Avengers: Doomsday's latest poster unveiled the first look at Thor's new Odinforce power upgrade that may be pivotal in taking on Doctor Doom. Marketing has made it clear that, as one of the few remaining OG Avengers, Thor will be a crucial part of Doomsday, attempting to make up for his past failure to defeat Thanos by stopping Robert Downey Jr.'s Doctor Doom. Fans have already seen Doom the Destroyer catch the Asgardian Avenger's Stormbreaker strike with just one hand, making it clear that he will be a real match for Thor.
Marvel Studios released a brand new international poster for Avengers: Doomsday that spotlights many of the Phase 6 blockbuster's leading superheroes, including Chris Hemsworth's Thor. Curiously, the OG Avenger is now utilizing yellow lightning, a departure from his usual blue, signaling that Thor is finally wielding the Odinforce, a powerful upgrade that may help him defeat RDJ's Doctor Doom.
The color switch-up marks a major change from previous MCU appearances, as the God of Thunder has always wielded blue lightning before now. Fans received their first tease of Thor's redesigned superpowers from Doomsday's toy line, sparking speculation about what that may mean for his return.
Even throughout Doomsday's trailers, Thor has wielded his classic blue lightning, including his failed attempt to slam Stormbreaker down upon Doctor Doom. That may suggest that his yellow lightning has either been altered for the earlier trailers to preserve the secret or that he unlocks this power later in Doomsday.
While Chris Hemsworth's God of Thunder iconically wields blue lightning into battle, the yellow is reminiscent of another major MCU character: Anthony Hopkins' Odin. The late King of Asgard and father of Thor wielded the Odinforce, a powerful blend of magical and cosmic energy and the user's life force, capable of generating near-infinite power, rivaling that of the strongest beings, even Doctor Doom.
When the Asgardian Allfather passed away in Thor: Ragnarok, he did so peacefully of old age, fading away into the Odinforce in Norway. His spirit faded into yellow energy, which has long represented the Odinforce in both the MCU and Marvel Comics, suggesting it is fueling Thor's new powers in Doomsday.
The Odinforce also acted as the mystical, cosmic energy that fueled the Destroyer in 2011's Thor, manifesting as a fiery, yellowish heat. The Destroyer was enchanted with the Odinforce, seemingly by Odin himself, to guard his vault, and was later unleashed upon Earth by Tom Hiddleston's Loki to kill Thor.
The second of Doomsday's initial four teasers featured Thor praying to Odin as he prepared to "fight once more" for the fate of the Multiverse. In that speech, Odinson called for Odin to "lend [him] the strength of the All-Fathers," which may be how he receives these new Odinforce powers, channeled from Valhalla:
"Father, all my life, I have answered every call. To honor, duty, to war. But now fate has given me something I never sought: a child. A life untouched by the storm. Lend me the strength of the All-Fathers, so that I may fight once more. Defeat one more enemy and return home to her..."
The only previous case of Thor using yellow lightning powers came in Thor: Love and Thunder through Thunderbolt, the weapon of Russell Crowe's Zeus. Thor was able to channel that power into an army of Asgardian children, and yet, his own lightning remained blue for the encounter with Gorr the God Butcher.
Will Thor's Odinforce Be Enough to Stop Doctor Doom in Avengers: Doomsday?
It's interesting that Thor has his usual blue lightning in Avengers: Doomsday's trailers, and yet has switched to yellow for the international poster. Marvel Studios may have recolored the lightning in the trailer to tie into the Odinforce surprise, or perhaps it will be losing to Doctor Doom in such a spectacular fashion on the Fox X-Men Earth that it prompts his prayer to Odin, who grants him new powers.
Only time will tell how these new superpowers redefine Thor's combat style in Doomsday, but it is certainly a logical step for his character progression to reach the heights of his legendary father, Odin, as the Multiverse collapses. The true question is whether even that will be enough to take on Victor von Doom, who will clearly be a formidable force given the ease with which he caught Stormbreaker.
The God of Thunder has endured one of the most tragic storylines in the MCU, losing his parents, brother, best friend, one true love, and some of his closest allies over the last 15 years of movies. That struggle may not be done as Thor will reportedly suffer even more trauma in Doomsday, although he has more to fight for than ever, thanks to his adopted daughter, Love, who will appear in the movie.
Of course, there is a high chance that Thor's Odinforce powers still aren't enough, as Doctor Doom will presumably have to emerge from Doomsday victorious to create Battleworld and return in Secret Wars. One has to wonder whether that may lead to Thor's demise in Doomsday, as has been widely theorized to happen, concluding Hemsworth's extensive 15-year tenure in the MCU.
