| Thor | |
|---|---|
| Marvel Cinematic Universe character | |
 Chris Hemsworth as Thor inThor: The Dark World (2013) | |
| First appearance | Thor (2011) |
| Based on | |
| Adapted by | |
| Portrayed by |
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| In-universe information | |
| Full name | Thor Odinson |
| Aliases | Donald Blake[1] |
| Species | Asgardian God |
| Title |
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| Affiliation |
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| Weapon | |
| Family | |
| Significantother | Jane Foster |
| Children | Love (adoptive daughter) |
| Origin | Asgard |
| Abilities |
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Thor Odinson is a fictional character portrayed byChris Hemsworth in theMarvel Cinematic Universe (MCU)media franchise, based on theMarvel Comics characterof the same name and theNorse mythologicalgod of thunder. In the MCU, he is depicted as one of the most powerfulAsgardians, an ancient alien civilization with long ties to Earth, who humans consider to begods. Thor wields a powerful hammer calledMjolnir, and is initially depicted as the arrogant heir to the throne of Asgard whose brash behaviors causes turmoil among theNine Realms under Asgard's protection. This brings him into conflict with his villainous adopted brother,Loki, thegod of mischief.
Thor commits himself to the protection of Earth, and becomes a founding member of theAvengers. He eventually becomes the King of Asgard afterOdin's death, but the entire realm is destroyed during the battle with his sisterHela. Thor then comes into conflict withThanos, who slaughters half of the Asgardians and uses theInfinity Stones to erase half of the life in the universe before Thor himself kills Thanos. Thor later joins his fellow Avengers in obtaining the Stones from the past usingtime travel and they successfully undo Thanos' actions. When an alternate version of Thanos enters their timeline, Thor and the Avengers manage to defeat him. Thor then passes the crown ofNew Asgard toValkyrie and joins theGuardians of the Galaxy for a brief time. Thor comes into conflict withGorr the God Butcher and the Olympian godZeus, while reconnecting with his terminally ill ex-girlfriend, the now Mjolnir-wieldingJane Foster. After Foster succumbs to her cancer to assist in Gorr's defeat, Thor adopts the latter's daughter,Love.
Thor is a central figure of the MCU, having appeared in nine films as of 2024[update]. Thor's characterization and early films received mixed reception, however his storyline followingThor: Ragnarok (2017) was received much more favorably, with that film often being credited as revitalizing the character and his arc.[2][3][4][5]
Alternate versions of Thor appear in the animated seriesWhat If...? (2021), with Hemsworth reprising the role. One version in particular, which depicts an alternate Thor raised without Loki who is recruited into theGuardians of the Multiverse by theWatcher in the battle against an alternate version ofUltron.[6]
Thor was born approximately 1500 years ago toOdin, the King ofAsgard, andFrigga.[7] He was raised on Asgard as thecrown prince, alongside his brother, Loki.
In 2011, Thor prepares to ascend to the throne, butFrost Giants attempt to retrieve theCasket of Ancient Winters, an artifact seized by Odin in a war centuries before. Against Odin's order, Thor travels toJotunheim to confront Frost Giant leaderLaufey, accompanied by Loki, childhood friendSif, and theWarriors Three:Voltstagg,Fandral, andHogun. A battle ensues until Odin intervenes, destroying the fragile truce between the two races. For Thor's arrogance, Odin strips his son of his godly power and exiles him to Earth. Odin casts an enchantment on Mjolnir, ensuring that only those who are worthy may wield the hammer. Thor lands inNew Mexico, meeting scientist Dr.Erik Selvig,astrophysicist Dr.Jane Foster, and Foster's internDarcy Lewis. Thor resigns himself to exile on Earth, where he develops a relationship with Foster. Odin enters the "Odinsleep", a period of rest needed to maintain his power, and Loki, having learned he is actually an adopted Frost Giant, seizes the Asgardian throne and prepares to conquer the Nine Realms. The Warriors Three and Sif find Thor, but theDestroyer attacks and defeats them, prompting Thor to offer himself instead. Struck by the Destroyer and near death, Thor's selflessness proves him worthy to wield Mjolnir. The hammer returns to him, restoring his powers and enabling him to defeat the Destroyer. Thor returns to Asgard and fights Loki before destroying theBifröst Bridge to stop Loki's plans, stranding himself in Asgard. Odin prevents the brothers from falling into the abyss, but Loki appears to commit suicide when Odin rejects his pleas for approval. Thor makes amends with Odin, admitting he is not ready to rule.
