According to new reports, Oscar-winning actor Benicio Del Toro, who has been cast in director James Gunn's upcoming space epic "Guardians of the Galaxy" for Marvel Studios, will not be playing Marvel Comics' 'Thanos' or 'Ronan The Accuser', but another alien character familiar to comic book readers:

Del Toro will be playing the character 'Taneleer Tivan' aka 'The Collector', an ancient sentient being from the Marvel Universe, debuting in Marvel Comics' "Avengers" #28 (May 1966), created by Stan Lee and Don Heck.

'Taneleer Tivan' is one of the alien Elders of the Universe and is close to his fellow 'Elder En Dwi Gast' (aka 'Grandmaster'.  He apparently came to self-awareness billions of years ago, on the planet 'Cygnus X-1', as a  powerful being who wielded the 'Power Primordial' and, though at first he took the appearance of an old human, his true form is a powerful alien.