4 Pivotal Thor Decisions That Would’ve Completely Changed The MCU

The God of Thunder has been a part of the Avengers franchise for more than a decade now, and Thor could have made several decisions that would have significantly changed the Marvel Cinematic Universe. As an original member of the Avengers, Thor has seen the whole of the Infinity Saga play out. After surviving the events of Avengers: Endgame, he continues to be an integral player in Marvel Studios' Infinity Saga. Looking back at his stint in the MCU, however, Thor could have changed the trajectory of the franchise a few times had he made different choices.

Unlike his fellow original Avengers like Iron Man and Captain America, Thor's personal journey continues beyond his third solo film, Thor: Ragnarok. At the end of Thor: Love and Thunder, Marvel Studios have confirmed that the God of Thunder will return to the MCU; Thor is already expected to play a big role in the Avengers' next big fight against Kang the Conqueror. Before that all goes down, however, it may be wise to look back on Thor's role thus far in the MCU, including examining how the franchise would have been significantly different had it not been for some of his decisions.

4 Thor Listens To Odin & Doesn't Attack Jotunheim

On the heels of Iron Man and the Hulk's MCU introduction, Marvel Studios opened the franchise's galactic pocket with Kenneth Branagh's Thor, which came with the introduction of the Asgardians. Serving as Thor's origins story, the character was banished to Earth after defying Odin's orders and arrogantly attacked Jotunheim, effectively starting a war. Had the God of Thunder only listened to his father and stood down, not only would the conflict between the worlds not happen, but he wouldn't have been deemed unworthy of Mjölnir, stripped of his powers, and sent to Earth.

Suffice it to say, Thor's life would have been less complicated if he had followed the Allfather's orders. However, this would have also significantly changed the trajectory of the God of Thunder's arc and the MCU's storytelling. Not spending time on Earth means that Thor wouldn't have met Jane Foster and developed a connection with human beings. Without his brother's ties to Earth, Loki wouldn't have targeted it in The Avengers' Battle of New York, which wouldn't have given Nick Fury the motivation he needed to assemble the Avengers.

3 Thor Actually Being 100% Sure Loki Is Dead In The Dark World

Loki faking his own death as Thor mourns him in Thor The Dark World

As the God of Mischief, Loki had no scarcity of tricks up his sleeves — from simple pranks played on his fellow Asgardians to even faking his own death. Before Thanos mercilessly killed Loki in Avengers: Infinity War, he had faked his demise one too many times, but nothing had bigger ramifications for the MCU than when he had everyone fooled at the end of Thor: The Dark World, including Thor. Knowing full well about his brother's penchant for deception, the God of Thunder could have made sure that Loki was indeed dead.

Confirming that Loki was gone would have saved Thor from grieving, but, in the bigger scheme of things, it would have also prevented subsequent catastrophes in the MCU. The God of Mischief wouldn't have been able to dupe Asgard, impersonating Odin while the real AllFather was stuck on Earth as seen in Thor: Ragnarok. While Odin's death was seemingly pre-determined, at least he would have been able to warn his sons about the threat brought by the imprisoned Asgardian Princess, Hela. Defeating the Goddess of Death would have still been difficult, but perhaps Thor wouldn't have had to start Ragnarok just to stop his sister.

Related: Loki Season 2 Story Revealed

2 Thor Continuing His Search For The Infinity Stones

Tony, Steve, and Thor on Avengers campus in Age of Ultron

At the end of Avengers: Age of Ultron, Thor went on a solo journey searching for the Infinity Stones after recognizing that there was a bigger mystery at play in the MCU. Had he stayed Earth-bound, however, he could have prevented a more urgent catastrophe at that point: the break-up of the Avengers. Thor's departure left Iron Man and Captain America to co-lead Earth's Mightiest Heroes. If the God of Thunder was present during the events of Captain America: Civil War, he could have functioned as a mediator between his warring teammates.

The Avengers' break-up in Captain America: Civil War was definitely a precursor to the culmination of the Infinity Saga. Admittedly, there were several reasons why the Avengers lost to Thanos in Avengers: Infinity War, but Steve Rogers and Tony Stark's conflict definitely played a big part in it. Their separation essentially disbanded Earth's Mightiest Heroes, which left Earth as its most vulnerable, giving Thanos and his minions the perfect opportunity to attack. If Thor had stayed on Earth, they could have had a better chance of taking down the Titan, especially considering that his search for the Infinity Stones amounted to nothing.

1 Thor Going For Thanos' Head In Avengers: Infinity War

Avengers 3 Infinity War Thor Using Stormbreaker Against Thanos

Thor has been a major player in the MCU since Phase 1. He helped defeat Loki in the Battle of New York and was integral to neutralizing Ultron in Avengers: Age of Ultron. He is still one of the most powerful Avengers and remains an important member of the roster. However, his failure to stop Thanos in Avengers: Infinity War is something that will likely haunt him forever. After acquiring the very powerful battleaxe, Stormbreaker, Thor came so close to killing the Titan. Instead of going for the head, however, he opted for a slow kill, giving the villain just enough time to snap his fingers and execute the Decimation.

Despite Thanos' defeat in Avengers: Endgame, allowing his emotions to get the best of him, resulting in the Decimation, will likely still be Thor's biggest regret. Had he gone for the head, the universe wouldn't have suffered five years of mourning over the disappearance of half of its population. Thanos would have been quickly neutralized, with both Black Widow and Iron Man not needing to sacrifice themselves in Avengers: Endgame to take down the villain. Personally, Thor wouldn't have gone through deep depression following his catastrophic mistake. He would have likely continued his reign as the new King of Asgard, instead of relegating the responsibility to Valkyrie.

More: Why Thor Wasn’t Distraught By Iron Man’s Endgame Death