In 2012, Odin sends Thor back to Earth using dark magic after learning Loki is alive and is attempting to conquer the Earth. He finds Loki on aQuinjet, held captive byTony Stark,Steve Rogers, andNatasha Romanoff. Thor takes Loki away, hoping to convince him to abandon his plan. However, Stark and Rogers pursue Thor and after a brief confrontation, Thor agrees to take Loki toS.H.I.E.L.D.'s flying aircraft carrier, theHelicarrier. Agents includingClint Barton, who were mind controlled by Loki, attack the Helicarrier, disabling one of its engines in flight and causingBruce Banner to transform into the Hulk. Thor attempts to stop the Hulk's rampage and both are ejected from the Helicarrier as Loki escapes. Thor then becomes a founding member of theAvengers upon returning to help Rogers, Stark, Banner, Romanoff, and Barton when Loki uses theTesseract to open awormhole overNew York City to allow aChitauri army to invade. Thor and the Avengers fight off the Chitauri and save the city. After Loki is defeated atStark Tower, Thor returns to Asgard with Loki and the Tesseract.
In 2013, having used the Tesseract to rebuild the Bifrost and bring the Nine Realms to peace, Thor and his fellow warriors learn that the Convergence of the realms is imminent, with portals linking the worlds appearing at random.Heimdall alerts Thor that Jane Foster has left his near all-seeing vision, leading Thor to go to Earth. Jane inadvertently releases an unearthly force, and Thor returns with her to Asgard. Odin recognizes this force as a weapon known as theAether, warning that it will kill Jane, and that its return heralds a catastrophic prophecy. TheDark Elves, led byMalekith, attack Asgard, searching for Jane. Thor's mother Frigga is killed protecting Jane, and Malekith is forced to flee. Against Odin's orders to stay in Asgard, Thor reluctantly frees Loki, who knows a secret portal toSvartalfheim, home of the Dark Elves, in return for Thor's promise to take vengeance for their mother. In Svartalfheim, Loki tricks Malekith into drawing the Aether out of Jane, but Thor's attempt to destroy the exposed substance fails. Malekith merges with the Aether and leaves in his ship as Loki is fatally wounded. Thor and Jane return toLondon through another portal. Thor ultimately defeats Malekith in a battle inGreenwich, and returns to Asgard to decline Odin's offer to take the throne, and tells Odin of Loki's sacrifice. Thor then returns to Earth and reunites with Jane.
In 2015, Thor and the Avengers raid aHydra facility inSokovia and findLoki's scepter. Back at Avengers Tower, Stark and Banner discover anartificial intelligence within the scepter's gem, and secretly decide to use it to complete Stark's "Ultron" global defense program. After the Avengers host a celebratory party and Thor reveals he and Jane have ended their relationship, the unexpectedly sentient Ultron attacks Thor,James Rhodes, and the other Avengers before escaping with the scepter. The team tracks Ultron down inJohannesburg, butWanda Maximoff subdues them withhallucinatory visions. Following this, Thor and the team go to Barton's home to recover, however, Thor leaves them in order to consult with Selvig on the meaning of the apocalyptic future he saw in his hallucination. Thor and Selvig go to a mystical well, where Thor has a vision of the Infinity Stones, the most powerful objects in existence. Returning to the Tower, Thor finds out that Stark secretly uploadedJ.A.R.V.I.S. into a syntheticvibranium body captured from Ultron and helps activate the body, dubbed theVision, explaining that the gem on his forehead is one of the six Infinity Stones. Thor and the team return to Sokovia where they engage in the final battle against Ultron and manage to defeat him. At the newAvengers Compound, Thor tells Rogers and Stark that he is leaving to go back into space to learn more about the forces he suspects have manipulated recent events and leaves Earth using the Bifrost.
