SUMMARY
  • 'Thor' franchise has gone through many changes throughout, but 'Thor 4' received worst criticism for its whacky tone.
  • Fans suggest a 'Thor 5' plot where Thor would fight against Zeus and Hercules to protect his loved ones.
  • Chris Hemsworth remains open to reprising the role, and 'Thor 4' leaves potential story and antagonists for 'Thor 5'.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe has given the biggest superhero movies and shows ever since its inception. Now, after 15 years, it has created its multiverse, and with every movie, there comes a pressure to present something new to the audience.

Thor: Ragnarok
Thor: Ragnarok | Credit: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures/Marvel Studios

This increased fans’ expectations often put pressure on the creators to go out of the box. And sometimes, it upsets fans when creators go too far out of the way. A similar thing happened with Thor 4 after the success of Thor 3.

How Thor 5 Can Be Saved

Thor: Love and Thunder
Thor: Love and Thunder | Credit: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures/Marvel Studios

Thor 1 introduced the audience to Norse mythology, Asgard, and Gods. Fans loved Chris Hemsworth and Tom Hiddleston as Thor and Loki. But some characters, like that of Natalie Portman’s Jane Foster, felt underdeveloped at times. Moreover, the story felt too grounded for a cosmic hero, and the fight scenes lacked action.

Then makers thought to give a darker tone to Thor: The Dark World. But in order to make it for a wider Disney audience, some light humor was also added, but it created inconsistency in the tone. Moreover, the villain’s backstory and motivations were not strong enough.

Thor: Ragnarok was a breath of fresh air for many. Director Taika Waititi followed a more comedic route, which worked well only because it fit well with the premise and plot. However, some fans felt the ignorance of Warriors Three and Odin’s death was abrupt, and at times, the humor felt way over the top. However, the movie was a huge success.

The success gave confidence, or rather overconfidence, to the director and actors to go all out in improvising and cracking jokes in Thor: Love and Thunder. In an interview with Vanity Fair, Hemsworth admitted his flaws and said that he became a “parody” of himself that didn’t land well.

Now, in order to save the Thor franchise, fans have come up with their own solutions online. Redditor calltheavengers5 believes Thor should still be a protector of his loved ones and the world, much like in his previous films. But there should be a change. The Redditor wrote,

I still want to see Thor protect earth and his friends from Hercules, Zeus and the other gods in one final feat of strength for the character. Just all out war. It’ll be an epic like Dune or Gladiator. He’ll learn what it really means to be a God. I think it will be a nice send-off for the character and his status as a warrior.

Thor 4 does leave scope for the above-mentioned theory, as the post-credits scene shows Hercules and Zeus angry after Thor and his friends attacked Omnipotence City. Hopefully, makers won’t repeat the mistake of putting extra humor in a dark story like Love and Thunder and will understand the potential Thor holds in the MCU.

Future of Thor in the MCU

Hercules in Thor: Love and Thunder
Hercules in Thor: Love and Thunder | Credit: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures/Marvel Studios

So far there has not been any announcement about Thor in the recent future of MCU, at least up to Phase 6. After Thor 4, Chris Hemsworth is already busy with his other projects like Extraction and Furiosa

Thor 4 ended showing Thor and his adopted daughter, who is named Love, living together and going on missions together. She has gained powers after getting resurrected thanks to Eternity and Gorr’s sacrifice. So, it won’t be a surprise if she is seen in the future Thor movies.

Besides them, Tessa Thompson’s Valkyrie and Taika Waititi’s Korg might also return if he agrees to voice the character again, as the next Thor movie will most probably have a new director. Hemsworth has already said to ExtraTV that he is “always down to do more,” but he will wait to hear what is going on in Marvel.

After Thor 4‘s end credits scene, it can be expected that Zeus and Hercules might be the main antagonists for some time. Hercules and Thor might have a big fight, but later they team up to fight a bigger threat, as Hercules is not a negative character. However, till then, fans can expect Thor to make cameos in upcoming Avengers movies.

All Thor movies are available to stream on Disney+.

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