The Thor: Ragnarok Point Break Scene Explained

In Thor: Ragnarok, the Quinjet only responds to Thor when he says "point break," which is a callback to Thor's Avenger roots. The Taika Waititi-directed Thor sequel essentially overhauled the God of Thunder and his film series. Instead of the moody aesthetic and darker tone, the threequel went in the opposite direction by giving the movie a psychedelic look reminiscent of Jack Kirby's illustrations and a much more comedic tone. As is par for the MCU, it also featured plenty of references to the God of Thunder's previous adventures in the franchise, and one of them is Thor Point Break scene in Ragnarok.

As the then-Asgardian prince attempts to escape the junk planet in order to save Asgard from his long-lost sister, Hela, Thor stumbles onto the same Quinjet Hulk used in Age of Ultron to travel to Sakaar. Somewhat familiar with the ship considering the time he spent on Earth with the Avengers and Nick Fury, he revs it up - but the onboard computer demanded a passcode. Thor tries a few other codenames such as "Thor," "Son of Odin," and "Strongest Avenger" (twice) to no avail. Frustratedly, he curses Tony before reluctantly trying "Point Break" - which works like a charm.

This reference harks back to Iron Man and Thor's very first meeting in 2012's The Avengers. With Loki leading the Chitauri army in an attempt to take over the planet, Fury stealthily assembled his best superheroes for the Avengers Initiative. Aside from his previous run-ins with SHIELD, Thor was also personally involved, since it was his adoptive brother causing the Chitauri invasion of Earth. At one point during the team's first group meeting in the Helicarrier, Tony assured Thor that everything is good between them after their previous encounter in the park. But. true to the billionaire's penchant for nicknames, he also dubbed him "Point Break" - the original Thor Point Break scene.

Ragnarok: Why Iron Man's Nickname For Thor Is "Point Break"

Johnny Utah and Bodhi talking on the beach in Point Break

Tony's chosen moniker for the God of Thunder is a reference to the 1991 film Point Break. Directed by Katherine Bigelow, it's about an FBI agent, Johnny Utah (Keanu Reeves), who goes undercover to investigate a group of bank robbers led by Bodhi (Patrick Swayze). As Johnny spends more time with the criminals, he develops a complex relationship with the gang, particularly their leader. Today, Point Break is remembered for being one of movies that made Keanu Reeves famous. The story of Point Break doesn't have any clear connection with Thor or the MCU. The first Thor Point Break scene happened simply because Tony noticed that the God of Thunder sported the same middle-length blonde hair that Swayze was rocking in the film.

From Dad Bod To God Bod: Fat Thor Explained

Chris hemsworth Training Thor love and thunder fat thor

It's worth noting that during Ragnarok, Tony had yet to see Thor's shorter hairdo, and that 11 years later in Avengers: Endgame, Tony gave Thor a brand new nickname: "Lebowski." At the time, Thor gained some weight during the five-year time-jump since Thanos' snap, and the nickname "Lebowski" is a reference to Jeff Bridges' titular character in the 1998 movie The Big Lebowski, whom the God of Thunder resembled during his Fat Thor transformation. Though Marvel has been criticized for undermining the symptoms of depression and using Fat Thor just for laughs, as the Thor: Love and Thunder trailer reveals, the Fat Thor transformation is all part of the God of Thunder's journey to overcome his own internal struggles. Now that he's back in the same shape as he was in the Thor Point Break scene, the era of Fat Thor is over.

Tony Stark's Avengers Nicknames

The Thor Point Break scene is actually just a glimpse into Tony Stark's long and storied career of putting both heroes and villains in their place using mean nicknames. In The Avengers he called Clint Barton/Hawkeye "Legolas," and he dubbed Peter Quill/Star-Lord "Flash Gordon" in Avengers: Infinity War. Tony even has nicknames for Ultron, Spider-Man, Ant-Man, Loki, and Bucky - whom he respectively christens as "Junior," "Spider-Boy," "Thumbelina," "Reindeer Games," and "Manchurian Candidate." At one point, Tony even calls Thor "Shakespeare in the Park," right after asking him, "doth mother know you weareth her drapes?" However, Tony's real superpower was perhaps best used when he disrespected the Children of Thanos to their faces by referring to Ebony Maw as "Squidward." Apart from illustrating why Tony Stark was the greatest Avenger of all time, his penchant for nicknames also greatly helped in giving the MCU its comedic identity.

Tony's nicknames can be rightly described as mean, childish, and deeply offensive - but they weren't just for comic relief. The reality is that even Iron Man's mean nicknames are part of his strategy as the leader of the Avengers. Though Tony's Avengers nicknames seem mean, it's not uncommon for brothers-in-arms to bestow funny nicknames to each other during war - a way of embracing the suck and retaining composure in the face of imminent death. Meanwhile, by casually comparing genocidal aliens to children's cartoons, Tony reassured his fellow Avengers that they were still in the fight, no matter the odds.

Why "Point Break" Will Return In Thor: Love And Thunder

Considering the number of mean and snarky MCU characters in the Thor: Love and Thunder cast, the Point Break reference from Thor: Ragnarok is likely to make a comeback in his fourth movie. Back in his mid-length locks and sporting a similarly chiseled face and body as the '80s sex symbol he resembles in the 1991 film, Thor cannot escape this nickname so easily. Notably, while Thor's looks are often played for laughs, his physical transformations have become crucial to Thor's personal journey, his growth as a superhero, and how he struggles to find his place in the MCU. As Tony is now regarded as a legendary figure in the MCU, Thor 4 could even use Point Break to somehow honor Tony's role in shaping the MCU's most honest look at superheroes.

More: Endgame Hinted At Fat Thor Before The Avengers Killed Thanos The First Time

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