In 2017, Thor is imprisoned inMuspelheim bySurtur. Surtur claims he will destroy Asgard in the prophesiedRagnarök, when his crown is placed into the Eternal Flame in Odin's vault. Thor escapes, fights and defeats Surtur and retrieves the crown, believing he has prevented Ragnarök. While returning the crown to Asgard, he finds Loki still alive and posing as Odin. He takes Loki back to New York City. With the help ofStephen Strange, they find a dying Odin inNorway, who explains that his passing will allow his firstborn child,Hela, to escape from a prison she was sealed in millennia ago. She appears, destroys Mjolnir and forces Thor and Loki from the Bifrost out into space. Thor crash-lands on the planetSakaar, and is captured byValkyrie, a former member of the ancient Asgardian order ofValkyries defeated by Hela. Thor is forced to compete in theGrandmaster's Tournament of Champions and he befriends fellowgladiators,Korg andMiek. After the fight with Hulk, Thor finds the Quinjet that brought Hulk to Sakaar. A video recording of Romanoff helps Hulk transform back into Banner and after convincing Valkyrie and Loki to help, they escape through a wormhole to Asgard – but not before Loki betrays his brother, and is left behind on Sakaar. In the midst of the battle with Hela's forces, Loki returns aboard the Grandmaster's vessel, theStatesman. He and Heimdall help Asgardians escape into the ship. Thor, facing Hela, loses an eye and through a vision of Odin realizes his true potential and unlocks his hidden powers but soon realises that Ragnarok is the only way to stop Hela. He has Loki place Surtur's crown in the Eternal Flame, and Surtur destroys Asgard and Hela. Thor, crowned king, decides to take his people to Earth, but they are intercepted bySanctuary II,Thanos' warship.
On a destroyedStatesman, Thor is threatened by Thanos using thePower Stone, until Loki gives him the Space Stone within the Tesseract. Before he does, he calls on the Hulk, but Thanos overpowers Hulk and kills Heimdall. After Loki is killed by Thanos, Thor clutches his brother's body as Thanos obliterates theStatesman leaving Thor to die in the open space. Thor survives and is rescued by theGuardians of the Galaxy —Peter Quill,Gamora,Drax the Destroyer,Mantis,Rocket, andGroot — and they tell Thor about Thanos' quest to find the Infinity Stones and erase half of all life in the universe. Needing a new weapon, Thor leaves in a space pod with Rocket and Groot toNidavellir, and Rocket gives Thor a cybernetic replacement eye. They find that Nidavellir has been ravaged by Thanos and meet the dwarf kingEitri. Thor repairs the damagedforge, and they work together to create Stormbreaker, a powerful axe that also grants Thor the power of the Bifrost. Thor transports himself, Rocket, and Groot toWakanda on Earth to help Rogers, Romanoff, Banner, Rhodes,Sam Wilson,Bucky Barnes,T'Challa, and the Wakandan army in the battle against theOutriders. Thor is able to defeat scores of Outriders and uses Stormbreaker to severely wound Thanos in the chest. However, Thanos tells Thor that he should have gone for the head and manages to activate the completed Infinity Gauntlet by snapping his fingers, initiatingthe Blip. Thanos teleports away and Thor is left to watch in horror when Barnes, Maximoff, Wilson, T'Challa, and Groot disintegrate.
Thor, along with the surviving Avengers and Rocket, return to theAvengers Compound to assess the damage. Three weeks later, Thor goes with Rogers, Romanoff, Banner, Rhodes, Rocket,Carol Danvers andNebula into space to Titan II to confront Thanos. After discovering that Thanos destroyed the Stones to prevent further use, an enraged Thor decapitates him with Stormbreaker. Sometime between 2018 and 2023, Thor and the remaining Asgardians settle inTønsberg, Norway where they create a colony calledNew Asgard. Thor becomes anoverweightalcoholic as a result of histrauma.
In 2023, Rocket and Banner arrive in New Asgard and urge Thor to return to the Avengers and hear their plan to undo Thanos' actions. Thor returns to the Compound, reuniting with the Avengers, and learns of the plan to time travel via theQuantum Realm to collect the Infinity Stones from different points in the past. He and Rocket travel to Asgard in an alternate 2013 where he meets an alternate Frigga, who reignites Thor's sense of purpose, and he borrows an alternate version of Mjolnir. Upon returning, the original Avengers hold a silent mourning for Romanoff, who sacrificed herself to obtain theSoul Stone. After Banner restores the lives Thanos erased, an alternate version of Thanos from 2014 travels through the Quantum Tunnel and attacks the Avengers Compound. Thor, Stark and Rogers confront and battle Thanos, with Rogers proving worthy to wield Mjolnir during the battle. After the restored Avengers, Guardians, Asgardians,Ravagers,Masters of the Mystic Arts and the Wakandan army arrive, Thor participates in the final battle against Thanos and his army. In the end, Stark sacrifices himself to kill Thanos and his forces. Afterward, Thor attends Stark's funeral. While Rogers returns the alternate Stones and Mjolnir to their respective timelines, Thor returns to New Asgard, where he makes Valkyrie the new ruler and leaves with the Guardians of the Galaxy into space.
