Chris Hemsworth’s Thor Odinson has now been officially announced to be returning for 2026’s Avengers: Doomsday, and the teaser that revealed his comeback fixes an issue with the character. With four feature-length Thor projects under his belt as well as starring roles in all four Avengers movies to date, Hemsworth is inarguably one of the MCU’s biggest and most beloved stars. However, how he has brought Thor to life more recently has been something of a hot topic.
Released in movie theaters ahead of Avatar: Fire and Ash, the teaser that announced Hemsworth’s presence among the extensive Avengers: Doomsday cast is a short-but-sweet trailer that probably raises more intriguing questions than it answers. Still, just like the trailer that revealed Chris Evans is coming back as Steve Rogers, Thor’s teaser is cause for celebration – even if it is far less surprising that Hemsworth is coming back. What’s even more exciting than the fact that Thor is returning is the fact that he seems to be back to how he’s more traditionally portrayed, which is awesome.
‘Avengers: Doomsday’ Will Restore Thor’s Personality Last Seen in ‘Avengers: Infinity War’
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Thor’s Doomsday trailer contains little more than a dramatic monologue that teases part of his arc in the upcoming movie. What’s particularly notable is that Hemsworth’s character doesn’t crack a single joke. There’s no zaniness to his delivery, and the focus remains on giving his return as much gravitas as possible. He hasn’t been portrayed in this way since 2019’s Avengers: Infinity War. His most recent appearance was in 2022’s Thor: Love and Thunder, and he was barely recognizable as the character who was introduced to the saga in 2011.
In Thor, the movie’s title character certainly had his moments that could be interpreted as amusing, but the humor came from organic interactions that highlighted his unfamiliarity with Earth/Midgard and the borderline awkwardness of the culture clash. As a character, he conducted himself pretty seriously and understandably had the demeanor of a mature and powerful being. These traits carried over into the first Thor sequel and all of his appearances in the Avengers movies. The only outliers were Love and Thunder and its predecessor, 2017’s Thor: Ragnarok.
Both directed by Taika Waititi, the movies painted the God of Thunder in a far sillier light. The formula was wildly successful for Ragnarok, and Hemsworth shone during the scenes that called upon his lesser-used comedic instincts. The funny scenes were incredibly prominent, but they artfully defined the movie rather than overshadowing its other elements. When Waititi returned to direct Love and Thunder, the balance was all off, and the switch between comedy and drama was almost impossible to spot. When it was obvious, it was far too jarring.
Speaking with GQ in 2023, even Hemsworth himself admitted that Love and Thunder had “too much humor.” He also said, “I think we just had too much fun. It just became too silly.” The inclusion of Thor’s new adopted daughter, Love (India Rose Hemsworth), in the new trailer suggests that the events of Waititi’s Thor movies will be acknowledged in Avengers: Doomsday, although the director himself is not currentlyinvolved with the upcoming crossover event. Instead, Doomsday has been directed by MCU icons, the Russo Brothers. This offers even more hope that Thor’s over-the-top silliness won’t be present in Doomsday.
Funny Thor Would Be Too Much for ‘Avengers: Doomsday’
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
The size of the Avengers: Doomsday cast suggests the movie will have a long runtime; otherwise, there won’t be enough opportunities for the various characters to shine. Doomsday also isn’t being marketed as a comedy, for understandable reasons. The return of Robert Downey Jr. as Doctor Doom is set up to be a deeply emotional and dramatic affair, so too many laughs would create an incredibly strange tone. When Thor is on-screen, fans will want him to be the formidable God of Thunder, not a wisecracking superhero. From his Doomsday teaser, it very much seems as though the former will be the case.
Besides, there are other confirmed members of the Avengers: Doomsday cast who are far more commonly associated with being funny, and they will probably get the majority of the movie’s humorous moments. For example, it would be a little strange if Paul Rudd’s Ant-Man wasn’t handed at least one brilliant one-liner, and the same is also true of David Harbour’s Red Guardian. In fact, the interactions between the Thunderbolts* cast in general will be ripe for comedic scenes.
Therefore, if Thor comes marching in trying to make everyone crack up, he’d be treading on the toes of characters better suited to the task. While there is a possibility that the return of Tom Hiddleston’s Loki could result in some fun sequences between Thor and his brother, the fact that Loki will have essentially risen from the dead will probably result in a heartfelt reunion rather than a string of jokes to mark the occasion. In short, everything is in place for Avengers: Doomsday to use Thor in a way that has been wastefully ignored since Infinity War, and it’s sure to be a heck of a ride when the movie lands on Dec. 18, 2026.