Chris Hemsworth’s Thor has had quite the journey within the Marvel Cinematic Universe. While the character started as an arrogant and battle-hungry prince, he’s now an honorable and cerebral warrior, who’s also the adoptive father of a child. The Asgardian hero’s arc has been filled with tonal changes as well, which have seen him go from serious to silly and vice versa. Hemsworth himself recently admitted that those shifts can nag at fans, but he has a different take on his MCU alter ego’s evolution.
It’s fair to say that humor – in some form – has always been in Thor’s DNA as far as the MCU is concerned. However, the latter two films in the character’s franchise – Ragnarok and Love and Thunder – shifted into heavy comedic material under the direction of filmmaker Taika Waititi. While the tonal changes hit for some, others seemed to prefer a more solemn depiction of the character as can be seen in Avengers: Infinity War. Now, it seems that particular version of Thor will also be present in the much-anticipated Avengers: Doomsday.
During a recent visit to The View (which was shared to YouTube), Hemsworth was asked about playing a more “serious” Thor again in Doomsday. The veteran Marvel star didn’t let any big details slip, though he did refer to that truly moving Thor teaser for Doomsday when discussing his character’s vibe in Joe and Anthony Russo’s upcoming superhero movie. Hemsworth also shared his personal thoughts on playing Thor in different ways:
Yeah, you get a taste from [the teaser] that is a different tone than, I guess, what Love and Thunder was. And what I loved about my time in the MCU, I was able to, every couple of films, change the tone of the character. And some people, they find it a bit disruptive, but for my own artistic journey and adventure, it's been a great blessing to be able to do that.
I completely understand the leading man’s thought process here. What Hemsworth seems to relish is the opportunity to try varied approaches to the God of Thunder and, with that, he keeps his approach to the role fresh. While Thor: Love and Thunder may not be high atop my MCU film ranking, the movie does indeed give Hemsworth a chance to indulge in the kind of slapstick action that made Ragnarok feel like such a sweet novelty.
Of course, I also love it when the Odison gets serious, and that definitely seems to be the case when it comes to Doomsday. As Hemsworth mentioned during his recent interview, the clip highlighted the mighty hero’s close relationship with his daughter, Love. Thor calls to Odin and asks that if it be his will, that he’ll return to his child after this latest battle (possibly with the forces of Doctor Doom). The media-trained Marvel star stopped shorting of revealing too much, though:
This film, you see from the trailer, he's asking for help from his father upstairs. And there's a lot of pressure, and I can't say much at all. Every word I'm saying, that's one too many. I hear Kevin Feige on the other end of the phone call saying, 'Stop, stop, stop.'
All signs point to Thor feeling a great sense of urgency in the upcoming Marvel movie. Chris Hemsworth recently stated that by this point, the character has more than “earned his seat at the table” and that excites me. My hope is that when fans see the character again, he’ll not only be powerful but also serious and empathetic.
See what lies ahead for Thor when Avengers: Doomsday opens in theaters on December 18 amid the 2026 movie schedule. In the meantime, track the do-gooder’s MCU tonally varied journey by streaming his films and others with a Disney+ subscription.
