What Ebony Maw From Marvel's Avengers: Infinity War Looks Like In Real Life
While Thanos (Josh Brolin) might get the lion's share of the credit for snapping half of life from existence in "Avengers: Infinity War," the sinister villain wouldn't have been able to do so without his top lieutenant, Ebony Maw (Tom Vaughan-Lawlor). The alien character leads the Black Order under the Mad Titan and helps him navigate and acquire the Infinity Stones, proving to be a major antagonist in his own right against the Avengers and one of Thanos' greatest assets in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Ebony Maw's appearance was done in motion capture and CGI, giving him his otherworldly look — but Vaughan-Lawlor, the talented actor who portrayed him, looks nothing like the Marvel foe, even if he has a similar body type.
Ebony Maw was created by Jonathan Hickman and Jerome Opena and made his first full comic book appearance in 2013's "Infinity" #1. In the comics, Maw works alongside Corvus Glaive, Proxima Midnight, Black Dwarf, and others in the Black Order, serving Thanos in his quest for cosmic supremacy. In adapting the character from the page to the big screen, Maw looks almost exactly like his comic counterpart, as Thanos' tactician has the same gray skin, flattened nose, and white hair seen in the villain in the last two "Avengers" films.
Outside of the CGI, Vaughan-Lawlor is a slim man, whose sleek look aligns well with Maw's body shape. The Irish-born actor has since reprised his role twice as Maw in "What If...? on Disney+ but is probably best known for his work across the pond.
What else has Tom Vaughan-Lawlor been in?
Tom Vaughan-Lawlor has an extensive background as a theater actor. He appeared in several stage productions and has established himself on the small and big screen. The actor's most recognizable role before taking on Ebony Maw was as Nigel "Nidge" Delaney in the Irish drama, "Love/Hate," which he co-starred in alongside Killian Scott, who would later join the Marvel Cinematic Universe in "Secret Invasion" as the Skrull, Pagon. Vaughan-Lawlor starred in the 2017 film "Maze" as Provisional Irish Republican Army member Larry Marley, a key figure behind the infamous Maze Prison escape. Additionally, he appeared in the British television war film "Danny Boy" and the ITV Cold War spy thriller "The Ipcress File," where he plays General Cathcart.
It's possible Vaughan-Lawlor could appear as Maw in a future MCU project, but the character's story is likely over after he was killed in space in "Avengers: Infinity War" after a fight against the Avengers and a variant of him disintegrated in "Avengers: Endgame" after Tony Stark's (Robert Downey Jr.) snap helped bring those Thanos erased back to life. Even in his "What If...?" cameo, Maw reached a gnarly end, as he was turned into a zombie while searching for the Infinity Stones. Perhaps Marvel will find a new way to reintroduce a version of the character and hilariously kill him again. Otherwise, Vaughan-Lawlor's time in the MCU may be over — unless he gets a dual role like some other MCU actors.