Endgame Thor/God of Thunder - Chris Hemsworth

[HammerDown]

Thor's arc is very easily spelled out by Frigga: accept the person you are, not the one you're supposed to be. Thor was born and bred to be a king and the mightiest warrior almost like a race horse. He never was in a war he didn't inevitably win, until Thanos. When he tried to rub his victory in the face of Thanos, like he has all his life, half the universe died and there was not a way they could see to fix it. Thor may have beheaded Thanos, but it did nothing to change his defeat. So then he spirals into a massive depression, stops caring about his responsibilities and sinks deeper and deeper. By the time we see him in Endgame, he is so far gone, he cannot even muster contributing in the mission to get the Aether, Then he talks to his mother, who once again teaches him a valuable life lesson which he carries with him for the remainder of the film. But this experience taught Thor he is not right to lead his people since he was an absentee king, so he is going with the Guardians to rediscover himself. Makes perfect, logical sense to me.

As for why didn't he get buff when he called Stormbreaker and Mjolnir, I agree with the writers. Thor is supposed to grow more comfortable in his OWN skin. Whether that be muscular adonis or lebowski Thor, it shouldn't matter. He is who he is. So I like that they didn't magically "fix" his physique. Granted, Thor with a new purpose can maybe train between movies and be in better shape now, but if Thor is still closer to Lebowski Thor, I am okay with that, too.

 

[HammerDown]

Even a broken clock is right twice a day.
Credit to where it's due... This image is badass.

 

[MrWayne]

Yeah he couldve had a road to recovery then later showed great feats in the final Thanos battle that's it so simple.

Nah man, we've seen that before... MANY times and not even all that long ago!

What we haven't seen was a fat Thor get closure with is mother and grow into a new stage in his life with new adventures ahead with all new friends! Thats exciting!

I think may of us are getting very caught up in want WE WANTED rather than what we got, and while I do see all of your opinions and agree with many them, I accept what they did here with End Game Thor. I like that it was very unexpected. Different.

 

[MrWayne]

Thor's arc is very easily spelled out by Frigga: accept the person you are, not the one you're supposed to be. Thor was born and bred to be a king and the mightiest warrior almost like a race horse. He never was in a war he didn't inevitably win, until Thanos. When he tried to rub his victory in the face of Thanos, like he has all his life, half the universe died and there was not a way they could see to fix it. Thor may have beheaded Thanos, but it did nothing to change his defeat. So then he spirals into a massive depression, stops caring about his responsibilities and sinks deeper and deeper. By the time we see him in Endgame, he is so far gone, he cannot even muster contributing in the mission to get the Aether, Then he talks to his mother, who once again teaches him a valuable life lesson which he carries with him for the remainder of the film. But this experience taught Thor he is not right to lead his people since he was an absentee king, so he is going with the Guardians to rediscover himself. Makes perfect, logical sense to me.

As for why didn't he get buff when he called Stormbreaker and Mjolnir, I agree with the writers. Thor is supposed to grow more comfortable in his OWN skin. Whether that be muscular adonis or lebowski Thor, it shouldn't matter. He is who he is. So I like that they didn't magically "fix" his physique. Granted, Thor with a new purpose can maybe train between movies and be in better shape now, but if Thor is still closer to Lebowski Thor, I am okay with that, too.

Somebody gets it!!! Seriously can we sticky this please??
I think too many people are fawning over seeing Hemsworths muscles one last time and are having a fit about it

 

[herolee10]

Thor's arc is very easily spelled out by Frigga: accept the person you are, not the one you're supposed to be. Thor was born and bred to be a king and the mightiest warrior almost like a race horse. He never was in a war he didn't inevitably win, until Thanos. When he tried to rub his victory in the face of Thanos, like he has all his life, half the universe died and there was not a way they could see to fix it. Thor may have beheaded Thanos, but it did nothing to change his defeat. So then he spirals into a massive depression, stops caring about his responsibilities and sinks deeper and deeper. By the time we see him in Endgame, he is so far gone, he cannot even muster contributing in the mission to get the Aether, Then he talks to his mother, who once again teaches him a valuable life lesson which he carries with him for the remainder of the film. But this experience taught Thor he is not right to lead his people since he was an absentee king, so he is going with the Guardians to rediscover himself. Makes perfect, logical sense to me.

