From his earnest beginnings to the rock and roll shenanigans of Ragnarok, here’s every Thor MCU appearance ranked, including Love and Thunder.
Thor. Son of Odin. God of Thunder. King of Asgard. The Strongest Avenger(!?). Whatever name he goes by, one thing’s for sure – there would be no Marvel Cinematic Universe without him.
Sure, we’ve seen plenty of heroes come and go in the MCU over the years, yet Chris Hemsworth’s Thor has remained a bedrock of the franchise, and the very fact that he’s getting a fourth film before any other Avenger is testament to just how important he is.
As a crucial link between the Earth-bound MCU and its more galactic side, Thor is the glue that binds the universe together, and the growth we’ve seen in him since his debut has nicely mirrored the evolution of the franchise itself.
Every Thor MCU Appearance Ranked
From his earnest beginnings to the rock and roll shenanigans of Ragnarok, Thor has experienced one of the most dramatic character evolutions of any Avenger, and with Love and Thunder looking to push the hero’s advancement even further, now seems the perfect time to reflect on just what got him here.
So, without further ado, let’s go ahead and rank all the Thor MCU appearances to date…
10. DOCTOR STRANGE (2016)
Ok, so let’s get this post-credit business out of the way first. Lasting less than a minute, Thor’s brief Doctor Strange appearance isn’t a lot to shout about, however, it is a very neat first meeting between Doctor Strange and Thor, while nicely teases what’s to come in Ragnarok, and even finds time to throw in a decent beer gag. So, it’s all pretty cool, if not particularly mind-blowing.
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9. AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON (2015)
The more you think about it, the less sense Thor’s part in Age of Ultron actually makes. As perhaps the most baffling moment in the entire MCU, that weird cave jacuzzi scene represents the nadir of Thor’s time in the franchise, and ultimately sums up the character’s waste in what should’ve been a triumphant Avengers follow-up.
Completely underserved by the script, Thor really should’ve had much more to do in the fight against Ultron, and if it wasn’t for his part in the very fun party scene at the start of the film, this would’ve been rock bottom on the list.
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8. WHAT IF….? (2021)
Chris Hemsworth-voiced Thor variants pop up throughout Marvel’s multiverse-spanning animated show but it’s with episode 7 that he really gets to run wild. Posing the question ‘what if Thor was an only child?’, were offered a glimpse at a universe where the God of Thunder never had his mischievous brother Loki balancing him out.
The result is definitely one of the more fun What If…? episodes, as an obnoxious Thor ignores the calling to protect Earth in favor of turning it into one giant rave-up. In the end, it’s a nice little fun slice of multiversal Thor shenanigans, but much more than that.
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7. THOR: THE DARK WORLD (2013)
Let’s face it, The Dark World is no one’s favourite MCU film. Hell, it’s probably few people’s favourite Thor film, however, there’s enough there to make it one of the more emotionally fulfilling Thor efforts to date.
Despite its shortcomings, we learn a lot about Thor here. From his fraught relationships with Loki and Odin, to his on-off romance with Jane Foster, there’s a lot to his character to digest in The Dark World, and despite the film’s questionable overall quality, there’s a ton to admire in how well it evolves Thor’s character.
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Thor (Chris Hemsworth) Ph: Zade Rosenthal © 2011 MVLFFLLC. TM & © 2011 Marvel. All Rights Reserved.
6. THE AVENGERS (2012)
It all seems so simple now but looking back, the trick Marvel pulled off with The Avengers remains genuinely monumental. From Cap to Hulk, this was a team of wildly disparate heroes that were all seamlessly sewn together, and chief among the film’s achievements is just how well it blends in Thor.
This is a cosmic hero unlike any other, yet the way The Avengers so comfortably slots him into its story remains one of the MCU’s greatest achievements. Oh, and of course it helps if your brother is the film’s big bad.
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5. AVENGERS: ENDGAME (2019)
Marvel took a big gamble in making Thor lose his mojo and pile on the pounds for Endgame, and while the end results aren’t for everyone, this is probably the most relatable we’ve seen the character.
Still reeling from the sheer levels of loss he’s suffered through the years and continuing to blame himself for not offing Thanos while he had the chance, Endgame Thor isn’t the god we’re used to, rather an overweight, traumatized mess, something deeply human and one that makes this take on the character infinitely more interesting than many credit it for.
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4. THOR (2011)
Marvel have taken a fair few swings in their time but tackling a character as intrinsically bizarre as Thor is right up there. Under the astute direction of Kenneth Branagh, the high fantasy world of Norse Gods and magic hammers is made into a plausible and thoroughly satisfying cinematic experience.
Sure, the film has its faults, but it really is a fantastic introduction to both Thor Odinson and Chris Hemsworth, and while both character and actor have come a long way since, the foundation laid here is invaluable.
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3. THOR: LOVE & THUNDER (2022)
Sure, the film itself is far from perfect, but what can I say? I think I’m a little bit in love with its corny little heart.
Say what you want about Taika Waititi’s take on Thor (and many seem more than happy to), but this continues to be the most interesting MCU version of the character to date and a world away from the over-earnest god we first met eleven years ago. Lovelorn, lost and continuing to use silly jokes to cover up serious trauma, Love and Thunder’s Thor is the natural next step from where we left him in Endgame.
Despite finding love again with the return of Natalie Portman’s Jane Foster, and its story offering some form of closure for the God of Thunder, Love and Thunder opens the door for plenty more Thor stories in the future, which, after four solo films and ten MCU appearances, is quite some achievement.
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2. AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR (2018)
Despite spending much of the movie detached from his fellow Avengers, Thor nevertheless plays a pivotal role in Infinity War.
With his family all dead, his home decimated, and what remains of his people taken out by Thanos, we meet Thor in a very bleak place. While he may not see much action until the finale, the God of Thunder offers some of the best moments of the entire movie, including a surprisingly heart-wrenching interaction with Rocket and one of the finest battle entrances you’re ever likely to see.
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1. THOR: RAGNAROK (2017)
It’s probably fair to say that Thor’s first two outings aren’t troubling the top of many folks’ MCU lists, and while the God of Thunder was a founding member of the Avengers, he’s always felt like a periphery figure, even in his own movies. Yet, just when you thought Thor had run out of thunder, Ragnarok comes rolling in.
In the best possible way, Ragnarok is unlike any other instalment in the trilogy and, under the unique guidance of Taika Waititi, singlehandedly springboards Thor back into the big time.
While the outlandish visuals and quirky humor make it a riot, between Thor’s family issues and his journey of self-discovery, the film’s emotional core is as strong as any Marvel effort, while allowing Thor the platform to reinvent himself for whatever future form the MCU takes.
NEXT: Thor: Love and Thunder Is A Dark Romantic Comedy
About Thor: Love and Thunder
The film finds Thor (Chris Hemsworth) on a journey unlike anything he’s ever faced – a search for self-discovery. But his retirement is interrupted by a galactic killer known as Gorr the God Butcher (Christian Bale), who seeks the extinction of the gods.
To combat the threat, Thor enlists the help of King Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson), Korg (Taika Waititi) and ex-girlfriend Jane Foster (Natalie Portman), who – to Thor’s surprise – inexplicably wields his magical hammer, Mjolnir, as the Mighty Thor. Together, they embark upon a harrowing cosmic adventure to uncover the mystery of the God Butcher’s vengeance and stop him before it’s too late.
Thor: Love and Thunder is in theaters now!
