Will ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’ Be Chris Hemsworth’s Last Marvel Movie?
Say it ain't so, Chris!
Thor: Love and Thunder, the fourth solo outing for Chris Hemsworth’s beloved God of Thunder, is hitting theaters in just three short, tantalizing weeks. But a new interview with Hemsworth has left fans wondering if Thor 4 might be Thor’s last appearance in the MCU. Is it true? What exactly did he say to suggest that he’s leaving Marvel for good? Here’s what we know!
Thor: Love and Thunder, which premieres on July 8th, will see Thor going up against Christian Bale’s Gorr the God Butcher, who seeks to wipe out all gods in the universe. Thor will be joined by Valkyrie, Korg, the Guardians of the Galaxy, and Jane Foster as the Mighty Thor as he faces Gorr, the Greek god Zeus, and who knows what other enemies throughout the galaxy.
Is Thor’s Story Coming to an End?
Even before the new interview came out, there were some hints that this may be Thor’s final appearance.
The second trailer for Love and Thunder begins with Korg telling a story to some children in a cave. The story is about Thor, but alarmingly, Korg uses the past tense to talk about him.
“Let me tell you the story of Thor, the space Viking,” Korg says. “He was no ordinary man. He was a god.”
When the trailer came out, a lot of fans speculated that Korg’s phrasing meant Thor was going to die in the movie.
You have to admit that Thor’s death—or his departure from the MCU in some other way, like riding off into the galactic sunset—would fit the pattern of Phase 4, which has seen the surviving (and aging) Avengers training their replacements. Clint has dubbed Kate Bishop the new Hawkeye so that he can retire with his family, while Bruce Banner seems set to unleash She-Hulk on the world. If Thor does keep on keeping on in the MCU, he’ll be the only original Avenger left.
But then again, that would actually make sense, since, unlike the other Avengers, Thor has a lifespan of several thousand years. Clint and Bruce may be staring down retirement, but Thor’s still in his prime. He could continue adventuring for another few millennia.
But then again again, we’ve got a new Thor in Jane Foster. What will the MCU do with two Thors? I’m just a humble entertainment writer, but that seems like a lot of Thors to me. Of course, the MCU has now introduced three Spider-Men and a billion Lokis, and that strategy has been working so far!
Chris Hemsworth’s New Wired Interview
Recently, Chris Hemsworth sat down with Wired to take part in their series of celebrities answering the Internet’s most searched questions about them. One of the questions Hemsworth was asked is “what is chris hemsworths last marvel movie.”
Here’s how Hemsworth responded:
Well, the last one I just shot was Thor: Love and Thunder, and it may be my last, I don’t know. It was a wild and fun and wacky experience, as all Taika Waititi movies are. I’ve played that character for 10, 11 years now, and each time it’s been new and exciting, and this was no exception to that. It felt very fresh and it felt like we were trying something we hadn’t tried before. It was, in Taika’s words, I think, a wacky, wild romantic comedy set in space. [Emphasis mine]
If you love Chris Hemsworth as Thor and aren’t ready to say goodbye to that character just yet, then Hemsworth’s words might be pretty alarming! But here’s why you shouldn’t panic just yet.
First off, Hemsworth might just be referring to the fact that he doesn’t personally know where the MCU is going to go in Phase 5 and beyond. Marvel actors are often kept in the dark about upcoming projects, with Marvel having gone so far as to give everyone partial scripts for Infinity War so that no one would know the whole story. It could be that Hemsworth just hasn’t signed a contract yet.
Secondly, Marvel actors know that Kevin Feige will come after them if they let slip even the smallest spoiler (remember when Owen Wilson got a threatening text for revealing that his character had a mustache?), so it’s unthinkable that a Marvel veteran like Hemsworth would casually reveal a massive spoiler like his character’s departure from the franchise.
Thirdly, Hemsworth says later in the interview that he loves playing Thor and would “continue to do so if people wanted me to.” Well, people definitely want him to, so it doesn’t look like he’s itching to move on to other things.
So, if you’ve suddenly started hearing rumors that Chris Hemsworth is leaving Marvel, this interview is probably where they came from. But it’s no use worrying about it until the movie comes out on July 8! That’s when we’ll (maybe) get some answers.
(featured image: Marvel)
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