As for why didn't he get buff when he called Stormbreaker and Mjolnir, I agree with the writers. Thor is supposed to grow more comfortable in his OWN skin. Whether that be muscular adonis or lebowski Thor, it shouldn't matter. He is who he is. So I like that they didn't magically "fix" his physique. Granted, Thor with a new purpose can maybe train between movies and be in better shape now, but if Thor is still closer to Lebowski Thor, I am okay with that, too.

While I agree/understand most of what you are saying the problem here is that the film did not give us an answer/closure as to what kind of person Thor is supposed to be. So he is not a leader. Great, then what is he? Or is that something that will be answered in future installments?

More importantly what does Thor contribute to both the story and defeating Thanos? Every hero who survived the snap (sans War Machine perhaps) all played an important/vital role in reversing the snap and defeating Thanos. Thor did not. He could have been dusted like everyone else in IW and the story for EG would not have been severely impacted by it.

Plus, with all of this talk from the Directors/Writers of how Thor's condition was a tragic one, the film played it off mainly for laughs.

At the end of the day, I can learn to accept Thor's new look but him being practically useless in the film is not something that can be as easily overlooked.

 

[Lantern Venom]

With the glowing eyes, lighting dancing off of his weapons, and the Viking hair/beard, no one is ever going to convince me that the beer belly made him any less intimidating during this scene.

 

[kguillou]

Fat Thor went down a lot better for me the second watch and I was able to catch more nuances in Hemsworth’s performance with a calmer audience not cracking up everytime he showed up onscreen. I get what they were going for but I think we can all admit...they could’ve toned it down a few notches and not played it for laughs constantly. I think thats whats dividing people. Had it been toned down and been a bit more dramatic in parts it wouldve been more unanimously well received.

But not gonna lie, Thor looked HEAVY METAL AF with his Viking look and wielding two weapons in the final act. THAT’s the Thor I love from the comics.

 

[ArmsHeldOut]

With the glowing eyes, lighting dancing off of his weapons, and the Viking hair/beard, no one is ever going to convince me that the beer belly made him any less intimidating during this scene.

An older Hemsworth would make a phenomenal Odin in a far-off Thor reboot.

 

[KRYPTON INC.]

Fat Thor went down a lot better for me the second watch and I was able to catch more nuances in Hemsworth’s performance with a calmer audience not cracking up everytime he showed up onscreen. I get what they were going for but I think we can all admit...they could’ve toned it down a few notches and not played it for laughs constantly. I think thats whats dividing people. Had it been toned down and been a bit more dramatic in parts it wouldve been more unanimously well received.

But not gonna lie, Thor looked HEAVY METAL AF with his Viking look and wielding two weapons in the final act. THAT’s the Thor I love from the comics.

This is my issue with it. Given it is Marvel Studios OF COURSE they are gonna go to deep into cheap laughs. Given it's Hemsworth OF COURSE he got that script seeing what they did and was eager to flex his comedy chops again and have a ball on set. Given how uncritically the fans embraced funny meathead Thor in Ragnarok, OF COURSE the film makers thought taking those aspects up a notch would be something they could get away with.

Given how heavy on drama the movie was going to be I get wanting to service the fans who seem to be unable to accept a super hero story without a certain amount of comedy, as Marvel Studios has indeed groomed a huge chunk of the audience to both accept, nay, demand at this point.

And... The jokes worked. The humor landed, and there is great humorous potential inherent in the idea... But it is no wonder there are lots of people online thinking of what they did with Thor primarily through the lens of his use in the story as comic relief since the continual barrage of humor simply overshadowed whatever good dramatic material they were developing for Thor across the film's run time.

