Chris Hemsworth Breaks Silence on Thor’s MCU Future, Hinting at Thor 5

Chris Hemsworth has been part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe for 15 years, debuting as Thor in the character’s 2011 eponymous film. Over the course of nine appearances during that time (including an uncredited cameo in Doctor Strange), Hemsworth’s God of Thunder has been one of the most integral figures in the franchise, going on a wide-ranging journey that’s seen him evolve from original Avenger to concerned father fighting for a better future for his adoptive daughter. Hemsworth is reprising his career-defining role in Avengers: Doomsday, and the emotional Thor teaser trailer seemed to suggest that this could be his last hurrah. However, Hemsworth plans on sticking around for the foreseeable future.

During an appearance on the podcast Smartless, Hemsworth shared that he intends to play Thor for at least a “couple more times” and detailed his conversations with Marvel boss Kevin Feige. “I was talking to Kevin Feige about it, and he said it’s cool because the audience now expects dramatic turns with the character,” he said. “Whatever we do next—we’ve got some ideas to do something pretty unique again and hopefully be [different].”

Thor 5 Could Be Part of the MCU’s Next Era

Hemsworth didn’t share any contractual details in his podcast interview, but if the plan calls for him to reprise Thor a “couple more times,” odds are that will be a combination of team-up and solo movies (which is par for the course in the MCU). The actor has already hinted that he’ll be back for Avengers: Secret Wars, which isn’t surprising considering how Thor is being set up as a key part of Doomsday. Barring the God of Thunder meeting his ultimate demise, it would be quite strange if Thor wasn’t present for the culmination of the battle against Doctor Doom. He’s too important of a character to relegate to the sidelines.

Avengers: Secret Wars is being positioned as a soft reboot of the MCU, streamlining the continuity so things are easier to follow moving forward. Fans would have been forgiven if they thought that meant Secret Wars would serve as a send-off for the old guard, but it sounds like Hemsworth is staying for the long haul, which presumably will include Thor 5. Last year, Hemsworth didn’t sound so sure that Thor 5 would actually happen, saying “we’ll see where [Doomsday] goes” before making a final decision. It would appear that Hemsworth has been pleased with how his conversations with Marvel have gone since that time, and he’s more than willing to keep playing Thor.

Read Next

Every Confirmed Avengers: Doomsday Character Ranked By Threat Level

A shift in tone was likely an important part of whatever discussions Hemsworth had with Feige. In the past, Hemsworth was openly critical of the overtly comedic style in Thor: Love and Thunder, claiming he got “caught up in the improv” and “became a parody of myself.” He probably wouldn’t have been interested in returning multiple times unless the filmmakers took Thor in a different direction. We got a taste of a more serious tone in the Doomsday teaser, setting the stage for what should be a poignant arc for the character. Considering his changing circumstances in life, watching over a child, it makes sense for Thor to be portrayed in a more sincere manner.

It’s understandable why Marvel wants to keep Hemsworth around. Thor remains one of the MCU’s most popular and recognizable characters, and with the franchise’s box office standing taking a hit in recent years, Thor 5 feels like a reasonably safe bet. Despite being polarizing, Love and Thunder grossed $760.9 million worldwide, so Thor 5 could easily be a major hit. However, if a Marvel veteran is to stick around for the next handful of years, it’s pertinent to find a way to keep things fresh. Instituting another “dramatic turn” is a way to accomplish that. Thor: Ragnarok felt like a breath of fresh air after Thor: The Dark World, and now it’s time to lean more into the drama again. It’ll be interesting to see what happens with Thor moving forward, but it’s great to see a familiar face isn’t leaving any time soon.

What do you think? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!