A potential Thor 5 could take its cues from the world of Wolverine if one of the original MCU directors has anything to say about it. Chris Hemsworth has played the God of Thunder since 2011, fronting four solo films and a string of Avengers team-ups, and his next outing comes in Avengers: Doomsday this December. There has been no official word from Marvel Studios on a fifth solo film for the character, but a familiar voice from the franchise's earliest days has now thrown his hat in the ring with a very interesting pitch.
Kenneth Branagh, who directed the first Thor back in 2011, told Business Insider he would love to return for one final film with the character, and he wants it built in the mould of James Mangold's Logan, which has already inspired one MCU film. The 2017 Wolverine sendoff closed out Hugh Jackman's run with a R-rated road movie that traded spectacle for character. Branagh sees that same kind of farewell as the right way to send Hemsworth's Thor off into the sunset.
Branagh helmed Thor as the fourth release of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, introducing Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston's Loki, and the wider Asgardian corner of the franchise. He was asked back for the sequel, Thor: The Dark World, but turned it down because he needed a break after spending three years on the first film. Alan Taylor stepped into the director's chair instead. Fifteen years on, Branagh told the outlet he has long had ideas for where the character could go next.
Asked about his feelings on the franchise now, Branagh said part of him would love to finish his relationship with the character and that his ideas are "more in the territory of James Mangold's brilliant Logan":
"Part of me would love to finish my relationship with that character. I'd always wanted to do more and indeed had a couple of ideas, more in the territory of James Mangold's brilliant 'Logan.' I would love to see Chris Hemsworth and the others have their own individual final story that takes Thor into a glorious twilight."
Hemsworth himself has been openly campaigning for more solo time as Thor. Speaking on the SmartLess podcast earlier this year, the actor said he had been talking to Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige about playing the character "a couple more times" after Avengers: Doomsday, and that they had ideas to do something "pretty unique again" with the character.
What are the Chances of Thor 5 Happening?
On paper, the odds of a fifth solo Thor film actually getting made are stronger than they look. The two people who matter most, Hemsworth and Feige, are already in active conversation about more outings for the character beyond the next two Avengers movies. Hemsworth said as much himself, and his "a couple more times" comment all but confirms there is a Thor slot somewhere on Marvel's whiteboard. At this point, the question is about when it will happen rather than if.
Branagh's pitch would be the perfect direction to go for the next Thor film, because Marvel has a real tonal problem to solve before it greenlights another Thor project. Thor: Love and Thunder split fans hard with its slapstick style, and Hemsworth has openly admitted he leaned too far into self-parody on that one.
A Logan-style sendoff would be the best possible reset, giving Hemsworth a more serious movie. The biggest hurdle, though, for another Thor movie is the timing. Marvel's release calendar from now through to 2027 is already heavy with Avengers: Doomsday, Avengers: Secret Wars, and Spider-Man: Brand New Day. Phase 7 will likely focus on the X-Men reboot, Black Panther 3, and a potential Fantastic Four sequel. There's also Doctor Strange, who badly needs his third film. Realistically, a Thor 5 might not happen until the back half of the decade.
Geraldo Amartey is a writer at The Direct. He joined the team in 2025, bringing with him four years of experience covering entertainment news, pop culture, and fan-favorite franchises for sites like YEN, Briefly and Tuko.