But... This wasn't new. This was an issue with Ragnarok as well but fans shouted those that pointed that out pretty firmly when it came out. I would argue there it's actually worse than AEG since the dramatic and logical repercussions which should be HUGE upon the character are anemic at best. Learning he had a sister from a time Odin was a murdering bastard who was a conqueror and that all of this was kept from him for a thousand years? Yeah that seems rich with dramatic potential. Except the film ignores it all. If you wanna see how such material can be done right look at a similar plot in Black Panther and how that movie handled a royal son learning a terrible secret revealed to him about the past actions of his father. There, that **** MATTERED, it was given focus and it wasn't undercut by minimising its impact or how much time it got to register in the audience's minds by having to make room for an avalanche of jokes. In AEG at least you can see there is strong character work being done... But you had to march through a tangled jungle of gags to get there.

From Thor 1 through all his other appearances in the MCU pre Ragnarok Thor was perfectly fine as a character. That the DARK WORLD was such a lackluster mediocre film in no way justified turning Thor into a noble meathead. The character did't need to be "fixed" because TDW was so "meh", ironically because that movie leaned on the comedy crutch and did its super hero material in such a pro forma and uninspired way.

But the mass audience and fans for whatever reason, swallowed this idea whole without a critical eye. The hardcore fans because in Ragnarok, on a superficial level, Thor was "awesome" which just came down to big power displays. The mass audience accepted this because all they have to do is look at the hardcore fans discussing super heroes online for ten years now and easily get the impression that the only legitimate way to do the majority of super heroes is if it's slathered in a thick coating of comedy about half the time.

Is it really hard to figure out why Thor is the way he is in this film?

 

[HammerDown]

I liked Thor's character in Thor 1 and in the Avengers.
The humor and character work was really the shinning aspects of their approach. Also there was a level of badassery to go along with it which it made it even more enjoyable.

I strongly disliked The Dark World because it was so uninspired and it did a disservice to the character and the franchsie. Sure it had some redeeming moments but by far the bad outweighed the good. Visually it more or less followed the same path as the first movie but there was just a general blandness about the whole thing. It was a massive misstep in the franchise and one that soured people's taste and interest in it.

Then we had Age of Ultron which i liked and they even did some decent stuff with Thor but again the shadow from the TDW loomed over the character. Thor had some interesting stuff sprinkled through but he still felt very much like an ancillary character.

I loved Ragnarok because it revitalized the franchise and the character in a big way. Ragnarok had to accomplish a lot in order to succeed... and it did just that, not only critically but box office-wise. They leaned heavily into what had worked before, the humor and Hemsworth's natural charisma. Did they lean a bit too much into the comedy angle? Yes. Did it all work? No. But for the most part it was a fresh, new, engaging and reinvigorating new take. It definitely had some flaws like a superficial brush to the drama, a unevenness to the story, some debatable narrative choices and dodgy execution of important scenes.

In the end of the day the good largely outweighed the bad. Hemsworth performance was great, the Thor stuff was a treat, cool, funny, badass... Taika's direction was fresh, funny and bold. Great characters where successfully introduced, solid character work... Out of this world visual flair, solid soundtrack, strong and overall successful creative choices throughout.

Infinity War picked up where Ragnarok left off. Largely a very different movie but one that expertly used the groundwork laid out before to create a strong and compelling story arc for the character. Thor was at his very best in IW. Strong character work. The drama was executed very well, the humor was subdued but on point and he was as badass as the fans want him to be.

AEG dealt with the repercussions of the thirst for revenge overshadowing his best judgement. It definitely was a layered and impactful look at the character. It took the moment of humanity laid out in IW by his conversation with Rocket and built on that by making the character even more human, flawed and relatable. His physical transformation is a big and understandable point of contention though. While the portrayal was funny and also tragic, it didn't hit that perfect balance because it leaned a bit too much into the misery and worthless angle. Coupled with the fact of Thor being a shadow of his former self it's easy to see why some people had their issues with this portrayal of the character.

 

[Spider-Fan]

While I agree/understand most of what you are saying the problem here is that the film did not give us an answer/closure as to what kind of person Thor is supposed to be. So he is not a leader. Great, then what is he? Or is that something that will be answered in future installments?

