Chris Hemsworth Thinks Thor Is Ready For Another Reinvention
Thor has become an integral part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe over his 11-year journey. First teased in the post-credits scene of "Iron Man 2," legendary actor and director Kenneth Branagh brought the God of Thunder to the MCU with 2011's "Thor." However, it wasn't the character's first live-action portrayal held by the 1988 TV movie "The Incredible Hulk Returns" — Thor's introduction to the MCU made him and actor Chris Hemsworth household names.
Unfortunately, "Thor" and its sequel, "Thor: The Dark World," weren't the best outings for Odinson, earning Marvel Studios a 77% and 66%, respectively, on Rotten Tomatoes. Although the "Thor" movies' critical consensus wasn't horrible, both received relatively good scores; Marvel fans tend to rank both at the bottom end of the MCU, with the general opinion that "Thor: The Dark World" is Marvel Studios' weakest outing yet.
However, everything changed when the studio brought Taika Waititi on board to helm Thor's third solo outing. "Thor: Ragnarok" showed a new side of the character, entering a more comedic role and reigniting Hemsworth's passion for the part. The Australian actor told Vanity Fair that both previous "Thor" movies left him bored and disappointed with his performances in the role. Waititi and Hemsworth worked together to reinvent the character, whose problems with grief and depression became one of the best story arcs in the MCU.
Following "Endgame" and this year's "Thor: Love and Thunder," Hemsworth thinks it's time for another reinvention of his comic book hero.
Could another director bring new life to Thor?
Following the disappointment from "Thor: Love and Thunder," which earned the lowest Rotten Tomatoes score of the series, many fans question if director Taika Waititi will return to lead an inevitable fifth film. Marvel Studios has yet to confirm whether or not this is the case, but rumors are swirling online that "Love and Thunder" could have been his final outing.
Chris Hemsworth was recently a guest on the "Happy Sad Confused" podcast, where host Josh Horowitz asked the "Thor" actor how the character would change going forward, assuming that Waititi doesn't return. Hemsworth responded by stating if a fifth movie were to happen, he'd want it to take the character to a new place, similar to what "Thor: Ragnarok" did.
"I mean, you look at 'Thor' 1 and 2, they were quite similar. 'Ragnarok' [and] 'Love and Thunder' seem like, I think, it's just reinventing it," Hemsworth said. "And I think I've had such a unique opportunity with sort of, I mean, 'Infinity War' and 'Endgame' to do very drastic things with the character. I enjoy that, you know, I like keeping people on their toes, but it keeps me on my toes. It keeps me invested, and I've said this before, but when it becomes too familiar, I think there's a risk of getting lazy because you think, 'Ah, I know what I'm doing.' So I don't know. Again, I don't know if I'm even invited back, but if I was, I think it would be; it'd have to be a drastically different version. Tone, everything. Just for, just for my own sanity."
Thankfully for Hemsworth, Thor's comic book history offers a lot of different routes the character could potentially go down in the MCU.
Old King Thor could be a great finale for MCU Thor
First introduced in "Thor: God of Thunder" #1 by Jason Aaron and Esad Ribić, Old King Thor is a multiversal variant of Earth-616 Thor, though he's also referred to as Thor's future self. This version of Thor is an older, more grizzled character who lost his eye and left arm on his journey to becoming the All-Father of Asgard. He gained complete control over the Thor-Force, becoming a powerhouse within the Marvel Universe. In battle, he dual-wields Mjolnir and the Odinsword, similar to how Thor used both Mjolnir and Stormbreaker in "Avengers: Endgame." Old King Thor has seen more loss than MCU Thor, including the deaths of his friends on Earth, which molded him into a harsh and emotionless leader. Over his years, Old King Thor has fought enemies like Gorr the God Butcher, Galactus, Malekith, and a Phoenix Force-powered Wolverine.
Old King Thor has become a fan-favorite character among comic book readers. He's trained past versions of himself, including the main Thor, and played roles in major storylines like "Secret Wars" and "War of the Realms."
The blueprint for an older Thor movie is already in place, given the critical and commercial success of Fox's "Logan." Of course, Disney and Marvel Studios would choose to go a more family-friendly direction with any movie of that style, but the market for an Old King Thor movie is out there.