Thor Odinson is a character portrayed by Chris Hemsworth in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) media franchise, based on the Marvel Comics character and Norse mythological deity of the same name. He is depicted as the God of Thunder and one of the most powerful Asgardians, an ancient alien civilization with long ties to Earth whose members are considered gods by humans. Thor wields a powerful hammer called Mjolnir and is initially portrayed as the arrogant heir to the throne of Asgard whose brash behavior causes turmoil among the Nine Realms under Asgard's protection. This brings him into conflict with his treacherous adoptive brother, Loki.
Thor commits himself to the protection of Earth, and becomes a founding member of the Avengers. He eventually becomes the King of Asgard after Odin's death, but the entire realm is destroyed during the battle with his sister Hela. Thor then comes into conflict with Thanos, who slaughters half of the Asgardians and uses the Infinity Stones to erase half of the life in the universe before Thor himself kills Thanos. Thor later joins his fellow Avengers in obtaining the Stones from the past using time travel and they successfully undo Thanos' actions. When an alternate version of Thanos enters their timeline, Thor and the Avengers manage to defeat him. Thor then passes the crown of New Asgard to Valkyrie and joins the Guardians of the Galaxy for a brief time. Thor comes into conflict with Gorr the God Butcher and the Olympian god Zeus, while reconnecting with his terminally ill ex-girlfriend, the now Mjolnir-wielding Jane Foster. After Foster succumbs to her cancer to assist in Gorr's defeat, Thor adopts the latter's daughter, Love.
Thor is a central figure of the MCU, having appeared in nine films . Thor's characterization and early films received mixed reception, however his storyline following Thor: Ragnarok (2017) was received much more favorably, with that film often being credited as revitalizing the character and his arc.
Alternate versions of Thor appear in the animated series What If...? (2021), with Hemsworth reprising the role. One version in particular, which depicts an alternate Thor raised without Loki who is recruited into the Guardians of the Multiverse by the Watcher in the battle against an alternate version of Ultron.
Character biography Early life Thor was born approximately 1500 years ago to Odin, the King of Asgard, and Frigga. He was raised on Asgard as the crown prince, alongside his brother, Loki.
Banishment to Earth
In 2011, Thor prepares to ascend to the throne, but Frost Giants attempt to retrieve the Casket of Ancient Winters, an artifact seized by Odin in a war centuries before. Against Odin's order, Thor travels to Jotunheim to confront Frost Giant leader Laufey, accompanied by Loki, childhood friend Sif, and the Warriors Three: Voltstagg, Fandral, and Hogun. A battle ensues until Odin intervenes, destroying the fragile truce between the two races. For Thor's arrogance, Odin strips his son of his godly power and exiles him to Earth. Odin casts an enchantment on Mjolnir, ensuring that only those who are worthy may wield the hammer. Thor lands in New Mexico, meeting scientist Dr. Erik Selvig, astrophysicist Dr. Jane Foster, and Foster's intern Darcy Lewis. Thor resigns himself to exile on Earth, where he develops a relationship with Foster. Odin enters the "Odinsleep", a period of rest needed to maintain his power, and Loki, having learned he is actually an adopted Frost Giant, seizes the Asgardian throne and prepares to conquer the Nine Realms. The Warriors Three and Sif find Thor, but the Destroyer attacks and defeats them, prompting Thor to offer himself instead. Struck by the Destroyer and near death, Thor's selflessness proves him worthy to wield Mjolnir. The hammer returns to him, restoring his powers and enabling him to defeat the Destroyer. Thor returns to Asgard and fights Loki before destroying the Bifröst Bridge to stop Loki's plans, stranding himself in Asgard. Odin prevents the brothers from falling into the abyss, but Loki appears to commit suicide when Odin rejects his pleas for approval. Thor makes amends with Odin, admitting he is not ready to rule.
Joining the Avengers
In 2012, Odin sends Thor back to Earth using dark magic after learning Loki is alive and is attempting to conquer the Earth. He finds Loki on a Quinjet, held captive by Tony Stark, Steve Rogers, and Natasha Romanoff. Thor takes Loki away, hoping to convince him to abandon his plan. However, Stark and Rogers pursue Thor and after a brief confrontation, Thor agrees to take Loki to S.H.I.E.L.D.'s flying aircraft carrier, the Helicarrier. Agents including Clint Barton, who were mind controlled by Loki, attack the Helicarrier, disabling one of its engines in flight and causing Bruce Banner to transform into the Hulk. Thor attempts to stop the Hulk's rampage and both are ejected from the Helicarrier as Loki escapes. Thor then becomes a founding member of the Avengers upon returning to help Rogers, Stark, Banner, Romanoff, and Barton when Loki uses the Tesseract to open a wormhole over New York City to allow a Chitauri army to invade. Thor and the Avengers fight off the Chitauri and save the city. After Loki is defeated at Stark Tower, Thor returns to Asgard with Loki and the Tesseract.
