I’m Still Surprised These 3 MCU Thor Storylines Were Cut Short 

Since the character was first introduced into the MCU in 2011, Thor has proven to be one of the franchise’s most prolific Avengers. As well as being a founding member of the iconic team, Thor has become one of the MCU’s most popular figures, owing in part to his central roles in some of the MCU’s funniest movies. As well as appearing in four solo movies, Thor has starred in four solo movies in the MCU to date, the only single character to have earned so many appearances. However, for all of Thor’s screen time, there are some things about his MCU story that could have been better.

Across Thor’s appearances in the movies of the MCU, his story has changed and evolved alongside the character. This has seen the franchise adapt and touch upon many Thor storylines, some of which were lifted almost directly from the comics and others more loosely inspired by the source material. Unfortunately, the MCU has cut some Thor stories decidedly short, leading to a handful of quietly disappointing aspects of his otherwise excellent run in the franchise.

3) Thor’s Role in Asgardian Politics 

One aspect of the character that has been consistent across every Thor movie is that he is undeniably Asgardian royalty. From his very first appearance in the MCU, where he casually strolled the length of Asgard’s impressive throne room in front of a host of adoring subjects, Thor’s story has been defined by his place within Asgard’s hierarchy. It was made clear that Thor was the preferred heir of his father, Odin, and that he was seemingly destined to one day claim the throne of Asgard.

The problem with this is that the MCU has pointedly avoided exploring the concept any further. Thor: The Dark World and Thor: Ragnarok danced around the idea, loosely depicting Thor as Asgard’s beloved prince but never again addressing his potential ascension to the throne. Thor’s appearances in Avengers: Infinity War, Avengers: Endgame, and Thor: Love and Thunder made it relatively clear that Thor has no interest in becoming king, which sadly cuts out a spate of excellent storylines from the comics that could have been adapted into the timeline of the MCU.

2) Jane Foster as the Mighty Thor 

There have been a few characters in the MCU strong enough to wield Thor’s hammer, Mjolnir, and one of the most exciting was Jane Foster in her appearance as the Mighty Thor. Having made her debut in 2011’s Thor and then returning for the 2013 sequel Thor: The Dark World, Natalie Portman was conspicuous in her absence in subsequent Thor stories. This continued until her return in 2022’s Thor: Love and Thunder, where she arrived transformed by Mjolnir into her most heroic form from the comics, finally paying off one of the MCU’s longest-running hero teases.

Even though Portman spent too long as an incredible actor that the MCU wasted, taking so long to debut her as the Mighty Thor was a mistake, especially as she then died at the end of Love and Thunder. Giving Thor a love interest on par with him in terms of power opened the door to many potential stories, and seeing Jane Foster take on a heroic role was rewarding. However, the MCU cut the Mighty Thor’s arc criminally short, only allowing her to appear in a single movie before killing her off, possibly for good.

1) Gorr the God Butcher’s Arc

When the Infinity Saga came to its end, there were still several strong Thor villains who needed to join the MCU. Chief among them was Gorr the God Butcher, a character who fans had clamored to see in the live-action franchise. When he was announced as the villain for Thor: Love and Thunder, and played by celebrated actor Christian Bale, no less, it seemed that the franchise intended to do the incredible villain justice. Unfortunately, this turned out not to be the case at all.

Gorr’s MCU story was cut way too short. It skimmed over some of the best aspects of the comic book story arcs it adapted, condensing his entire epic struggle with Thor into a single movie. For a villain who had the potential to completely upset the balance of the gods’ power in the MCU, Gorr was criminally ineffective within the franchise, and his story came to an end far too quickly. While he could yet make a return via the Multiverse and play a role in Thor’s MCU future, this doesn’t seem particularly likely, as Love and Thunder already brought Gorr’s story to a fairly definitive, if premature, end.

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