Two years after Kang the Conqueror revealed that he’d already killed Thor, I’m even more worried about Chris Hemsworth’s God of Thunder as the MCU moves ever-closer to Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars. As an original Avenger, Thor is one of the longest-running characters in the MCU, which makes me wonder why Marvel hasn’t confirmed Chris Hemsworth’s return in Phase 6. Even though it hasn’t been officially announced, I think it’s likely Thor will have a central role in Doomsday and Secret Wars, but this could spell bad news for the God of Thunder.
Chris Hemsworth has currently starred in four solo Thor movies in the MCU, but these have been met with varying degrees of success. His most recent adventure in 2022’s Thor: Love and Thunder was incredibly divisive (I quite enjoyed it), which has thrown Thor’s future into jeopardy, though there has been speculation that Marvel is moving ahead with an as-yet-unannounced Thor 5. I think the most likely place Thor will reappear is in Avengers: Doomsday and Secret Wars, but I’m worried that these crossover movies could actually mark the end of Thor’s MCU journey.
Kang The Conqueror Already Killed A Thor Variant In The MCU
Kang Had Killed Avengers Prior To Ant-Man & The Wasp: Quantumania
Ever since his debut back in 2011’s Thor, the God of Thunder has proven himself to be one of the MCU’s most powerful characters. This made it even more shocking in February 2023 when Kang the Conqueror claimed to have killed variants of several Avengers, including “the one with the hammer,” while speaking to Scott Lang in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. This throwaway line was a great way to demonstrate Kang the Conqueror’s strength and apathy in the face of killing innocent individuals, proving that Kang is stronger than Thor.
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania gave us a glimpse at Kang the Conqueror’s destruction of branching timelines across the multiverse, but didn’t show him fighting any notable MCU heroes. He did claim, however, that he’d killed so many Avengers that “they all blur together after a while,” though it seems Thor stood out in his mind, perhaps suggesting he put up more of a fight. Now that Kang the Conqueror and his villainous variants have seemingly been removed from the MCU, I want the Multiverse Saga’s new villain to prove his worth in a similar way.
Doctor Doom Must Be More Powerful Than Kang & His Variants
Doctor Doom Is Replacing Kang & His Variants In The Multiverse Saga
Following Jonathan Majors’ arrest and conviction in 2023, Kang the Conqueror was removed from the MCU, even though there were calls for the variants seen in the Council of Kangs to be recast. Marvel Studios later revealed that the formerly-тιтled Avengers: The Kang Dynasty has been reтιтled Avengers: Doomsday, and the eponymous Doctor Doom will be the movie’s, and the Multiverse Saga’s, new main villain. I can’t wait to see Robert Downey Jr. bring Doctor Doom to life in the MCU, but he needs to be proven to be a worthy replacement for Kang.
Kang the Conqueror Variant |
Debut Project |
Year |
---|---|---|
He Who Remains |
Loki Season 1 |
2021 |
Kang the Conqueror |
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania |
2023 |
Immortus |
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania |
2023 |
Rama-Tut |
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania |
2023 |
Centurion |
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania |
2023 |
Victor Timely |
Loki Season 2 |
2023 |
The fact that Marvel Studios has replaced Kang the Conqueror with Doctor Doom suggests the latter is more powerful and a more sinister threat. While Kang tried to show his strength by simply claiming he’d killed Avengers, I want Marvel to show Doctor Doom using his power to bring down the MCU’s most iconic heroes. Since Kang put Thor on the chopping block, I reckon Doctor Doom could do the same, which makes me think Chris Hemsworth’s Thor could be in trouble, should he be confirmed to be returning in Avengers: Doomsday and Secret Wars.
Thor’s Perfect Ending Could Be In Avengers 5 & 6
Chris Hemsworth’s Future As Thor Is Uncertain Now
The Thor franchise has been one of the MCU’s most diverse and tumultuous chapters, seeing hits, such as Thor: Ragnarok, and misses, such as Thor: The Dark World, which have seen Chris Hemsworth’s hero adopt a number of different styles and tones. Even though there is speculation that Thor 5 could be in development, there hasn’t been any official confirmation, which makes me think that Thor could still be killed off in Phase 6. I could easily see Doctor Doom killing Thor in Doomsday or Secret Wars to ensure that we know how powerful he is.
A number of original Avengers lost their lives in the battle against Thanos during Infinity War and Endgame, so I’m expecting more to sacrifice themselves while fighting Doctor Doom, and Thor is the perfect candidate. Since Kang has already killed at least one Thor variant, Doctor Doom could take out the MCU’s main God of Thunder to prove himself even stronger than the multiversal villain and his variants. I’d be sad to lose Chris Hemsworth’s Thor, but his death in Avengers: Doomsday or Avengers: Secret Wars could help to make Doctor Doom an even more memorable MCU villain.
Upcoming MCU Movies
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Captain America: Brave New World
- Release Date
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February 14, 2025
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Thunderbolts*
- Release Date
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May 2, 2025
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The Fantastic Four: First Steps
- Release Date
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July 25, 2025
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Avengers: Doomsday (2026)
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Spider-Man Homecoming 4
- Release Date
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July 24, 2026
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Avengers: Secret Wars
- Release Date
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May 7, 2027