More importantly what does Thor contribute to both the story and defeating Thanos? Every hero who survived the snap (sans War Machine perhaps) all played an important/vital role in reversing the snap and defeating Thanos. Thor did not. He could have been dusted like everyone else in IW and the story for EG would not have been severely impacted by it.

Plus, with all of this talk from the Directors/Writers of how Thor's condition was a tragic one, the film played it off mainly for laughs.

At the end of the day, I can learn to accept Thor's new look but him being practically useless in the film is not something that can be as easily overlooked.

Thor's story is not over yet, so this is something for Gunn and, if they make a Thor 4 with Taika as rumored, for him to decide. The end of the arc here is the realization that he is not the person he is supposed to be.

 

[kguillou]

I never thought Thor ‘s character needed fixing. In Thor 1 Hemsworth perfectly captured the character from the comics, he was charming, regal, a little arrogant and naive, the way Thor should be. Thor was never a jokester, his humor came from his natural ignorance/ naivety on how things worked on earth. They didnt need to lean heavier on his comedic side but its what Taika Waititi and Hemsworth wanted and Ragnarok landed with the audiences so this is the Thor we’re getting from now on.

 

[Zarex]

The only Fat Thor joke I didn't care for was Rhodey's joke about cheez whiz running through his veins. Besides being unfunny, it didn't seem appropriate for his character to take a shot at Odinson given their apparent lack of relationship.

Frigga suggesting he should have a salad? Funny, and exactly what a concerned mom would say. Tony's Lebowski gag? Amusing and not hurtful. Rocket saying Thor looked like melted ice cream? Nasty, but acceptable given that the two have been through some sh** together. Rhodey's swipe, however, just came off as cruel.

 

[JtheDreamer]

Thor's story is not over yet, so this is something for Gunn and, if they make a Thor 4 with Taika as rumored, for him to decide. The end of the arc here is the realization that he is not the person he is supposed to be.

For me personally, I am loathing the idea of juvenile James Gunn ever getting his creepy hands on the character. So it makes what I saw in EG even harder to accept.

 

[Spider-Fan]

For me personally, I am loathing the idea of juvenile James Gunn ever getting his creepy hands on the character. So it makes what I saw in EG even harder to accept.

To each his own. Love Gunn's work

 

[Zarex]

An older Hemsworth would make a phenomenal Odin in a far-off Thor reboot.

Jason Aaron's comic book run featured Old King Thor with one eye, a Destroyer arm and three thunder goddess granddaughters. I'd love for Hemsworth to portray that guy at some point.

 

[MrWayne]

I guess I'm in the minority who has no issues with End Game Thor. Although I was very surprised they went there and let the gags run for as much as they did, I loved it. I get what they were going for and it worked for me. Hemsworth is just a funny dude and a great fat Thor.

and for those of us who are disappointed, I am sure Asgardians of the Galaxy will bring us back some good ol' Thor but then again, I wouldn't be surprised at all and still wouldn't have issue with a Fat (viking) Thor in the next film. He looked totally badass.

 

[harlequinade]

 

[MrWayne]

Haha c'mon man,, Thats money!

 

[harlequinade]

 

[HammerDown]

 

[David Chien]

Hi guys I've rewatched Endgame and actually I feel that is a really good movie and I understand why the directors had to do this to Thor.

First of all at the start of IW, Thanos rekts the entire Asgardian ship, killing Loki and Heimdall before leaving the ship to blow. One was his brother and the other was his bestfriend. And worst of all Thanos destroyed almost all of Asgard, a nation Thor was born in and was now the ruler. When Thor was found floating in space by the GOTG, Mantis stated that Thor was feeling tremendous guilt and pain. After obtaining Stormbreaker, he received a huge power boost and almost killed Thanos, though missing the head. At the start of EG he kills Thanos but was unable to bring back his people, those he cared about and those under his rule. So as a true King he felt huge disappointment and guilt and unfortunately due to plot had to slumber into alcohol abuse.

