They always say that you should end things on a high note. And for several of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s most important characters, that was achieved with Avengers: Endgame back in 2019. We won’t give away spoilers in case you haven’t had the chance to catch it in the last two years. But it’s enough to say that the characters that drove the MCU – Iron Man, Captain America, Hulk – delivered a sense of closure. Yes, some might pop up on a Disney+ Series like Marvel’s What If? But, by and large, a line was drawn in the sand.
And yet, Marvel has chosen to keep betting on one of the ‘big’ characters from its first three phases – Thor. And, it’s an interesting bet for a few reasons. But, more importantly, it’s a bet that looks like it will pay off. While some cinema audiences might feel some Marvel fatigue with the latest Phase 4 releases like The Eternals and Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, you can be sure that they will flock to theaters the moment Chris Hemsworth returns in Thor: Love and Thunder.
Thor franchise still feels fresh
There are many reasons as to why Thor feels fresh while other major characters have been rightly put away (for now). Perhaps the most important one is that Thor, both as a character and film series, ‘grew’ more than any other aspect in the MCU over the years. By that, we mean that the tone of the movies and characters changed. In more simple terms, Thor became funnier and more interesting.
For many, the watershed moment was Thor: Ragnorak. Directed by Taika Waititi, Thor: Ragnorak has claims on being the best of the 25 MCU movies released so far. It took lessons from the tone of others, like Guardians of the Galaxy, by mixing drama and comedy. But it had Waititi’s signature sense of fun stamped all over it.
Another aspect is that there are so many directions for the storytelling to go. While there is a rich tapestry of comic book canon for all Marvel films to draw upon, Thor can also draw from the well of Norse mythology. The latter makes for hugely compelling characters and plot drivers. It’s no coincidence to see game franchises like PlayStation’s God of War moving into Norse mythology, and online casinos often see Norse-inspired games, like Microgaming’s Thunderstruck series, among the most-played titles on the platform. There’s such a wealth of compelling fables and imagery to choose from when using these themes, and Norse mythology has arguably been underused across all media.
Hemsworth grew into role
It’s also perhaps somewhat overlooked how much Chris Hemsworth grew into the role as Thor. Of course, it’s not as if the likes of Robert Downey Jnr and Mark Ruffalo are poor actors. It’s more that they were good actors before their roles in the MCU as Iron Man and Hulk. The same probably couldn’t be said for Hemsworth. In the beginning, he was quite wooden, which suited the earlier Thor franchise, but his comic timing came on leaps and bounds.
More importantly for the tone of the MCU, Hemsworth became the most adept actor at switching seamlessly between comic relief and drama – that’s a very difficult thing for an actor to pull off. If you look back at movies like Avengers: Infinity War, Hemsworth was a shining example of this. One minute, you would be laughing as he bantered with Peter Quill, and the next, you would have chills as he performed some kick-ass superhero deed.
The growth of the characters will surely continue with Thor: Love and Thunder. Much has been made of the fact that Jane Foster () will be returning to the series as she takes up the hammer and becomes Mighty Thor. That will leave Hemsworth’s character to become plain old Thor Odinson. In the wrong hands, this could become messy and play into the hands of the naysayers who don’t like the idea of Portman as a female Thor. But with Waititi at the helm again, we expect it to work. It will be weird and funny, but it will work nonetheless.
The bad news, however, is that we are going to have to wait a while to see the next instalment of Thor, as it was a casualty of several pushbacks to upcoming Marvel movies. The good news is that it won’t be as long as you think – July 2022 should see Thor: Love and Thunder in cinemas. We can’t wait.