Captain America's ending in Avengers: Endgame could actually be the best tactic for Thor's MCU farewell. As Chris Hemsworth stars in his fourth solo MCU adventure, Thor: Love and Thunder, it seems that his character's story may be heading to a final conclusion. The original Avengers member has had ample time onscreen, but with new heroes making their way onto the scene, it might soon be time to say goodbye.
For a while, the MCU has been closing the chapter on the original Avengers in order to make room for the plethora of other heroes in Marvel's arsenal. Tony and Nat sacrificed themselves in the Infinity saga, and Steve went back to the 1940s to live out his life with Peggy. Hawkeye heavily hinted that Kate Bishop will be taking the mantle from Clint, and She-Hulk seems to be going the same way, with Bruce/Professor Hulk helping Jennifer with her powers. That only leaves the Thunder God's story left to tie up, and copying Steve's Endgame fate might be the best way to go.
Thor Odinson is a near-immortal Nordic god, and because of that, it could be trickier to give him a proper MCU ending. However, Steve's conclusion could be just right for him. Steve doesn't die or retire, he simply exists offscreen, which would also make sense for Thor. This way, Thor can still live on, and perhaps even still work as a hero in some capacity, without really disappearing from the MCU for good.
While it represents a great option for Thor, Captain America's ending was also controversial to an extent. The idea that he would leave a happy ending with Bucky after searching for him for so long, as well as going back to Peggy despite knowing she moved on and had a family of her own didn't feel within the realm of Steve Rogers' character. However, him not being traumatically killed off but simply being alive offscreen was a really strong idea regardless. Amid sacrifices and heartbreak, his ending showed that not every hero's story had to end with death, which sets up Thor's perfect MCU ending.
Thor is a fan favorite after his character was reworked by Taika Waititi. He's charismatic, powerful, and complex, and it would be a real shame to lose him as he's on such a winning streak in the MCU. Yet, Thor's story must come to an end at some point, and when his chapter does draw to an eventual close, a peaceful send-off where he lives the remainder of his days offscreen seems a nice enough way for the character to leave his permanent spot in the MCU. Further, if he does decide to continue with his heroic exploits offscreen, they could also make for some good Easter eggs. News reports could cover his latest victories, or perhaps they could be talked about at Kamala Khan's school, or Peter Parker's college, to continue to pay homage to the offscreen hero.
Thor has had a truly eventful run in the MCU, and though audiences would be happy to see Hemsworth play the role for as long as he could, it seems only sensible that the character would eventually leave to make room for new heroes. Captain America's ending was understated but incredibly effective. It gave the impression that the hero, who once lived in chaos, finally found some sort of peace offscreen, which Thor absolutely deserves.