Thor spends a period of time with the Guardians of the Galaxy and reattains his muscular physique. In 2024, Thor helps them fight off an alien army on the planet Indigarr. Afterwards, they learn of distress calls throughout the galaxy and he parts ways with them to respond to a distress signal fromSif. Upon arrival, a beaten Sif warns Thor ofGorr, a being possessing the god-killing weapon, the Necrosword, seeking the extinction of all gods and that his next target is New Asgard.
Dr.Jane Foster, Thor's ex-girlfriend who is diagnosed withterminal cancer arrives at New Asgard in hopes of seekingmedical treatment. Thor's destroyed hammerMjolnir re-forges and bonds itself to Foster, granting her its power after years earlier Thor had unknowingly enchanted it to protect her. Thor arrives in New Asgard just as Gorr starts attacking the town with shadow creatures. He is surprised to find Foster with Mjolnir but nevertheless teams up with her, Valkyrie and Korg to fight Gorr. The group thwarts Gorr, but he escapes, kidnapping several Asgardian children.
The group travels to Omnipotent City to warn the other gods and ask for their help. The Olympian godZeus is unwilling to help and has Thor captured, forcing the group to fight off Zeus's men. Zeus injures Korg; in anger, Thor impales Zeus with his own thunderbolt, which Valkyrie steals during their escape. They then travel to the Shadow Realm to save the children. However, this turned out to be a ruse for Gorr to take Stormbreaker, which he intends to use on the Bifrost to enterEternity and ask for the destruction of all gods. Gorr manages to overpower Thor's group and successfully steal Stormbreaker. Gorr uses Stormbreaker to open the portal to Eternity. Valkyrie is badly injured and Foster ends the battle drained by her use of Mjolnir, which has exacerbated her cancer. Thor goes alone, using Zeus's thunderbolt to imbue the kidnapped Asgardian children with his power to fight alongside him. Foster arrives and joins Thor in fighting Gorr and destroys the Necrosword.
Admitting defeat, Thor manages to convince Gorr that all he wanted from Eternity was not to destroy the gods but to get his daughter back. Foster succumbs to her illness and dies in Thor's arms. Eternity allows Gorr's request to revive Love, and he asks Thor to take care of before he dies. The children return to New Asgard, where Valkyrie and Sif begin training them.
Meanwhile, by 2025, Thor, now once again in possession of Mjolnir, continues to go on adventures to planets to help people, with Love (who calls him her "Uncle Thor"), now wielding Stormbreaker, by his side.
At some later, unspecified point in time, Thor would meetmutant mercenaryWade Wilson and comfort him in his arms after being wounded.
Other versions of Thor are depicted in the alternate realities of the MCU multiverse.
Severalalternate versions of Thor appear in the animated seriesWhat If...?, with Hemsworth reprising his role.
In an alternate 2018, Thor accompanied Rocket and Groot in battling against Thanos, who was caught up by the zombie infection. After Thanos kills Groot and Rocket, Thor is seriously injured before attempting to break the Infinity Gauntlet. In the present day, Thor finds himself in New Asgard, devastated by his defeat, after Valkyrie greetsShang-Chi,Kamala Khan, and the other survivors. However, the Queen of Sokovia, revealed to beZombie Wanda, the Queen of the Dead, tricks the Asgardians into giving them food that is actually zombie remains, turning him into a zombie as well. Thor battles Zombie Wanda, allowing the remaining heroes to escape on the Asgardian spaceship beyond the atmosphere, where they activate the beacon. Thor, also a zombie, faces a Hulk exposed by the Infinity Stones' energy as an "Infinity Hulk", until Thor is destroyed by him.
