Thor: Love and Thunder star Chris Hemsworth wants Thor to have a drastically different tone if he returns to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The god of thunder underwent a complete tonal transformation once Taika Waititi took over Thor: Ragnarok, as the acclaimed director brought humor to the forefront. The comedic version of Thor remained for the sequel due to the overwhelmingly positive response to the change. Thor: Love and Thunder doubled down on the humor, but the movie was met with a more divisive reception from critics and fans. The surprising turn of events has left Thor's MCU future in a somewhat uncertain place.

Now that several months have passed since Thor: Love and Thunder's release, Hemsworth is beginning to open up more about his experience on the film and what he wants to see from Thor if he returns to the MCU. The actor recently spoke to Josh Horowitz for the Happy Sad Confused Podcast and the topic of Thor's future inevitably came up. Hemsworth was asked what comes next for the god of thunder after playing so many iterations of the character. He admitted that Thor's MCU return should have a drastically different tone than what audiences have seen recently.

You look at Thor 1 and 2, they were quite similar. Ragnarok and Love and Thunder are similar. I think it’s about reinventing it. I’ve had such a unique opportunity with Infinity War and Endgame to do very drastic things with the character. I enjoy that, I like keeping people on their toes. It keeps me on my toes. It keeps me invested. I’ve said this before but when it becomes too familiar, I think there’s a risk in getting lazy then because I know what I’m doing. I don’t know if I’m even invited back, but if I was, I think it would have to be a drastically different version in tone, everything, just for my own sanity… [laughs] Thor lost his mind that last one. He’s got to figure it out now.

Related: It's Time Marvel Killed The MCU's Comedy Thor

Why Thor's Comedic Tone Has To Change After Love & Thunder

Thor Love and Thunder

Chris Hemsworth has always brought some comedic presence to Thor, as even the first Thor utilized his fish-out-water state to make audiences laugh. This tone was largely maintained through his appearances in the Avengers movies and his solo sequel. While Thor: Ragnarok's comedy is mostly beloved by audiences, Thor: Love and Thunder's comedic tone arguably went too far even compared to Marvel movies. This not only applied to Chris Hemsworth's Thor Odinson but all the other characters in the sequel, giving Thor 4 an overly silly tone, especially considering the threat level that Gorr the God Butcher (Christian Bale) should have brought.

The more mixed reception to Thor: Love and Thunder is seemingly a sign that audiences are not quite as fond of the fully comedic Thor. While Hemsworth was quite open about loving the new direction in the past, it seems even he is not fully on board with this tone remaining for future appearances. If that is the case, then Thor's comedic tone must change if Marvel Studios wants to keep Hemsworth around. That could mean not having Taika Waititi return for Thor 5.

With Hemsworth also recently teasing that he could be ready to retire from the MCU and see Thor die, the direction of a possible tonal shift for the character is quite clear. The first two Thor movies were more dramatic than the ones Waititi directed, but they were not nearly as serious as MCU entries like the Captain America films. If Marvel grants Hemsworth his wish to kill Thor, the next installment must strike a tone that can adequately pull off an emotionally satisfying conclusion. Thor: Love and Thunder's comedic tone does not totally fit in that regard, which could be another reason why Hemsworth wants the change.

More: Love & Thunder's Humor Failure Secretly Reveals Thor's MCU Future

Source: Happy Sad Confused Podcast

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