AVENGERS: DOOMSDAY Star Chris Hemsworth Reveals Thor’s Next Era: “He Does Feel Like One of the Elders”
Thor has been around the block. A lot. And as Avengers: Doomsday approaches, Chris Hemsworth is making it clear that the God of Thunder we’re about to see isn’t the same guy who first landed in the Marvel Cinematic Universe back in 2011. This version of Thor has history, scars, and a whole lot of lived-in weight behind him.
Hemsworth’s journey with the character began with Thor, when he was still a relatively unknown Australian actor stepping into a massive franchise.
Over the years, Thor has swung between extremes. He soared in Thor: Ragnarok, Avengers: Infinity War, and Avengers: Endgame, while other entries like Thor: The Dark World, Avengers: Age of Ultron, and Thor: Love and Thunder didn’t quite hit the same highs.
All of that evolution has led Thor to a very different place heading into Avengers: Doomsday.
While promoting his new film Crime 101, Hemsworth spoke with BroBible and reflected on how wildly Thor has shifted depending on who was steering the ship.
“Thor’s role changed in every film. I remember the first [one] I did with Kenneth Branagh — that was a complete starting point and jumping-off point. I was in the arms of one of the best directors and most detailed, collaborative partners, and it was brilliant.”
As the MCU expanded, so did the challenge of figuring out who Thor was supposed to be.
“Then I worked with different directors. Some had a clear handle on who they thought the character was, and some didn’t. Even to their own admission — I remember Joss Whedon saying it’s a tricky character to write, especially once he’s acquired that strength.
“It was really around working with Taika where I was kind of sick of what I’d been doing, and he was like, ‘Yeah, so am I. Let’s explore a different space.’”
That creative reset brought humor and unpredictability to Thor, but Doomsday looks to be shifting the tone once again. Hemsworth says his long tenure in the MCU has changed how he approaches the character, especially when standing alongside heroes who are just entering their first Avengers-level event.
“In the more recent films since then, I felt like the character had earned his seat at the table. Before that, I felt like the new guy.
“I remember sitting around on Doomsday with all these new characters, people in their first Avengers film, and thinking, ‘I have a bit of agency here. I should have a bigger voice or opinion as the character.’”
That confidence feeds directly into how Thor is being portrayed now.
“Owning that a little more, he does feel like one of the elders. He’s 2,000 years old or something, so we tried to play into that more than we had before. You reach a point in life where there’s an exhaustion and weariness, and we really leaned into that.”
The teaser for Avengers: Doomsday backs that up, showing a Thor who looks battle-worn, focused, and emotionally guarded as another massive conflict looms.
After the lighter, sillier edge of Love and Thunder, this feels like a conscious pivot. One that lines up with Hemsworth’s own past comments about wanting to ground the character again.
Anthony Russo and Joe Russo are directing and working from a script by Stephen McFeely, with Michael Waldron also contributing. It’s a creative team that knows how to balance spectacle with character, and Thor’s new status as an MCU elder statesman fits right into that wheelhouse.
Avengers: Doomsday hits theaters on December 18, with Avengers: Secret Wars following on December 17, 2027.