Thor debuted as a Marvel Comicssuperhero in thescience fiction/fantasyanthology titleJourney into Mystery #83 (cover-date August 1962), created by editor-plotterStan Lee, scripterLarry Lieber, and penciller-plotterJack Kirby.[12] Kirby said, "I created Thor at Marvel because I was forever enamored of legends, which is why I knew about Balder, Heimdall, and Odin. I tried to update Thor and put him into a superhero costume, but he was still Thor."[13] Lee and Kirby included Thor inThe Avengers #1 (Sept. 1963) as a founding member of the superhero team.[14] A live-action television adaptation of the comic book character first appeared in the 1988television filmThe Incredible Hulk Returns.[15] Live-action film adaptations of the character were thereafter proposed, but did not come to fruition. In the mid-2000s,Kevin Feige realized that Marvel still owned the rights to the core members of theAvengers, which included Thor. Feige, a self-professed "fanboy", envisioned creating a shared universe just as creators Stan Lee and Jack Kirby had done with their comic books in the early 1960s.[16]
Mark Protosevich, a fan of theThor comic book, agreed to write the script in April 2006, and the project moved toParamount Pictures, after it acquired the rights from Sony.[17] In December 2007, Protosevich described his plans for it "to be like asuperheroorigin story, but not one about a human gaining super powers, but of a god realizing his true potential. It's the story of anOld Testament god who becomes aNew Testament god".[18] Marvel Studios signedMatthew Vaughn to direct the film.[19] Vaughn then rewrote Protosevich's script in order to reduce the budget.[20] In September 2008,Kenneth Branagh entered into negotiations to direct,[21] and by December 2008, Branagh confirmed that he had been hired. He described it as "a human story right in the center of a big epic scenario."[22] In October 2008,Daniel Craig was offered the role, but ultimately turned it down, citing his commitments to theJames Bond franchise.[23]
In May 2009, Chris Hemsworth was in negotiations to portray the title role after a back-and-forth process in which the 25-year-old actor was refused early on, then given a second chance to read for the part. Hemsworth's brother,Liam also auditioned for the role, but was passed on by Marvel Studios headKevin Feige.[24] Feige mentioned that the film would take place on both modern day Earth and Asgard but Thor's human host, Dr. Donald Blake, would not be included.[25] Hemsworth stated that he gained 20 pounds for the role by eating non-stop and revealed that "It wasn't untilThor that I started lifting weights, it was all pretty new to me."[26]
Regarding his take on the character, Hemsworth said, "We just kept trying to humanize it all, and keep it very real. Look into all the research about the comic books that we could, but also bring it back to 'Who is this guy as a person, and what's his relationship with people in the individual scenes?'"[27] About approaching Thor's fighting style, he remarked, "First, we looked at the comic books and the posturing, the way [Thor] moves and fights, and a lot of his power seems to be drawn up through the ground. We talked about boxers, you know,Mike Tyson, very low to the ground and big open chest and big shoulder swings and very sort of brutal but graceful at the same time, and then as we shot stuff things became easier."[28]Dakota Goyo portrays a young Thor in the first film.
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ForThe Avengers, Hemsworth said that he was able to maintain the strength he built up forThor by increasing his food intake, consisting of chicken breasts, fish, steak, and eggs every day. When asked exactly how much, Hemsworth said, "My body weight in protein pretty much!"[29] He remarked that Thor's motivation "is much more of a personal one, in the sense that it's his brother that is stirring things up. Whereas everyone else, it's some bad guy who they've gotta take down. It's a different approach for me, or for Thor. He's constantly having to battle the greater good and what he should do vs. it's his little brother there. . . I've been frustrated with my brothers at times, or family, but I'm the only one who is allowed to be angry at them. There's a bit of that."[30]
According to Hemsworth, inThor: The Dark World, "for Thor and Jane, there are some unanswered questions now, since obviously he didn't stop in and catch up with her inThe Avengers. Thor might have some explaining to do in this one. And withLoki, we get down to the major bones of our conflict with everything that's come fromThor toAvengers to now".[31] Hemsworth added, "Thor's journey I think picks more so up from where we left the first one—About to take on the throne... and now coming to the realization of what responsibility comes with that. Also, Alan [Taylor] keeps talking about the dark side of that responsibility, and the secrets of being king or becoming sort of very political about what people need to know and what they want to know."[32] Hemsworth especially enjoyed the role of Thor in this film as he was able to, "... break him down and find his human qualities and his vulnerable side."[33]
