Josh Brolin calls Deadpool 2 ‘a business transaction’ compared to Thanos in The Avengers

Actor claimed that Avengers directors would regularly reference classic cinema while working with him

Josh Brolin has called his work on Deadpool 2 “a business transaction” compared to his role as Thanos in the Avengers franchise.

The actor portrayed Cable, a cybernetic soldier from the future, in the 2018 superhero sequel. He has now claimed that he had more artistic freedom while playing the alien warlord Thanos.

“Deadpool was hard,” Brolin told the Team Deakins Podcast. “Even though it was funny, it was harder. That was more of a business transaction, it was more, ‘We need to make this like this,’ which I didn’t feel that way with Avengers.”

Brolin added that Avengers directors Anthony and Joe Russo would reference 1970s and 1980s cinema while directing him.

“They would constantly go back and reference Scarface or Dog Day Afternoon,” Brolin recalled. “Whether or not it was a manipulation, they knew what to throw out there to bring it back into something inspired.”

In 2018, Deadpool 2 director David Leitch claimed that he deliberately hired Brolin to “create nuances” in the Cable character, as he wasn’t particularly interesting in the script.

Leitch told The Hollywood Reporter: “Cable could have fallen quickly into the caricature role, but ... you get someone with Josh’s ability to create nuances with just a look; or to have seven versions of a grunt and each grunt means a different thing — I’m just kidding. We always did that. We always laughed, ‘Which grunt should I use?’”

Josh Brolin as Cable in 'Deadpool 2' and Thanos in 'Avengers: Endgame' (Fox/Disney)

Brolin portrayed Thanos throughout the Avengers franchise, who memorably killed half the world with a finger snap.

In April, the actor apologised for an “irresponsible” photograph of him visiting his family, despite social distancing rules being in place.