The release of Thor: Love and Thunder is renewing interest in one of the MCU’s most popular characters.
Over the course of a healthy handful of Marvel movies, Thor has secured a sizable place in fans’ hearts. Chris Hemsworth’s take on the character has changed significantly in the years since his 2011 debut, and each change has been for the better. These days, Thor is one of the best characters the MCU has to offer, and his journey to reach this point is certainly one to behold.
It’s also pretty easy to behold, thanks to the MCU’s presence on Disney Plus. All of the current MCU films — excepting a few choice Spider-Man entries — is currently available to stream on the popular service. If you’re looking to reminisce on the hulking God of Thunder’s previous appearances, here’s how to enjoy all of his MCU films and cameos in order.
Thor (2011)
Thor’s very first appearance came about in his 2011 self-titled solo film. Hemsworth debuted in the role to high praise despite a somewhat lackluster film. The first Thor is fun — there’s no denying that — but it’s typical superhero fare. It also lays the groundwork for a longstanding and beloved character, so it’s hard to find much fault in this film. On Rotten Tomatoes, the movie is “certified fresh,” with a Tomatometer score of 77 percent.
The Avengers (2012)
The very first Avengers film remains one of the absolute best. The 2012 film perfectly blends its myriad of leading men, balancing serious, sometimes bland characters like Thor and Captain America with Tony Stark’s unyielding charisma and star power. As the first-ever Avenger, it’s no surprise that Tony was the favorite, but even in 2012 Thor was starting to catch up. The film well-earned it’s 91 percent score on Rotten Tomatoes.
Thor: The Dark World (2013)
The worst Thor film is nestled right in the middle of Hemsworth’s appearances in the MCU, but is thankfully followed by several of the very best. The Dark World is, overall, underwhelming. It has all the ingredients of a solid superhero film — and, like most MCU entries, is still thoroughly watchable — but just doesn’t have the heart and humor that makes the best Marvel films what they are today. It’s the lowest-rated Thor solo film, with a 66 percent on Rotten Tomatoes.
Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)
The mid-2010s were some of Marvel’s weakest years before a slew of new talent and fresh initiatives urged the franchise in a new direction. This is exemplified both in The Dark World and in Age of Ultron, which — like the second Thor film — simply lacks the luster necessary to allow it to compete with the best in the franchise. It’s still a fun film, and Thor is a delight to witness in several of the movie’s epic battles, but compared to other MCU flicks Age of Ultron is simply second-rate. While it is still certified fresh on Rotten Tomatoes, it’s the lowest-rated Avengers film at 76 percent, and for good reason.
Doctor Strange (2016)
He is in no way a primary character in Benedict Cumberbatch’s first solo MCU foray, but Thor does get a cameo in the post-credits scene of 2016’s Doctor Strange. After the film’s primary action passes and a number of its credits had already rolled, viewers get a brief glimpse of Thor’s next MCU role in a brief scene between he and Cumberbatch’s Stephen Strange. The scene is taken directly from Thor: Ragnarok and gives viewers a bare glimpse of what to expect from the best Thor film yet. Doctor Strange perfectly suits the MCU’s slightly lower-quality middling years, but still managed to earn a Rotten Tomatoes score of 89 percent.
Thor: Ragnarok (2017)
The absolute peak of what Thor can be was unveiled in 2017’s Thor: Ragnarok. The stellar film flawlessly marries gripping action scenes with quippy comedy and robust characters, and it pays off in the form of one of the best MCU films to date. Director Taika Waititi absolutely nailed it with this film, as did Hemsworth. The brawny Australian utterly transformed the character over the course of the film, molding him into a far more playful and relatable version than audiences had seen thus far, cementing the character as one of the MCU’s best. It’s one of the highest-rated Marvel films on Rotten Tomatoes, with a score of 93 percent.
Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
Ah, the film that created a new generation of die-hard Marvel fans. The third Avengers flick absolutely blew its predecessors out of the water, offering up a thrilling and delightful series of crossovers that culminated in the most shocking ending comic book movies have ever seen. It is incredible, start to finish, and Thor has some of the absolute best scenes in the entire film. We will literally never get over his stand-off with Thanos and his chemistry with the members of the Guardians of the Galaxy will hopefully provide fodder for plenty more MCU moments to come. It isn’t nearly as highly-rated as it deserves to be on Rotten Tomatoes, where it maintains a score of 85 percent.
Avengers: Endgame (2019)
The conclusion of the MCU’s “Infinity Saga” came in the form of Avengers: Endgame, a jam-packed film that saw many of the franchise’s most beloved and longstanding heroes pass the torch to fresh hands. The film built on the groundwork laid by Infinity War and provided closure for some of the film’s most followed characters. It also provided a heavily disputed emotional arc for Thor, one that — regardless of your thoughts on it — allowed the character to acknowledge, examine, and deal with the extensive damage done by Thanos. It is one of the MCU’s highest-rated films ever on Rotten Tomatoes, with a score of 94 percent.
Thor: Love and Thunder (2021)
The most recent Thor film releases on July 8, 2022 and features the next step in Thor’s journey. It will also see the introduction of Mighty Thor, a female counterpart to the Thor we know and love, and will continue the MCU’s efforts to see Thor’s influence reach far beyond his own films. Our fingers are crossed that we’ll see the character appear in the third Guardians of the Galaxy film. Early reviews are already raving about the second Waititi-directed Thor flick, earning it a Rotten Tomatoes score of 71 percent before it even arrived in theaters.
What If…?
Alternate versions of Thor have also appeared in several episodes of the MCU’s animated What If…? series. Fans can look for the character — still played by Hemsworth — in What if… Thor Were An Only Child and What If… The Watcher Broke His Oath? Only time will tell if and when Hemsworth’s Thor will continue to appear in future Marvel projects.