Hemsworth stated thatAge of Ultron shows Thor as having remained on Earth since the events ofThe Dark World, and has begun to feel at home here, therefore considering Ultron's threat a personal attack.[34] Hemsworth stated that he had to work harder to bring new elements to the character to avoid repeating himself, saying that it "gave us room to kind of make him a little more grounded and human and have him in some civilian clothes and mixing it up at a party".[35] Hemsworth noted that Thor's motivations in this film were completely different, as it was the first MCU film where he did not play against Loki.[36]
By the events ofThor: Ragnarok, Thor has become a "lonegunslinger" searching for theInfinity Stones.[37][38] Hemsworth had become "a bit bored" with the character by this time, and wanted to take some risks and experiment: the character has shorter hair in the film, wears a different outfit, his hammerMjolnir is destroyed,[39] and he loses an eye. DirectorTaika Waititi added that "stripping" the character down like this allowed him to become a refugee at the end of the film.[40] Waititi also wanted to use more of Hemsworth's comedic talents showcased in films likeVacation (2015) andGhostbusters (2016),[41] and citedKurt Russell's portrayal of Jack Burton fromBig Trouble in Little China (1986) as an influence on the character.[42]
The events ofInfinity War come right on the heels ofRagnarok, finding Thor in a "very profound... very interesting place" with "real emotional motivation".[43] At the recommendation of Hemsworth, writersChristopher Markus and Stephen McFeely consultedThor: Ragnarok director Taika Waititi and screenwriterEric Pearson to help carry over the comedic and tragic elements of the re-toned Thor from that film.[44] Joe Russo said that Thor has "the driving hero's arc of the movie which stands in direct opposition toThanos' argument" and would have been the main protagonist of the film had Thor killed Thanos.[45] Thor's character inInfinity War has been criticized as a step backwards from his portrayal in his previous appearance inRagnarok. Thor learns inRagnarok that his power does not come from Mjolnir, only to spend the bulk ofInfinity War pursuing the creation of a new, more powerful weapon.[46]
Following his failure to kill Thanos inInfinity War, Thor becomes an overweight, drunken ruler of Asgard's refugees inTønsberg,Norway. Referencing this drastic character change, Hemsworth said, "I just had an opinion. I wanted to do something different this time. Each film I've wanted to, in particular, the last couple, and they were on board," and added, "We shot for many hours and days and discussed how far could we push (Thor) and what we could do different."[47] Anthony Russo added, "Even though there's a lot of fun to be had in the movie with his physical condition, it's not a gag. It's a manifestation of where he is on a character level, and we think it's one of the most relatable aspects of him. I mean, it's a very common sort of response to depression and pain."[48] Thor's story was his favorite arc, saying, "Part of Chris' magic as a comedic actor is his dedication to the depth of the character on a very earnest level...It's so devious and subversive when comedy is coming from a place of complete commitment and emotional complexity."[49] Hemsworth underwent around three hours of hair and makeup for the transformation, which also required him to wear a large silicone prosthetic suit; he called himself "Lebowski Thor" on set.[50] Thor was initially supposed to revert to his "old chiseled self" in the middle ofEndgame, but Hemsworth successfully argued in favour of retaining Thor's aged physique.[50]
InThor: Love and Thunder, directorTaika Waititi said that Thor is going through amidlife crisis in the film, as he is "just trying to figure out his purpose, trying to figure out exactly who he is and why he's a hero or whether he should be a hero".[51] Chris Pratt saidLove and Thunder would continue the rivalry between Guardians leaderPeter Quill / Star-Lord and Thor that was established inInfinity War andEndgame.[52] Thor has a large tattoo on his back that memorializes his family and friends that have previously died.[53]
Thor is noted to have a number of character flaws, which occasionally drive events in the MCU. He is initially impulsive, invading Jotunheim, the home of the frost giants, in the first film. This leads directly to Odin banishing him to Earth, and indirectly to Loki's attempt to overthrow Asgard after Loki learns that he was born a frost giant and adopted by Odin. It is noted, however, that from this experience, Thor "emerges a more humble warrior".[54] The events ofThor also lead to Loki encountering Thanos, in whose service Loki invades Earth inThe Avengers. Although Thor's arrogance has been tempered since his first film, he still shows flashes of impulsiveness such as when he attacks Steve Rogers at their first meeting inThe Avengers.[55] Analysis of the character from a feminist perspective has noted that Thor "might be a hotheaded braggart, but he never demeans women", a sharp contrast with the womanizingTony Stark.[54]
