Chris Hemsworth’s Thor is perhaps the most tragically misinterpreted character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. At the very least, he’s the most inconsistent: Marvel’s episodic storytelling hits him hardest, as every writer and director brings their own take on his identity. Kenneth Branagh introduced Thor as a brash young prince with a Shakespearean way of speaking; subsequent creators either played him for laughs or put him through the wringer, piling on tragedies instead of giving him real character growth.
Every attempt to add genuine emotional depth—like his struggle with grief and defeat in Avengers: Infinity War—is quickly undercut by . He loses an eye fighting his half-sister Hela (Cate Blanchett), yet regains it two films later. After his legendary hammer Mjolnir is shattered, he embarks on a full odyssey to forge a new weapon, but Mjolnir returns not long after. Following his loss to Thanos (Josh Brolin), he slips into depression and becomes “Fat Thor,” only to reclaim his superhero physique in his next solo film. Marvel still has to answer for . but that’s an issue for another day. The key point is, nothing ever seems to stick for the God of Thunder… but his upcoming appearance could finally remedy all that inconsistency.
The fact that was poised to be Thor’s swan song in the MCU felt like a mercy, even if it did . Its vision of an ending for Thor was somewhat satisfying, though it did saddle the character with another major change: fatherhood. Love and Thunder implies Thor has finally found peace, caring for Love (India Rose Hemsworth), the daughter of Gorr the God Butcher (Christian Bale). But with a new threat emerging in Doctor Doom (Robert Downey Jr.)—who bears a striking resemblance to Thor’s late Avengers teammate Tony Stark—that peace is now at risk.
Fortunately, Avengers: Doomsday won’t treat his relationship with Love as an afterthought. In the latest trailer for the upcoming film ( planned to tease a major team-up), this bond is the reason Thor suits up again. Unlike the lively, tongue-in-cheek tone of the Love and Thunder trailers, Thor’s return here is quiet and serious. He’s praying to his late father Odin for good fortune in the upcoming battle. All he cares about is returning to Love and their new, peaceful life together—“a life untouched by the storm.”
If everything goes according to plan for Thor, Doomsday could be his true finale in the MCU. Love and Thunder couldn’t fully commit to the idea of his retirement—it showed him and Love diving headfirst into danger together—but the Russo brothers, returning to direct both Doomsday and Secret Wars, have made this Thor’s ultimate goal. Their version of Thor wants this fight against Doom to be his last, but crucially, he also wants to survive it. He longs to go home and teach Love “not battle, but stillness.” He’s even reclaimed his pseudo-Shakespearean way of speaking, hinting at a true return to Thor’s original tone.
For the first time in a long while, the cumulative effect of Thor’s choices seems to matter again. Doomsday can’t fix every inconsistency in his character, but it can at least stay committed to the path laid out for him by previous films, rather than turning it into a joke. After 15 years of wasted or bungled character development, Thor could finally reach his full potential—and it’s not a moment too soon.