The Mortal Thor Is The Perfect Ending For Chris Hemsworth's MCU Journey

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Chris Hemsworth's Thor looks worried at the presence of Marvel's Doctor Doom

Published Feb 2, 2026, 10:00 PM EST

Nicolas Ayala is a Senior Writer for the Comics team at ScreenRant, with over five years of experience writing about Superhero media, action movies, and TV shows.

Thor's perfect final solo movie is already clear even before Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars arrive. After the events of Thor: Love and Thunder, Thor has chosen a more intimate purpose, becoming a father figure to Love. Thor is still a hero, but not one defined by royal obligation. His power remains immense, yet his priorities have fundamentally shifted.

Now, Avengers: Doomsday finds Thor in this vulnerable position, and the God of Thunder seems terrified. Thor’s dread depicts a man who knows this may be the last war he can afford to fight. Moreover, Thor's MCU arc is clearly approaching its end, as there are few unexplored facets of the character left, and Chris Hemsworth himself has openly hinted at being ready to close this chapter.

Thor's MCU Journey Leads Him Directly To A Mortal Thor Adaptation

Thor Wants And Needs A Mortal Life

Sigurd Jarlson walks carrying a hammer with the God of Thunder mirrored behind in The Mortal Thor

Thor has gone from a brash, power-hungry prince to a god burdened by loss. After his emotional reckoning in Avengers: Endgame and his falling back on old habits in Thor: Love and Thunder, it’s clear that Thor can no longer evolve by simply gaining new power-ups. Odinson's cocky days are behind him, and the MCU has already explored him as a warrior, a broken hero, and a cosmic adventurer. What remains largely untouched is the most challenging version of Thor imaginable: a Thor without godhood.

This idea sits at the heart of Al Ewing’s The Mortal Thor, which is a thematic counterpoint to The Immortal Thor. Where The Immortal Thor revels in his myth and legacy, The Mortal Thor explores the titular hero's humility. Thor finds himself living a regular human life as the mortal man Sigurd Jarlson, cut off from divine privilege and pushed to learn all the qualities that can’t be acquired with magic or brute strength.

An MCU adaptation of The Mortal Thor would be a powerful way to continue Thor’s story. Following Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars' multiversal climax, Thor could choose or be forced to live out a mortal life on Earth, facing less powerful but more difficult trials. A Mortal Thor movie could feature all-human characters, including an antagonist like Roxxon, or take the chance to introduce long-absent Thor characters like Donald Blake, Amora the Enchantress, Ulik the Troll, Beta-Ray Bill, and even Thor's alternate-universe son Magni.

The Mortal Thor Would Work Better As A Farewell Movie Than A Simple Sequel

Thor's Arc Has Been Heading Towards The Mortal Thor Since 2011

Chris Hemsworth as Thor in Avengers Doomsday

Instead of simply another sequel, The Mortal Thor is the most natural endpoint for the God of Thunder's entire MCU journey. Thor's arc has been all about learning humility, dating all the way back to his banishment in his first solo movie; and every major turn since has reinforced the same lesson. A Mortal Thor movie would bring his story full circle by forcing him to live the values he spent a lifetime avoiding, rather than wielding the power he once craved.

This direction also aligns perfectly with where Thor seems to be heading in Avengers: Doomsday. In Avengers: Doomsday's Thor trailer, Chris Hemsworth's hero is shown pleading with Odin for strength for one final battle so he can return to his daughter “not as a warrior, but as warmth,” and teach her “not battle, but stillness.” Thor is no longer fighting to prove himself or save the cosmos at any cost, but fighting to earn the right to stop.

Stripped of godhood, Thor could finally live a deliberately small life, raising his daughter and existing without the constant weight of being needed by the universe. Mortality would be the key, as without divine power and immortality, Thor would no longer feel responsible for every distant catastrophe, nor tempted to intervene simply because he can. As Sigurd Jarlson, Thor would be genuinely done with battle, having earned the right to step away for good.

Chris Hemsworth's Thor Shouldn't Die Or Retire As A God

Killing Off Thor Like Iron Man Would Be A Disservice

As long as Thor remains an all-powerful god, the universe will always have a reason to call on him. True peace and true fatherhood are impossible while he remains a weapon waiting to be deployed. On the other hand, killing off Thor outright wouldn’t have the same catharsis that Iron Man’s death did. Tony Stark died atoning for a lifetime of mistakes. Thor has endured more loss than any other Avenger, without ever being allowed a sustained period of peace.

Marvel Studios shouldn’t end Thor’s story with a grand, self-sacrificial death, because that kind of ending runs directly against where the character has arrived emotionally. Thor no longer wants glory. In fact, the pursuit of glory has repeatedly cost him everything he loves. A massive sacrifice would be a final act of violence, which would reinforce the idea that his value lies in how spectacularly he can die for others. Thor has always been sacrificing. It's time for him to stop doing so.

Thor's power level makes him too useful, too tempting to reinsert whenever the MCU needs a heavy hitter. This lingering possibility would undermine the finality of his arc. Making Thor mortal solves that problem cleanly. The universe moves on without him. With The Mortal Thor, The God of Thunder dies, like Iron Man, and Thor the man retires peacefully, like Steve Rogers.