Marvel's Best Thor Is Officially Returning After 8 Years

Published Sep 30, 2026, 8:00 AM EDT Cooper Hood is the Associate Editor for all new movie releases, in theaters and on streaming. In addition to writing articles about these titles and upcoming releases, he also oversees content planning for each, ensuring that ScreenRant continues to cover major releases for months after their release. He has written various reviews for ScreenRant that appear on Rotten Tomatoes, coordinated Oscars and San Diego Comic-Con coverage, appeared on CNN to talk about Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning, and done select interviews with talent over the years. There have been many different versions of Chris Hemsworth's Thor throughout the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but the best iteration is confirmed to come back when the god of thunder returns in Avengers: Doomsday. The Asgardian has long been known to be part of the final films in the Multiverse Saga. Avengers: Doomsday's trailers have proven he'll take on one of his biggest roles to date. With Iron Man dead and Steve Rogers needing to refamiliarize himself with the Avengers, Thor is stepping up to be central to the crusade to save Earth-616 and stop Doctor Doom. That's why he's been seen galvanizing the heroes before this mission, praying to Odin before battle, and being the first to leap into action against Doom. These glimpses have helped show Doomsday has a more serious version of the god. This has not always been the way he's been portrayed in the MCU. His early appearances leaned into Shakespeare and tragedy, before Taika Waititi pivoted Thor towards comedy in Thor: Ragnarok, it was pushed too far in Thor: Love and Thunder, leaving audiences (and Hemsworth) wanting something different from Thor's future. The Russo brothers have now confirmed that Avengers: Doomsday's approach to Thor is the same as Avengers: Infinity War in style and tone. The directors said, "We have a specific point of view on that character," and that Infinity War Thor is who they want to "carry forward." That's great news for the god of thunder and Doomsday, considering Infinity War is the best Thor has ever been. Why Infinity War Thor Is The MCU's Best Version Thor's tone and direction has changed more than any other hero in the MCU. This is partially due to so many different directors being given a chance to mold Hemsworth's character and performance. While each version has its strengths and weaknesses, Avengers: Infinity War remains the pinnacle of Thor's on-screen portrayals thanks to how well-balanced he is. The Russos managed to capture Thor's wisdom and tragedy without making him overly serious. He's driven by the loss of Asgard, Loki, Heimdall, and more, giving him a personal reason to go after Thanos. And without Mjolnir, Thor is out to prove his power by creating Stormbreaker and hoping to be the one who stops the Mad Titan. However, the movie also works in some of Hemsworth's comedic abilities. Rather than having the comedy undercut everything else or feel forced, it is used effectively to show all aspects of Thor's personality. It's only used when the moment is already light rather than making him the comedic presence in an otherwise serious environment or group setting. The way Infinity War balances Thor's humor and seriousness is second to none. To make him even better, Infinity War is also responsible for tremendous displays of Thor's power. The movie might walk back some of Ragnarok's development that Thor's power comes from within, not Mjolnir or another weapon, but the results are fantastic. He only really gets one action sequence, but everything from him igniting a dying star to arriving in Wakanda to slashing through Thanos' army proves why he's one of the MCU's strongest characters. Infinity War Thor Returning Makes Avengers: Doomsday More Exciting Knowing that the Russos aim to treat Thor the same in Doomsday as they did in Infinity War only raises hype levels for what is coming. There could have been a version of the movie that tried to take Thor down a more comedic route, do something as vulnerable and bold as "Fat Thor" in Avengers: Endgame, or attempt to create a completely new take. Instead, it's exciting to know Thor will be back in a mold that works so well. While seeing a different side of Thor could have worked, it's hard to fault the Russos for returning the character to his best on-screen portrayal. It suggests that Avengers: Doomsday has another important and epic role for Thor lined up. The trailers have suggested as much, but there should be much more than we even realize given the Russos and Marvel's history of marketing these movies without showing key details and scenes. Release Date December 18, 2026 Runtime 165 Minutes Director Anthony Russo, Joe Russo Cast Reed Richards / Mr. Fantastic Vanessa Kirby Sue Storm / Invisible Woman Writers Stephen McFeely, Michael Waldron, Chris McKenna, Erik Sommers Producers Anthony Russo, Joe Russo, Kevin Feige, Louis D'Esposito, Jonathan Schwartz Prequel(s) Spider-Man: Brand New Day Sequel(s) Avengers: Secret Wars Franchise(s) Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers, Fantastic Four, Black Panther, Thor, X-Men