A surprise Thor: Love and Thunder actor’s MCU journey looks potentially complicated based on Chris Hemsworth’s comments regarding his next MCU appearance. Thor’s MCU future was unclear after Thor 4. Thor appeared to be enjoying retirement with his adoptive daughter, Love, but Thor: Love and Thunder‘s ending left the door open for a possible return. While it had some mixed reviews, the movie performed well at the box office, so a Thor 5 could still be on the horizon, but Marvel recently confirmed that Thor will return next in Avengers: Doomsday.

Thor joins an absolutely stacked hero roster for the movie, and is the only original Avenger who’s part of the Avengers: Doomsday cast. It’s unknown how large Thor’s role will be, but he should be a significant leader since he has experience working with a team to stop an evil force. This is all the more notable given that Hemsworth shared comments shortly after Thor 4 stating that he would want his next project to wrap things up. If the next two Avengers films end up being Thor’s last MCU projects, that means one Marvel character’s MCU return could be in jeopardy.

Thor: Love And Thunder’s Post-Credit Scene Teased A Fight With Brett Goldstein’s Hercules

Thor 4 set up an epic battle between Norse and Greek legends.

Thor: Love and Thunder expanded beyond Norse mythology, introducing Greek gods to the MCU lore. Thor and his crew travel to Omnipotence City, where they confront Zeus, asking for his help. When Zeus refuses, he and Thor fight, ending with Thor impaling him with one of his lightning bolts. Zeus survives this wound, but won’t let Thor’s actions go unpunished. In the first post-credit scene from Thor: Love and Thunder, Zeus is recovering from his injuries and tells his son Hercules to kill Thor, reestablishing fear and respect for the gods.

Hercules is played by Brett Goldstein, who is best known for playing the tough but good-hearted soccer player Roy Kent in Ted Lᴀsso. Goldstein’s an excellent actor, and I was excited to see him join the MCU, especially as Hercules, a character who could have a major footprint on the MCU. However, Marvel hasn’t addressed Hercules’ debut, becoming one of the many post-credit scenes that have been ignored by Marvel in phases 4 and 5.

Chris Hemsworth Has Comments About Wanting His Next Appearance as Thor To ‘Close The Book’

The Australian actor wants to leave the MCU on a high note.

While Thor: Love and Thunder was a box office success, it received mixed reviews from critics and audiences. The film leaned too far into the goofy tone established in Ragnarok, and lessened many of its more serious storylines, like Gorr the God Butcher’s mission to execute all gods, and Jane Foster’s battle with cancer. Many wondered how reactions to the film would impact Thor’s portrayal or if Hemsworth would want to return at all. In a 2022 interview with Vanity Fair, Hemsworth said he’d be open to returning, but that it would probably have to be Thor’s final chapter.

“I feel like we’d probably have to close the book if I ever did it again, you know what I mean? I feel like it probably warrants that. I feel like it’d probably be the finale, but that’s not based on anything anyone’s told me or any sort of plans…You have this birth of a hero, the journey of a hero, then the death of a hero, and I don’t know — am I at that stage? Who knows?”

Hemsworth has been playing the God of Thunder since 2011’s Thor. Since his debut, Thor has gone through several image changes, such as fat Thor in Avengers: Endgame. He’s had an interesting character arc, but his portrayal has never been consistent, as he’s jumped between being more stern to more comedic. The next two Avengers films offer a perfect opportunity to end his arc, but it also means other Thor storylines could be cut short.

Hemsworth’s Doomsday Return Means Brett Goldstein’s Hercules Return Is Doubtful

Hercules may not be coming back for the Avengers films.

While Thor 5 is certainly possible, it’s hard to imagine a better project for the MCU to retire Thor than Avengers: Doomsday or Secret Wars. Avengers: Endgame wrapped up the arcs of Black Widow, Iron Man, and Captain America, giving them heroic deaths or well-deserved retirements. The next two Avengers films could do the same for Thor, one of the three characters remaining from the original team.

However, this means that it’s doubtful that Marvel would have time to squeeze in a fight between Thor and Hercules while the rest of the multiverse deals with Doctor Doom. Of course, Hercules could join the others, but it would feel out of place to throw in a storyline that is so heavily focused on Thor. I hope Goldstein returns to the MCU, but it may not happen if Hemsworth leaves the MCU after Secret Wars. Still, Thor 5 could also be an excellent ending for Thor, especially after Thor: Love and Thunder proved to be underwhelming.

Upcoming MCU Movies

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  Thunderbolts*

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