When Thor: Love and Thunder premieres on July 8th, it might be the last time we see Thor (Chris Hemsworth) in the MCU. We don’t need rumors and leaks to speculate that Thor’s days in the MCU might be numbered, at least for the near future.
That’s not to say the character will die in Love and Thunder. But retirement for Thor doesn’t seem out of the question. Speculation aside, Chris Hemsworth just said in an interview that Love and Thunder might be his last MCU movie.
Mind you, some spoilers might follow below.
Why Love and Thunder might be Thor’s last appearance
We have no idea what Love and Thunder has in store for fans or how this love story will impact the larger MCU storyline. And we don’t have plot leaks revealing the fate of Thor and Jane (Natalie Portman) in the movie.
But Love and Thunder is Chris Hemsworth’s fourth standalone Thor film. That’s something unseen in the MCU so far, although Tom Holland’s Spider-Man will surely match Hemsworth’s record.
Thor is the only franchise to get four films starring the same superhero. We did have four Avengers movies so far, but those are crossover movies featuring massive ensemble casts. And Captain America 4 is coming out in the near future, but it’s Anthony Mackie who will play Cap, not Chris Evans.
With that in mind, the MCU Phase 4 introduced new heroes, including replacements for some original Avengers. Love and Thunder might continue that trend, bringing Mighty Thor to replace Thor. And we know that Jane will get Mjolnir back as well.
Marvel is forming new superhero teams, including different Avengers rosters. That’s where it might use Mighty Thor again.
Moreover, Love and Thunder might complete Thor’s character arc. After all, his story wasn’t quite done after Endgame. And we know from the trailers that the hero is looking to retire. But a brand new threat will make him take action again.
Chris Hemsworth on his MCU future after Love and Thunder
We have no way of confirming whether Thor will appear again in the MCU. And it’s unlikely for Marvel to show its hand, even if Thor survives Love and Thunder.
But Chris Hemsworth is not ready to confirm anything about his MCU future at this point. He just appeared in a Wired autocomplete interview, answering some of the most googled questions about him.
One question asked “what is Chris Hemsworth’s last Marvel movie?” The actor replied that the last one he shot is Thor: Love and Thunder. “And it may be my last, I don’t know,” he continued.
Later in the interview, Hemsworth addressed a question asking what is next for him. The actor said he will have some downtime and “really enjoy being with my family and being home, and being in one place.”
Hemsworth continued, “I feel like I’ve been unpacking suitcases and packing suitcases and traveling across the world for so many, you know, years now; 10, 12 years. And it’s been incredible, and I’m so, so thankful for all of it, but I love to just be still for a while now and inhabit a more simple, slower environment.”
He’s been playing Thor for more than 10 years, so the statement above does make it sound like we might not see Thor in the MCU again anytime soon after Love and Thunder.
Will there be a Thor 5?
That said, Chris Hemsworth is hardly saying goodbye to the character. The actor answered an autocomplete question asking whether Chris Hemsworth likes playing Thor, saying he loves it.
“Played [Thor] for many, many years and would continue to do so if people wanted me to,” he said. “The most challenging part of playing Thor is reinventing it each time and not having it be predictable for an audience and having it be something they’ve seen before. The goal is to continually try something new and keep it fresh. And that is a challenge but part of the fun.”
Again, it’s too early to say whether we’ll see Chris Hemsworth in a Thor 5 or Avengers 5 story. But we certainly expect more Mighty Jane stories after Love and Thunder.
Wired’s full interview with Hemsworth follows below.
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