With respect to his signature weapons, both Mjolnir and Stormbreaker can be summoned by Thor, and will return to his hand after being thrown. Both weapons also enable Thor to fly, and to channel his power to summon lightning. Stormbreaker has the additional power to summon theBifröst, allowing Thor to teleport anywhere in the Nine Realms. According to Marvel'sInfinity War, Stormbreaker also has the power to "even defeat the powers of the Infinity Stones", as shown at the end of that film when Thor overpowers and very nearly solo-kills Thanos with the axe despite the latter having all Six Stones.Screen Rant has identified Stormbreaker as the more powerful of the two, based on this ability, as well as it being a much larger and edged weapon.[56] Both weapons also appear to have a degree of sentience, with Stormbreaker apparently being envious of Thor's affection for Mjolnir,[57] a characteristic directorTaika Waititi attributed to the handle being made from the arm of the adolescentGroot, and carrying over some of that character's moodiness at that age.[58]
In the MCU, Mjolnir initially belonged to Thor's sisterHela, who used it in battle alongside her own weaponry to subjugate theNine Realms alongside Odin. However, Odin banished her toHel once hisexpansionist desires faded. Over one thousand years later, Mjolnir is seen inOdin's vault alongside other artifacts, and it is wielded by Thor in most of his MCU appearances. The post-credit scene inIron Man 2 and a scene from the second episode of the Disney+ TV seriesWhat If...? are the only MCU media in which Mjolnir appears while Thor does not. Mjolnir was shown being destroyed inThor: Ragnarok, but in January 2022, it was reported that promotional artwork for the forthcoming fourth Thor movie,Thor: Love and Thunder, showed that the destroyed version of Mjolnir had been remade (albeit with visible cracks), and was now being wielded by a worthy Jane Foster.[59] In the film, a flashback reveals that years earlier, Thor unknowingly enchanted Mjolnir to protect Foster. When Foster is diagnosed withterminal cancer, she researches the possibility that Mjolnir gives its wielder enhanced strength and stamina. She travels to New Asgard in search of the remnants of Mjolnir, which reassembles itself in Jane's presence and proclaims her worthy, surprising Thor when he meets her again as the new wielder of the hammer. Foster, thereby having the power of Thor, uses the alias of Mighty Thor and wields the reconstructed version of the hammer in battle againstGorr the God Butcher and his forces,[60] and against soldiers of Zeus while visiting Omnipotence City. The reconstructed hammer, when launched from its wielder, can separate into its fragments to hit multiple targets at once before reassembling. In one comedic moment, Thor tries to summon Mjolnir, but Stormbreaker enters the room, with Thor reacting as if Stormbreaker were jealous.
Thor's appearance has changed from each film to the next. For the first film, Visual Development Supervisor Charlie Wen focused on mixing elements from the comic books with Norse mythology in creating Thor's costume, keeping the six disk-shaped adornments on his upper body, but "trying to maintain the Norse side of things" as much as possible.[61] The first design element that Wen attempted was Thor's hammer, Mjolnir, for which Wen created a number of possible alternatives, incorporating designs including "the traditional Thor hammer with the short handle as well as the Ultimates versions", from which the one Branagh chose "was the most traditional one".[61] In a 2018 interview withJimmy Kimmel, Thor actorChris Hemsworth revealed that he has kept a number of the prop hammers created for the film.[62] ForThe Avengers, Thor's costume was modified slightly to fit in better with other members of the team, and to make his movements and appearance in casual scenes more natural, with changes including enhancing the blue tones in the costume, and reducing the size of Thor's cape.[63] Various efforts to depict Thor dressed in "street clothes" like people of Earth have been criticized as having him look like "an extra in Cameron Crowe'sSingles".[64]
The concept artist tasked with designing the MCU version of Stormbreaker, Ryan Meinerding, decided to deviate substantially from the design of Stormbreaker used in the comics, feeling that "the original Stormbreaker looked a bit too much like the original Mjolnir".[65] Consequently, Stormbreaker "more closely resembles the Mjolnir from theUltimate Marvel run than the original Stormbreaker hammer bestowed upon Thor's rival turned allyBeta Ray Bill".[65] Meinerding intentionally made Stormbreaker comparatively oversized and overpowered, to convey that the wielder of the weapon must also be someone incredibly powerful.[65]
Chris Hemsworth stars as the character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, first appearing inThor (2011),[66] and subsequently appearing inThe Avengers (2012),[67]Thor: The Dark World (2013),[68]Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015),[69]Thor: Ragnarok (2017),[37]Avengers: Infinity War (2018),Avengers: Endgame (2019), andThor: Love and Thunder (2022).[70] Hemsworth also cameos in the mid-credits scene ofDoctor Strange (2016).[71] In September 2020, Hemsworth stated that he wished to continue playing Thor afterLove and Thunder, saying, "I'm not going into any retirement period" pointing out that the character was "way too young for that".[72]
