Chris Hemsworth’s Thor was an engaging presence right from his first movie, though it wasn’t until Taika Waititi’s Thor: Ragnarok that he could really shine. Waititi recognized that Hemsworth is an incredibly funny actor, positioning him at the center of a kickass goofball comedy. It breathed new life into the hero, too, resulting in the instantly popular Bro Thor we saw in Avengers: Endgame.
He’ll next appear in 2022’s Thor: Love and Thunder, but all information indicates that he’s going to play a supporting role to Natalie Portman’s Jane Foster. Revealed with much fanfare last year, the movie will adapt a recent comics arc and see Foster deemed worthy to possess the cosmic powers of Thor and wield Mjolnir. So, where does that leave original brand Thor?
Well, in the source material, Thor comes to terms with the loss of his mantle and title and sets off to wander the galaxy while being known as Odinson. I think there’s a good chance that’ll happen in the MCU, too, as it’ll leave the door open for Hemsworth to potentially one day return to the role. Meanwhile, Jane Foster Thor looks like she’ll appear in the MCU across multiple movies, with reports that we’ll see her in Captain Marvel 2 as well.
But Foster might not be the only successor to Thor. An MCU version of fan-favorite character Beta Ray Bill has already been teased in Thor: Ragnarok and there’ve been rumblings that Kevin Feige wants to bring him in for a full appearance. If that happens, we could see the mantle pass yet again, as Bill has repeatedly proven himself worthy in the comics.
Everything’s up in the air at the moment and it’s especially frustrating that Thor: Love and Thunder has been delayed due to COVID-19. Still, with the shoot likely to begin later this year, let’s hope some images from the set provide a pointer as to where we’re going.