Avengers: Endgame, he’s carved out a unique sweet spot: movie star and actor’s actor.

It’s hard to imagine a time when Josh Brolin wasn’t a household name, but his 22-year struggle proves one thing—some stories take time to build. The best comebacks? They’re worth the wait.

For more such stories, check out Hollywood News.

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