That Thanos will play a part in the Marvel Cinematic Universe going forward is clear, and has been since we caught a glimpse of him in the post-credits sequence of The Avengers. Exactly how he’ll be worked into the films has been a bit murkier.

It’s assumed that the Mad Titan will appear in The Guardians of the Galaxy and The Avengers 2, but now Joss Whedon has suggested that he may not actually be the main villain in either. Instead, he’ll be “threaded” into the world as part of a larger arc. Hit the jump to read his comments.

In a conversation with Desde Hollywood (via Screen Rant), Whedon explained that he has long-term plans for Thanos.

Well, Thanos is more powerful. He is so powerful; he is not someone you can just trot out and punch him. Like he did in the comics, you want him threading through the universe and to save the big finale for the big finale. He is definitely a part of what I have got going on. The thing about The Avengers is that they are very powerful but not very stable. So, there will definitely be some people that will shake them up in the next installment.

That could mean Thanos will be the big bad of Phase Three, especially considering comments Feige made about the character last year.

Clearly, there’s a purpose to us putting him in the end of that movie. We do have plans for him. I wouldn’t say we ever feel the need to rush anything one way or the other. We succeeded in Phase One because we stuck to our guns and stuck to the plan. That plan took place over many, many years and it ultimately paid off. I see Phase Two unfolding in the same way of us taking our time, us doing what’s right for each individual movie, while folding in elements that will not only build up to the culmination of Phase Two, but even Phase Three.

Obviously we’ll have to wait and see how it all plays out, but from here it seems like a smart move. The details that carry over from one Marvel film to the next help give the Cinematic Universe a sense of coherence, and setting up the Thanos storyline throughout Phase Two means it’ll be that much more satisfying when all that work finally pays off in Phase Three. Assuming we’re drawing the right conclusions from these quotes, that is.

Now the question becomes: If Thanos isn’t the primary villain of The Avengers 2, who is? We haven’t heard much talk on that front quite yet, but if Thanos we’re sure rumors will start flying soon. As for the Guardians, Marvel hasn’t confirmed anything officially but Lee Pace has widely been reported as playing The Controller.