A major divergence from the comic books is the absence of Thor's comic book alter ego, Donald Blake,[55][75] although he uses the name 'Donald Blake' as apseudonym during his time on Earth inThor, anEaster egg homage to the comics.[1] In the comics, as in the MCU, Odin stripped Thor of his powers and sent him to Earth as punishment for Thor's arrogance and intemperance. However, in the comics, Odin puts Thor into the body of Donald Blake, a crippled human doctor, for the course of a long-running storyline, encompassing years of adventures during which Thor's alter ego is occasionally able to cause Thor to re-emerge to fight villainy. In the MCU, with no element of an alter ego, this banishment is resolved within the first film, over the course of days.[55] The lack of an alter ego also impacts Thor's relationships. In the comics, Thor's love interest, Jane Foster, is an assistant to Donald Blake. In the films, she has no prior connection to the character, and meets him due to her work as a physicist studying the type of phenomena his appearances generate.[55]
Another significant difference from the comic books is the destruction of Thor's hammer, Mjölnir, in the MCU and the origin of its replacement, Stormbreaker. In the comics, Stormbreaker is created by the dwarf Eitri by Odin's decree, to be given to the characterBeta Ray Bill, after Bill fights Thor in hand-to-hand combat to determine who should possess Mjölnir. In the MCU, Thor himself assists Eitri in creating Stormbreaker as a replacement for the destroyed Mjölnir, to use as a weapon with which to face Thanos,[76] though he does later retrieve Mjölnir for a brief period while travelling through time.
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While Hemsworth's portrayal of the character has received praise, Thor, as a character, was initially less well-received than other Avengers characters, and it has been stated that "beforeRagnarok, Thor was described by some as an ill-defined if likable meathead of a character, used primarily for punching and occasionally fish-out-of-water jokes made at his expense",[77] and that films featuring the character were "the studio's least fun franchise".[78] In particular,The Dark World was criticized for adding "absolutely zero development or growth for its main character", resulting in "little enthusiasm for Thor from either audiences or Marvel".[77]Thor: Ragnarok, however, was much better received, to the extent that it has widely been described as saving theThor franchise.[77] In his review ofAvengers: Endgame,Joe Morgenstern ofThe Wall Street Journal acknowledged "Chris Hemsworth's Thor, endearing despite some ragged material and the actor's seemingly limited dramatic range".[79]
Thor inInfinity War was widely praised, for its themes signifying his losses, his journey as a god and his sacrifice for the people of earth and Asgard.[80] Mike Reyes of Cinema blend stated "The quest itself is Thor's way of trying to build himself back up after the most devastating losses, and Hemsworth is most certainly game for that. Watching him talk things out with Rocket Raccoon was a quiet moment that pays off in the best way possible when he ultimately forges and uses Stormbreaker. After losing everything, Thor is severely desperate to get back in the saddle and be a hero again, only this time it's not out of youthful impulse. Paying close attention to his conversation with Rocket, you can see a bit more of the age and wisdom in his person, particularly due to the fact that Chris Hemsworth seems to have adopted more of the tone and mannerisms of Anthony Hopkins' Odin. We've seen the son become the father, and now he is ready to become the hero he was always meant to be".[81]Thor's characterization, themes and symbolism were praised by fans and critics alike, with many considering it to be best iteration of Thor in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
The depiction of Thor as adepressed andobesealcoholic inAvengers: Endgame, and the subsequent use of jokes directed at Thor by other characters due to this, led to accusations offat shaming in various editorial commentary and fan reactions.[82][83][84] Others indicated disapproval that Thor's emotional and physical state was played for laughs instead of being approached with more respect and understanding.[85][86]
On the other hand, the depiction also received critical acclaim for adding relatability and for the tackling of mental health issues,[87][88] with Hemsworth himself having advocated against the initial plan for Thor to become muscular again halfway through the film.[89][90] Joe Morgenstern ofThe Wall Street Journal praised Hemsworth in the Avengers franchise finale "as the graceful, exuberant comic actor he was destined to be, while Thor morphs, alarmingly and charmingly—yet still heroically—into a beer-bellied apparition who could pass forJeff Lebowski."[79]
DeFalco, Tom (2008). "1960s". In Gilbert, Laura (ed.).Marvel Chronicle: A Year by Year History. London, United Kingdom:Dorling Kindersley. p. 88.ISBN 978-0756641238.
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