One of the six OG Avengers in the MCU reportedly has an epic send-off planned, with their life ending before Phase 6 comes to a close. The original six members making up Earth's Mightiest Heroes helped build this franchise from the ground up over the last 17 years, but with two of them already dead, it may not be long before that team dissipates.
Marvel Studios is reportedly planning a proper death/send-off for Chris Hemsworth's Thor in an upcoming Avengers movie. Having started as one of Marvel Studios' first big heroes in 2010, Hemsworth already has nearly a dozen appearances as the God of Thunder under his belt, but his time with the MCU may be close to ending.
According to insider Alex Perez (via The Cosmic Circus), Marvel wants "to give Thor a big, proper death in an Avengers movie." However, he also made sure to point out that this does not mean Thor will never be seen again in the MCU:
"Keep in mind, I said they wanted to give Thor a big, proper death in an Avengers movie. That does not automatically imply that Thor is gone forever. Let’s not forget, there’s still a place waiting for Thor at the end of it all."
Currently, Thor is one of four OG Avengers still alive in the MCU, the others being Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), Captain America (Steve Rogers), and Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner). Natasha Romanoff's Black Widow was one of Avengers: Endgame's early casualties before Robert Downey Jr.'s Iron Man met the same fate when the team defeated Thanos.
Thus far, Hemsworth has accrued 13 credited and uncredited appearances in the MCU, which include a leading role in 2026's Avengers: Doomsday. Fans can see him in the first four Avengers films, all four Thor movies, Doctor Strange's mid-credits scene, multiple episodes of What If...?, a cameo in Deadpool & Wolverine, and an uncredited voice cameo in Season 1 of Loki. Avengers: Doomsday will be Hemsworth's next movie as Thor.
What Will Happen to Thor in the MCU?
Looking at the next two Avengers movies, it would not be shocking to see director Joe and Anthony Russo decide to make the God of Thunder the next major MCU casualty. While Hemsworth has not expressed an explicit desire to leave the franchise anytime soon, the actor did share a tribute video to his tenure as Thor, which some fans interpreted as a preemptive sendoff for the character.
Being the actor with the most regular appearances over the last 15 years could also make him a prime candidate to bite the dust.
Interestingly, this may not put him in danger of not doing a fifth Thor movie, as rumors indicated that a sequel could be in the works following the end of the Multiverse Saga. This could be done similarly to how Scarlett Johansson got her send-off in Black Widow after Endgame's release.
Also important to remember is that Hemsworth is adamant about his return in a solo movie being "something unique," urging that it be a "drastically different version" of his hero than what was last seen in 2022's Thor: Love and Thunder. While his specific story is still being kept under wraps during filming for the next two Avengers movies, it would not be shocking to see him get the massive send-off teased in reports, so that he gets his last chance to shine for the MCU.
Richard Nebens joined The Direct in March 2020, now serving as the site's Senior Writer and also working as an assistant editor and content creator. He started his journalism career as a hobby in 2019 and is passionate about sharing news and stories from the entertainment industry, especially comic book movies, comedy, and sci-fi. Richard looks to expand his knowledge about movies and TV every day, and he is eager to stay locked into the latest releases and breaking news at every opportunity.
