Summary
- Thor 5 may need to implement a change in tone to satisfy Chris Hemsworth, who wants a different direction for his character in the MCU's future.
- The Marvel Comics event Chaos War would be a perfect fit for Thor 5's darker tone, featuring a powerful villain, the Chaos King, and the formation of a formidable team.
- Thor 5 has the potential to reunite Thor and Loki, and could serve as a touching send-off for Chris Hemsworth's character, potentially marking the end of his MCU journey.
One Marvel Comics event would be perfect to allow Thor 5 hasn't yet been officially confirmed, the project will need to make some serious changes.
The biggest change that Thor 5 will need to implement is a drastic change in tone. Hemsworth has embarked on two serious, Shakespearean storylines with Thor and The Dark World, while Taika Waititi's direction of Ragnarok and Love and Thunder brought a sense of humor to the God of Thunder. For Thor's most recent project, however, Waititi's comedy had a detrimental impact, leading to Chris Hemsworth saying Thor 5 needs a tone change if he's to reprise the role in the MCU's future (via Happy Sad Confused Podcast). As such, Thor 5 could take a much darker route, opening the door for the adaptation of an intense Marvel Comics storyline.
Marvel Comics’ Chaos War Fits Thor 5’s Darker Tones Perfectly
One Marvel Comics event that would work perfectly for a darker Thor 5 is 2010's Chaos War. Primarily focused on the Greek god Hercules, who was portrayed by Brett Goldstein in Thor: Love and Thunder's mid-credits scene, Chaos War sees Hercules and Thor put together a team of powerful god-like figures to battle the Chaos King, a.k.a. Amatsu-Mikaboshi. Based on Mikaboshi of Japanese mythology, the Chaos King is a demonic god of evil with an enormous amount of power, being capable of killing the dream-being Nightmare and enslaving an army of the dead. The terrifying Chaos King would make the perfect villain to battle Thor in the MCU's Thor 5.
The Chaos King debuted in Marvel Comics' Thor: Blood Oath #6 in 2006, and was previously a member of Hercules' "God Squad", but wreaked havoc on the Marvel Universe in 2010's Chaos War event after killing Nightmare and assuming his powers, rendering the Marvel Universe's mortal characters unconscious.
Thor 5 Could Feature Other Powerful Marvel Characters, Living & Dead
To battle the Chaos King, Hercules gathers several god-like characters to form the "God Squad". This team includes Thor, the siren Venus, the Eternal Sersi, who debuted in the MCU's Eternals, portrayed by Gemma Chan, and the Silver Surfer and Galactus, who have been rumored for Marvel Studios' Fantastic Four. These characters came together to form one of the most formidable teams in the history of the Marvel Universe, so it would be great to see them form in the MCU's Thor 5, particularly since Thor has always yearned to be a member of a team - first the Avengers, then the "Revengers", and later the Guardians of the Galaxy.
While the living of the God Squad are pivotal to Chaos War's storyline, several deceased heroes also find themselves returning during the Chaos King's attack on various afterlives and underworlds. This includes dead of the Avengers, Canadian team Alpha Flight, and even dead X-Men, all setting out to help defeat Mikaboshi. There has been recent speculation that dead Avengers could return to the MCU, and Thor 5's potential adaptation of Chaos War could provide the perfect opportunity for Tony Stark, Steve Rogers and Natasha Romanoff to return. Since the Chaos King threatens the entire multiverse, however, this could hint at one more powerful hero returning in Thor 5.
Chaos War Could Reunite Thor & Loki And Offer A Touching Send-Off For Hemsworth
In Marvel Comics' Chaos War, the young genius Amadeus Cho devises a plan to escape from the Chaos King, wanting to move Earth into a sealed-off reality of its own. Instead, Hercules ends up thrusting the Chaos King himself into this separate continuum, trapping the entity and saving the multiverse. Since Amadeus Cho is yet to debut in the MCU, it's possible that this role in Thor 5 could land on the new multiversal god Loki, following the final episode of Loki season 2. This could lead to an emotional reunion between Thor and Loki, and further prove Loki's new position as a powerful superhero in the MCU's Multiverse Saga.
While a reunion between Thor and Loki would be brilliant to see in Thor 5, it's also possible that the rumored project could mark the end of Chris Hemsworth's MCU journey, as there has been speculation that Thor 5 will be Hemsworth's final MCU project. During the event, Thor is almost defeated by one of the Chaos King's warriors, though instead of meeting his demise, he is reverted to his amnesiac human form of Donald Blake. A Chaos War adaptation in Thor 5 may give Hemsworth the best chance to say goodbye to the role, while allowing a new hero such as Hercules to step up and take his place.