Now this alcohol abuse due to plot was to give Iron Man and Captain America the limelight cause this is their final show, a show to close their chapter. There was no other way. If Thor had been in full strength he would have been enough to kill Thanos or to keep Thanos 100% occupied. What would then be of Captain Marvel who is even stronger than Thor? To be honest even fat Thor managed to come close to killing Thanos at the end while using both Stormbreaker and Mjolnir. Now having understood why the show was directed this way, that the focus should be on Captain America and Ironman, I think that is enough for me to actually show that Thor is still one of the strongest out there even though he was out of shape.

Captain Marvel went one on one with Thanos and was having the advantage till Thanos 1 shot her using the power stone. Wonder how captain marvel fans would feel about that cause i think even 1 shot with the powerstone might not be enough to completely take her out of the game.
Captain America had his power-up moment when he could wield mjolnir. But even after all his combo and smashing of Thanos, I realized that Thanos didn't even had a single drop of blood. And at the end Thanos one punch Captain America and he was knocked out cold.

All these to me were just to set up Iron Man so he could at the most desperate moment snatch the infinity stones before snapping his fingers, making the ultimate sacrifice but having the greatest kill. At the end of the day the main focus was on CA and Ironman, consider it their swansong. Thor would still have his show, most likely in GOTG3.

So I think overall i've come to accept it and it was truly indeed a good show, with great action and a solid plot with alot of references to the previous MCU shows. I hope my post helps those Thor fans who were initially pissed with the movie to calm down and understand why the show had to be this way. =)

 

[Charzhin0]

Hi guys I've rewatched Endgame and actually I feel that is a really good movie and I understand why the directors had to do this to Thor.
And worst of all Thanos destroyed almost all of Asgard, a nation Thor was born in and was now the ruler. When Thor was found floating in space by the GOTG, Mantis stated that Thor was feeling tremendous guilt and pain. After obtaining Stormbreaker, he received a huge power boost and almost killed Thanos, though missing the head. At the start of EG he kills Thanos but was unable to bring back his people, those he cared about and those under his rule. So as a true King he felt huge disappointment and guilt and unfortunately due to plot had to slumber into alcohol abuse.

The fat jokes and using Thor as a gag for 2/3rds of the movie wasnt necessary. Take his depression and alchohol seriously if you want a good redemption arc, similar to Xavier in Xmen DOFP. The moment in IW where Thor is saved by the Guardians, its very well acted by Hemsworth who is putting on a facade to appear tough and confident but later he has a great soft heart to heart moment of admission to rocket. And at the beginning of Endgame we see him looking very stoic and full of regret. The rest of the movie where hes acting like a fat bufoon is just out of tone and character for him.

One of the worst moments is where Thor is explaining the Aether and how to get it then starts to talk about potentially seeing his dead mother on Asgard and whats running through his veins, and Rhodey says Cheese Wizz? A petty low powered human saying that to the Asgardian God of Thunder. Would never have happened in previous Avenger movies when Thor was respected and feared.

 

[Zarex]

I agree that the Cheez Wizz joke was bad, and it seemed cruel coming from a guy with whom Thor has shared very little screen time. But I don't recall all that many jokes at Tubby Thor's expense. The few others were either good natured and/or from close friends or family.

And I think Odinson's five year struggle in coping with guilt through food, beverage and isolation was much more compelling than Xavier's decade long self pity party because his legs don't work.

 

[Charzhin0]

And I think Odinson's five year struggle in coping with guilt through food, beverage and isolation was much more compelling than Xavier's decade long self pity party because his legs don't work.

Asgardian metabolism would not allow him to get that fat. I dont think compelling is good word to describe Thors plunge into depression. Its pretty 1 note and the constant humour associated with his conditions lessens the impact from a viewers POV. It can be almost considered bullying.

Nonetheless, Xaviers ''pity party'' was far more than just losing his legs. It was losing the students, the teachers and closing down his school for the gifted which had been his dream. And most importantly losing his little ''sister'' in Mistique to Magnetos evil ways.