Many fans were delighted to see the words “Thor Will Return” at the end of Thor: Love and Thunder, and now they wait with pitched anticipation for an announcement about Thor 5. The evolution the character has experienced because of his adventures in the MCU, and especially for the special approach Taika Waititi took in his films, is quite interesting to think about. Before Thor, he was a well-known and storied hero from Marvel Comics, but nowhere near as universally beloved as Spider-Man or the X-Men.
However, now Thor is definitely one of the premier superheroes on the market. While he’s been part of iconic team-ups in Avengers films and TV shows, he has also headlined several of his own projects. Most are from Chris Hemsworth’s tenure in the role, but there are other appearances in animation to consider too. Of the nine projects in which Thor has served as the titular protagonist, this is how IMDb reviewers rated them.
Thor: Tales of Asgard - 6.2
The animated film, Thor: Tales of Asgard, currently stands at last place, but still with a relatively respectable rating. It is still regarded as one of the better animated films from Marvel Comics, showcasing Thor as a teenage hero. While he is often defined and recognized by his trusty hammer, Mjølnir, Thor: Tales of Asgard instead focuses on his search for the Lost Sword of Surtur.
He is joined by his classic allies Sif, the Warriors Three, and even Loki, but they have to deal with one of his most prolific villains, Amora the Enchantress. The film was actually released in 2011 to coincide with Thor and while it’s obviously not part of the MCU, it is compelling in understanding his and Loki’s complicated relationship.
Thor & Loki: Blood Brothers - 6.3
One of the most exciting endeavors Marvel Comics has undertaken on the animation front is their use of motion comics, truly bring the pages to the screen. Thor & Loki: Blood Brothers is a great example of this. Across the four episodes, it follows Loki as he has become the king of Asgard, and he must contend with his relationship with Thor when Hela asks for the latter’s soul.
Since it primarily focuses on Loki, despite his name being second in the title, Thor is more or less relegated to his classic depiction without much nuance. However, the enticing visuals in bringing the comics to life certainly make Thor & Loki: Blood Brothers quite exciting.
Thor: Love and Thunder - 6.7
Interestingly, Thor: Love and Thunder is currently the lowest-rated MCU Thor film, which could come as a surprise to many fans. Twitter was positively alive upon the premiere in July, with fans sharing their reactions and thoughts. Many loved it for the jovial and light-hearted tone, while others looked at that – and Taika Waititi’s approach in turn – as a negative. They want Thor to be classically over-serious and not a lovable goofball.
While it’s got its detracting elements, Thor: Love and Thunder is definitely a fun and entertaining film. The humor shines through, and it was great to see Natalie Portman lift a reformed Mjølnir as the Mighty Thor. Plus, audiences were gifted with one of the best villains in the MCU, Gorr the God Butcher, played by Christian Bale. Importantly Thor: Love and Thunder does set up some intriguing possibilities for future MCU projects beyond Thor 5, including projects for Hercules, Valkyrie, and the Mighty Thor.
Thor: The Dark World - 6.8
What’s surprising about Thor: Love and Thunder’s placement is that it is below Thor: The Dark World, which is unfortunately widely regarded as one least-liked MCU films. Due to the poor response to the film and Thor’s next feature, Avengers: Age of Ultron, Hemsworth was questioning his future in the MCU. Thankfully, Thor: Ragnarok was able to curb those mistakes.
Thor: The Dark World is still a very redeemable and enthralling film, though like its predecessor, that’s largely because of the standout performance by Tom Hiddleston as Loki. Nevertheless, it does mark an important moment for the MCU, as it's the film to officially introduce the Infinity Stones and thus setting the stage for Thanos’ impending arrival.
Hulk vs. Thor - 6.9
One of Thor’s best pairings is, of course, with one of the few heroes capable of rivaling him for the title of The Strongest Avenger, the Hulk. Hulk vs. Thor, as its name implies, pits the two powerhouses against each other thanks to Loki’s mischievous machinations. Not only does it focus on Thor and Loki’s relationship, but that between the Hulk and Bruce Banner, with the two personalities temporarily living in separate bodies.
Hulk vs. Thor is associated with Hulk vs. Wolverine, as they were released together as Hulk vs, which is also among Marvel’s highest-rated animated movies. The former pairing fighting and working together has been shown several times in the MCU, so hopefully that will be possible for Hulk and Wolverine sometime soon too.
Thor - 7.0
Compared to the other inaugural films of the MCU such as Iron Man and Captain America: The First Avenger, Thor is quite unique. Director Kenneth Branagh infused the film with a grand and practically Shakespearean aura, setting the stage for what future depictions would look like. Interestingly, the entire town in New Mexico was built specifically for Thor, which some point out as lackluster relative the beauty created for Asgard.
Relative to the MCU origin films, Thor is definitely high on the list, as it didn’t regurgitate the same formula or pattern and really expanded the kinds of stories the MCU could tell. Hemsworth quickly showcased that he was a great fit for the role, but was clearly outshone by Hiddleston’s Loki. As gods, they could be difficult to interpret, but Thor humanizes them in an enticing way while still not diminishing their power.
Team Thor: Part 2 - 7.4
Immediately following Captain America: Civil War, many fans were asking where Thor was and why he wasn’t involved at all. They had to wait a bit to find out, but when they did, it was in the coolest way possible. As part of making Thor: Ragnarok, Taika Waititi also made funny one-shots showing that Thor was avoiding the trouble living with his new roommate Darryl.
They emulated his hilarious film What We Do In The Shadows in their mockumentary format. The second one, Team Thor: Part 2 was released as an extra on the Doctor Strange Blu-ray and featured Thor and Darryl butting heads over cleaning their apartment. Darryl returned in a third shot, Team Darryl and even in Thor: Love and Thunder as a resident of New Asgard.
Team Thor: Part 1 - 7.9
Team Thor, the first of the three shorts, was released on the Captain America: Civil War Blu-ray and introduces Darryl to the MCU. It is definitely one of the funniest one-shots by Marvel and was a great way to integrate fans into Waititi’s special take on the character and the tone of Thor: Ragnarok. Mark Ruffalo also featured, and it was shown that Thor wasn’t invited to participate in the battles in Captain America: Civil War.
Interestingly, while these are just simple and funny, they do mess with the timeline somewhat. Thor taking a break from superheroing in Australia and settling down with a random roommate makes sense, but Bruce Banner being there does not. Thor: Ragnarok clearly establishes what happens to him after Avengers: Age of Ultron.
Thor: Ragnarok - 7.9
It's not really a surprise to see Thor: Ragnarok at the top spot for Thor projects. The film is definitely in the top-tier for the MCU overall and was responsible for making many fans really fall in love with Hemsworth as Thor, while also clearly showcasing the range of powers he possesses.
What also made Thor: Ragnarok shine was the use of Hulk – partly adapting the Planet Hulk – and introducing Valkyrie, Korg, and the Grandmaster. In part, expectations played an important role in the response to Thor: Ragnarok. Many weren’t anticipating being blown away with the creativity and ingenuity after his previous appearances, but even without those standards, Thor: Ragnarok would still have the top spot – it’s just that good.