Battle with the Dark Elves
In 2013, having used the Tesseract to rebuild the Bifrost and bring the Nine Realms to peace, Thor and his fellow warriors learn that the Convergence of the realms is imminent, with portals linking the worlds appearing at random. Heimdall alerts Thor that Jane Foster has left his near all-seeing vision, leading Thor to go to Earth. Jane inadvertently releases an unearthly force, and Thor returns with her to Asgard. Odin recognizes this force as a weapon known as the Aether, warning that it will kill Jane, and that its return heralds a catastrophic prophecy. The Dark Elves, led by Malekith, attack Asgard, searching for Jane. Thor's mother Frigga is killed protecting Jane, and Malekith is forced to flee. Against Odin's orders to stay in Asgard, Thor reluctantly frees Loki, who knows a secret portal to Svartalfheim, home of the Dark Elves, in return for Thor's promise to take vengeance for their mother. In Svartalfheim, Loki tricks Malekith into drawing the Aether out of Jane, but Thor's attempt to destroy the exposed substance fails. Malekith merges with the Aether and leaves in his ship as Loki is fatally wounded. Thor and Jane return to London through another portal. Thor ultimately defeats Malekith in a battle in Greenwich, and returns to Asgard to decline Odin's offer to take the throne, and tells Odin of Loki's sacrifice. Thor then returns to Earth and reunites with Jane.
Ultron and the Battle of Sokovia
In 2015, Thor and the Avengers raid a Hydra facility in Sokovia and find Loki's scepter. Back at Avengers Tower, Stark and Banner discover an artificial intelligence within the scepter's gem, and secretly decide to use it to complete Stark's "Ultron" global defense program. After the Avengers host a celebratory party and Thor reveals he and Jane have ended their relationship, the unexpectedly sentient Ultron attacks Thor, James Rhodes, and the other Avengers before escaping with the scepter. The team tracks Ultron down in Johannesburg, but Wanda Maximoff subdues them with hallucinatory visions. Following this, Thor and the team go to Barton's home to recover, however, Thor leaves them in order to consult with Selvig on the meaning of the apocalyptic future he saw in his hallucination. Thor and Selvig go to a mystical well, where Thor has a vision of the Infinity Stones, the most powerful objects in existence. Returning to the Tower, Thor finds out that Stark secretly uploaded J.A.R.V.I.S. into a synthetic vibranium body captured from Ultron and helps activate the body, dubbed the Vision, explaining that the gem on his forehead is one of the six Infinity Stones. Thor and the team return to Sokovia where they engage in the final battle against Ultron and manage to defeat him. At the new Avengers Compound, Thor tells Rogers and Stark that he is leaving to go back into space to learn more about the forces he suspects have manipulated recent events and leaves Earth using the Bifrost.
Ragnarok
In 2017, Thor is imprisoned in Muspelheim by Surtur. Surtur claims he will destroy Asgard in the prophesied Ragnarök, when his crown is placed into the Eternal Flame in Odin's vault. Thor escapes, fights and defeats Surtur and retrieves the crown, believing he has prevented Ragnarök. While returning the crown to Asgard, he finds Loki still alive and posing as Odin. He takes Loki back to New York City. With the help of Stephen Strange, they find a dying Odin in Norway, who explains that his passing will allow his firstborn child, Hela, to escape from a prison she was sealed in millennia ago. She appears, destroys Mjolnir and forces Thor and Loki from the Bifrost out into space. Thor crash-lands on the planet Sakaar, and is captured by Valkyrie, a former member of the ancient Asgardian order of Valkyries defeated by Hela. Thor is forced to compete in the Grandmaster's Tournament of Champions and he befriends fellow gladiators, Korg and Miek. After the fight with Hulk, Thor finds the Quinjet that brought Hulk to Sakaar. A video recording of Romanoff helps Hulk transform back into Banner and after convincing Valkyrie and Loki to help, they escape through a wormhole to Asgard – but not before Loki betrays his brother, and is left behind on Sakaar. In the midst of the battle with Hela's forces, Loki returns aboard the Grandmaster's vessel, the Statesman. He and Heimdall help Asgardians escape into the ship. Thor, facing Hela, loses an eye and through a vision of Odin realizes his true potential and unlocks his hidden powers but soon realises that Ragnarok is the only way to stop Hela. He has Loki place Surtur's crown in the Eternal Flame, and Surtur destroys Asgard and Hela. Thor, crowned king, decides to take his people to Earth, but they are intercepted by Sanctuary II, Thanos' warship.
Combating Thanos and the Infinity War
On a destroyed Statesman, Thor is threatened by Thanos using the Power Stone, until Loki gives him the Space Stone within the Tesseract. Before he does, he calls on the Hulk, but Thanos overpowers Hulk and kills Heimdall. After Loki is killed by Thanos, Thor clutches his brother's body as Thanos obliterates the Statesman leaving Thor to die in the open space. Thor survives and is rescued by the Guardians of the Galaxy — Peter Quill, Gamora, Drax the Destroyer, Mantis, Rocket, and Groot — and they tell Thor about Thanos' quest to find the Infinity Stones and erase half of all life in the universe. Needing a new weapon, Thor leaves in a space pod with Rocket and Groot to Nidavellir, and Rocket gives Thor a cybernetic replacement eye. They find that Nidavellir has been ravaged by Thanos and meet the dwarf king Eitri. Thor repairs the damaged forge, and they work together to create Stormbreaker, a powerful axe that also grants Thor the power of the Bifrost. Thor transports himself, Rocket, and Groot to Wakanda on Earth to help Rogers, Romanoff, Banner, Rhodes, Sam Wilson, Bucky Barnes, T'Challa, and the Wakandan army in the battle against the Outriders. Thor is able to defeat scores of Outriders and uses Stormbreaker to severely wound Thanos in the chest. However, Thanos tells Thor that he should have gone for the head and manages to activate the completed Infinity Gauntlet by snapping his fingers, initiating the Blip. Thanos teleports away and Thor is left to watch in horror when Barnes, Maximoff, Wilson, T'Challa, and Groot disintegrate.
Avenging the fallen and the Time Heist