While Avengers: Infinity War was absolutely jam-packed with superheroes great and small, few of them stood quite so tall as Thor. (Both metaphorically and physically speaking — Chris Hemsworth is a beast!) The Asgardian god has been steadily soaking up more screen time in the MCU, with no complaint from viewers who’ve watched him lose and reinvent himself, go through some pretty intense grief, and run around the universe hunting after a replacement for his beloved Mjolnir.
Even if you set the compelling elements of his personal story aside, Thor has proven an important player in the battle against Thanos. One of his most significant contributions, and hands down one of the most epic scenes of the MCU, was his ability to confront Thanos one on one with a significant chance of toppling the mad titan. And while the end of Infinity War was anything but a win, it certainly seemed to leave Thor poised to take a front seat in the conflict’s conclusion.
If you’re a Marvel fan, you already know the god of thunder is important — but here’s a look at some of the most important reasons Thor will be even more important in Avengers 4 than you might already think.[/nextpage][nextpage]
It’s personal
One of the more obvious elements that stands out, especially when you look at the anguish on Thor’s face in practically every scene of Infinity War, is the fact that this guy has got some very personal interests vested in defeating Thanos. Thor has had to experience some fairly devastating moments that were really pretty scarring, all things considered.
After losing his father in Thor: Ragnarok, he had to watch his brother be strangled to death by Thanos right in front of his face while he watched helplessly. It’s not the kind of thing you can just shake off. Even if Loki manages to come back from the dead (yet again) in Avengers 4, during the interim, the memory of the god of mischief’s death will surely both haunt and motivate his brother.
As if the loss of kin wasn’t enough, there was also the near-simultaneous death of Heimdall, Thor’s longtime friend and loyal servant, who was killed by Thanos after Heimdall spirited the Hulk away to Earth in the opening sequence of Infinity War. On top of everything else motivating Thor, you can bet the death of his friend is going to be a driving factor here.[/nextpage][nextpage]
It’s political
While Thor is clearly being eaten up by the loss of his brother and friend, the other glaring emotional factor at play here is his role as the king of Asgard. Of course, the physical kingdom of Asgard doesn’t exist since Surtur unleashed death and destruction at the end of Ragnarok. But while the people of Asgard were still alive and well, led by their fearless king and headed for a new home on Earth — until they ran into Thanos’ ship and were slaughtered in the process.
Since Odin passed, Thor has had a pretty rough go of it as King of Asgard. Already having gone through the heartbreak of Thor: Ragnarok, where he lost everything from his father and his home planet to his eye, Thor had to be in an emotionally sensitive spot when Thanos arrived and just started rubbing huge fistfuls of salt into his already gaping wounds. With the last of his people most likely scattered and homeless, adrift in space, Avengers 4 will serve as the perfect chance for their king to rise up, seek ultimate retribution for their grievances, and lead them to a new and glorious future.[/nextpage][nextpage]
It’s professional
While most of the Avengers “found their way” into the superhero game, Thor was born into it. He’s a hero and champion, a king and guardian — and an Avenger. Not just any old team member, rushed into the club to meet an emergency, but one of the original lineup.
When the dust settled at the end of Infinity War, there were five very important characters left: Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, Hulk, and Black Widow (with the 50/50 chance that Hawkeye was also alive elsewhere). What’s so special about this group? They’re the original Avengers, and in Avengers 4, they’re headed for an epic showdown with Thanos.
You can bet Thor will show up for work — and not just as a violently angry god consumed with rage and hellbent on revenge, but as a part of a well-oiled Avengers team. The group will have to work together to accomplish what they failed to do once before, and Thor isn’t going to shirk his duty.[/nextpage][nextpage]
Frequent flyer
Thor is an intergalactic traveler who’s very comfortable with the perils of traveling through space, whether it’s via the Bifrost, a spaceship, or his fancy new, largely unexplained ability to transport himself. This makes him a crucial element not only in the battle to topple Thanos and undo the events of Infinity War, but also in the struggle to even reach him in the first place. It appears that the villain is pretty clearly not on Earth as the movie ends, and after that dreaded finger snap, there just aren’t that many intergalactic superheroes left.
Iron Man and Nebula are stranded on Titan, and they’ll likely need some space travel in order to reconnect with everyone else. And Rocket is still alive and an experienced pilot to boot. But beyond that, nearly everyone else that could help get people from point A to point B perished in Infinity War, with the possible exception of the Valkyrie, who’s probably floating somewhere out there in space. Oh, and Captain Marvel, once she enters the picture.
Apart from that, the other Avengers are stranded in their own way on Earth, and it’s pretty obvious that a flying god whose kingdom used to be in a distant corner of space will come in handy.
(Excerpt) Read More at: Looper.com[/nextpage]