Although his pseudo-Shakespearean characterization in the early MCU movies made him one of the dullest and most forgettable Avengers, Taika Waititi’s comedic take on the God of Thunder has revitalized the character and made him one of the franchise’s most popular characters.
Over a decade’s worth of Marvel stories – not to mention his centuries’ worth of backstory as a battle-hardened Asgardian warrior – Thor has teamed up with a bunch of fellow heroes. From the Hulk to the Guardians of the Galaxy, Thor has forged strong partnerships with many of his superpowered peers.
Erik Selvig
Not all of Thor’s sidekicks are fellow superheroes. When he first came to Earth, the only scientific mind who took his ramblings about Asgard and the Nine Realms seriously was Professor Erik Selvig.
Selvig argued that “science” was once thought of as magic and that Thor’s so-called magic could be the same. Throughout the Infinity Saga, Selvig helped Thor to uncover the mystery of the Infinity Stones, which became the backbone of the overarching narrative.
Doctor Strange
Thor only teams up with Doctor Strange briefly during one scene in Thor: Ragnarok, but thanks to Chris Hemsworth’s hilarious chemistry with a cameoing Benedict Cumberbatch, it was still memorable.
When Thor and Loki come to Earth in search of their father, Strange helps them to locate Odin’s hiding place in Norway – but only so they’ll leave the planet sooner.
Korg
When Thor is captured by the Grandmaster on Sakaar and imprisoned as a gladiator, one of his fellow prisoners is particularly friendly: Korg, the blue rock monster played by Ragnarok director Taika Waititi.
Korg is kind enough to show Thor around his new digs behind bars, and when Thor is planning his escape from the Grandmaster’s clutches, Korg stages a revolution to back him up.
The Warriors Three
While Thor’s godly powers make him more or less undefeatable, he still needs backup when he traverses the battlefields of the Nine Realms. He usually brings the Warriors Three – the collective name for Fandral, Hogun, and Volstagg – along with him.
This trio was criminally underutilized in the Thor trilogy before they were unceremoniously killed off during Hela’s reign of terror, but they got to take part in some spectacular battle sequences alongside Thor.
The Hulk
While Odinson didn’t have much interaction with the Hulk during their time with the Avengers, Thor: Ragnarok was essentially a buddy movie that showed what a great team they make when they put their minds together.
When Thor is forced to battle the Grandmaster’s champion in gladiatorial combat, he’s relieved to see that it’s “a friend from work.” The Hulk doesn’t immediately remember that Thor is his friend, but they eventually join forces to escape from Sakaar and liberate the Asgardians from Hela and Surtur.
Lady Sif
Lady Sif is one of Thor’s best friends on Asgard. As a warrior, she’s just as fierce as Thor and almost as powerful as him. They’ve fought side-by-side in countless battles over the years.
Sif has only had small supporting roles in MCU movies and she’s been increasingly sidelined over the years – she didn’t even appear in Ragnarok – but the franchise is rectifying that as she’s set to appear in Thor: Love and Thunder.
Captain America
Out of the five other core Avengers, Thor has connected the most with Steve Rogers. They’re both battle-hardened war heroes far older and more seasoned than their fellow Avengers, so they click in a way that the others don’t.
One of the most glorious moments from the Battle of New York is when Thor and Cap fight side-by-side. This partnership was reprised for Endgame’s Battle of Earth when they were each wielding an ultra-powerful Asgardian weapon that requires worthiness: “No, give me that – you have the little one.”
Valkyrie
When Thor first met Valkyrie as a hard-drinking scrapper on Sakaar, she wanted nothing to do with him. However, as they saved the Asgardians and faced Thanos and the Black Order together, they eventually became close friends.
Before leaving Earth in Endgame, the God of Thunder bestowed his throne upon Valkyrie. While he enjoys cosmic adventures as a semi-retired superhero, Valkyrie will take over as King of New Asgard.
The Guardians Of The Galaxy
After Thanos kills his brother, destroys his ship, and takes the Tesseract, Thor is left drifting through space. The Guardians of the Galaxy, answering the ship’s distress signal, stumble across the God of Thunder and bring him aboard, where he promptly assumes leadership of the team.
The Waititi-ized Thor made a hilarious addition to James Gunn’s Guardians. He bonds with Rocket (or, as he calls him, “Rabbit”), speaks Groot’s language, impresses Drax and Gamora, and butts heads with Star-Lord.
Loki
It goes without saying that Thor’s most interesting dynamic in the MCU, going back to his very first solo movie, is his bittersweet sibling rivalry with Loki. Although Loki was initially introduced as a villain, he’s since been recharacterized as more of an antihero. Starting with Thor: The Dark World, he’s teamed up with Odinson a few times.
Loki usually betrays Thor whenever they team up, which is a shame because they work so well together when the trickster god’s allegiance is genuine, like when they do “Get help!”