The MCU's Thor is officially getting a brand new armored helmet ahead of Avengers: Doomsday. 15 years after boarding the MCU in 2011's Thor, Chris Hemsworth's God of Thunder is taking on his ninth major live-action appearance later this year in Avengers: Doomsday, coming to theaters on December 18. The Asgardian icon is expected to return in December 2027 for Avengers: Secret Wars, and there have been rumors about Thor 5 possibly happening after that in the MCU's third saga.
Looking beyond Doomsday, Marvel Studios and Disney Parks unveiled the cast for the Avengers: Infinity Defense ride at the D23 Expo's Disney Experiences Showcase in August, ahead of its 2028 opening. Chris Hemsworth's Thor is joining the Avengers ensemble for Infinity Defense, complete with a brand-new helmet that has never been seen in the MCU, and it looks great.
Feige confirmed at D23 Expo that Infinity Defense was captured on the set of Doomsday, and yet, Hemsworth is wearing a totally different costume. As such, fans shouldn't take this as a sign that he will have a helmet in Doomsday, despite years of calls for him to do so more often in the MCU.
In fact, Hemsworth's superhero costume for the 2028 return appears to be closest to the one he wore in Thor: The Dark World, albeit without sleeves. That's not the only change from the Phase 2 sequel, as the God of Thunder never wore a helmet in that movie, making it an original addition for Infinity Defense.
Hemsworth wore a rather comic-accurate long-winged helmet for his first scene in the MCU with 2011's Thor, in which Anthony Hopkins' Odin officially named him heir to the throne of Asgard. And yet, the helmet was missing for the rest of the movie, across his battles with the Frost Giants, Destroyer, and Loki.
Unfortunately, the God of Thunder never wore his iconic helmet in The Dark World, but he received an updated one from the Grandmaster's people on Sakaar in Thor: Ragnarok for his arena fight with the Hulk. The helmet was outfitted with collapsible wings that could be positioned for a bladed headbutt if used properly.
Thor magically conjures a vibrant gold, blue, and red armor in Love and Thunder that happens to feature extendable wings. Clearly, Thor's new helmet for Infinity Defense has the shortest wings out of the bunch, although only time will tell whether it has yet to reveal any more nifty features.
The Australian actor wasn't the only one to wear a Thor suit in Love and Thunder, as Natalie Portman's Jane Foster got her own helmet for Thor 4 as she transformed into the Mighty Thor before she succumbed to cancer. Foster now resides in Valhalla with other fallen warriors, including Idris Elba's Heimdall.
Riders will be welcome as "recruits" to Infinity Defense for an adventure across the Multiverse to take on King Thanos. While Ms. Marvel will give fans their pre-mission briefing, Thor will be among the heroes guiding these recruits on their mission and will suit up for the action himself, wearing a new helmet and suit.
There were several shots of Infinity Defense's Thor revealed at D23, and yet only one of him wearing his new helmet; the streak of Hemsworth's Thor only fleetingly wearing a helmet is set to continue for his first-ever Disney Parks appearance.
It seems that riders will get up close and personal with Thor's hammer in Infinity Defense as they shrink down with Ant-Man, standing aboard Mjolnir in the dirt and grass with Anthony Mackie's Captain America glancing down at full-size.
Chris Hemsworth will make his presence known as Thor in back-to-back-to-back years, starting this December with Doomsday, continuing next year with Secret Wars, and again in 2028 for those who visit in Infinity Defense.
What to Expect from Thor in Avengers: Doomsday & Secret Wars
Avengers: Doomsday's trailers have made it clear that Chris Hemsworth's Thor will be one of the movie's leads as he reunites with Chris Evans' Steve Rogers and faces off with Robert Downey Jr.'s Doctor Doom. Many are also hopeful that the sun will shine on Thor and Loki again, as the God of Thunder finally meets Tom Hiddleston's God of Stories, the heroically redeemed Loki from Disney+.
It seems Thor will be among those leading the united forces of the Avengers, X-Men, Fantastic Four, and New Avengers, as he was heard delivering a rousing Gladiator-esque speech in Doomsday's trailers. He will undoubtedly be fighting harder than ever as the Multiversal falls in order to get home to his adopted daughter, Love, who will return in Doomsday as well.
Of course, the question on many fans' minds is whether the God of Thunder will fall victim to RDJ's genius sorcerer, as Doomsday's first trailer made it clear that even Stormbreaker is no match for Doom. It seems likely that if Thor is to die, it will be saved until Secret Wars to adapt his iconic role in the 2015 comic.
In 2015's Secret Wars storyline, God Emperor Doom uses the Thor Corps as his police force on Battleworld, comprised of Variants who can wield Mjolnir. That unit could include the familiar Odinson, alongside Jane Foster, Storm, Beta Ray Bill, and even Throg, who boarded the MCU already in Loki Season 1.
Fortunately, Hemsworth already hinted that he expects to play Thor "a couple more times" after Avengers 5. That certainly suggests the Asgardian will survive and could set the stage for the long-rumored Thor 5 to become a reality after Secret Wars as part of Phase 7 or some point in the MCU's third saga.
However, Marvel Studios could find avenues to subvert expectations, such as killing Thor in the next Avengers movies and setting Thor 5 either as a prequel (à la Black Widow) or as an entirely Valhalla-set film. Doing so could be a clever avenue to bring back all of the God of Thunder's fallen loved ones for one last adventure in the Asgardian afterlife with something of a "happily ever after" ending.
