Marvel Studios revealed the return of Thor's most powerful form in official Avengers: Doomsday concept art, raising the stakes for the Multiversal clash against Robert Downey Jr.'s Doctor Doom. Marketing for Avengers: Doomsday made it clear that Thor is one of the central figures in the film, spearheading the charge against Doom in the December 18 crossover film.
Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige confirmed that Doomsday will turn Thor into an "elder statesman," suggesting he is the one rallying the new heroes to work together and set aside their "petty squabbles" to focus on the incursions they must deal with. The official trailer provided a glimpse of Thor fighting Doctor Doom, but he was clearly unmatched after Doom whisked away his Stormbreaker with his magic powers as if it were nothing.
Marvel Comics officially revealed new Avengers: Doomsday cover art for Avengers: Armageddon # 5, showcasing an epic battle featuring the confirmed MCU heroes against Doctor Doom and the X-Men world's Sentinels.
Given the high-stakes nature of the conflict against Doom, the official art revealed that Doomsday will unleash Thor's most powerful form, showcasing the God of Thunder wielding both Mjolnir and Stormbreaker as he charges onto Doctor Doom on the battlefield.
This powerful Thor moment only happened once in live-action, specifically during the climactic confrontation of the core Avengers trio against Thanos in 2019's Avengers: Endgame.
Thor unleashing his most powerful form in Endgame was not enough to withstand Thanos, but he did manage to deliver a couple of blows to the Mad Titan. Steve Rogers went on to wield Mjolnir, allowing him to showcase his own most powerful form in the fight against Thanos.
During the final battle, Thor and Steve passed Mjolnir and Stormbreaker along, and Thor never again appeared in the MCU holding both at once. After the battle, Steve returned the 2013 Mjolnir to its own time, and Thor kept Stormbreaker.
Before the dual-wield moment, Thor's most powerful version was seen in Avengers: Infinity War after he helped forge Stormbreaker and use it as his main weapon against Thanos. Unleashing Stormbreaker in the field of battle allowed him to defeat many of Thanos' army at once, and it was even more than enough to stop the full might of the Infinity Stones before the Snap.
With Thor retrieving Mjolnir in Thor: Love and Thunder from Jane Foster and Steve Rogers returning in Avengers: Doomsday, there is a solid chance that the cover art depicting Thor's dual-wielding will appear in Avengers: Doomsday, which makes sense given the high-stakes nature of the looming conflict.
Bringing Back Thor's Most Powerful In Avengers: Doomsday Underscores the Stakes
Bringing back Thor's most powerful form in Avengers: Doomsday is simply not a callback, as it is deemed by many as a measuring stick of the stakes to come, as Robert Downey Jr.'s Doctor Doom unleashes his evil plan for the Multiverse.
Avengers: Endgame already answered the question of how Thor's most powerful form fared against the MCU's greatest Infinity Saga threat in Thanos: it was still not enough, and the fact that the Mad Titan is not even using his Infinity Gauntlet and the six Infinity stones makes it even more terrifying. The fact that the most powerful live-action Thor lost to a version of the Mad Titan simply using his strength and tactics completely changes the power scale ahead of Doom's arrival.
Avengers: Doomsday's official trailers showed Doctor Doom stopping Stormbreaker, the same weapon that once cut through a blast from all six Infinity Stones, with two fingers. It proves that Doom is a step beyond Thanos in terms of power scale, that not even the strongest Avenger can stop him at full strength.
Thor's personal stakes in Doomsday complicate everything in his fight against Doom, considering that he still has his daughter, Love, to think about. Thor is fighting to remain a father, meaning the loss will be monumental and not just another random battlefield defeat. Thor's emphasis in his battle cry that they need a "miracle" to win is more than just a message; instead, it is an admission that things are not looking good for the heroes, even if he showcases his most powerful form.
