The following contains spoilers for Thor: Love and Thunder, now playing in theaters.

Thor: Love and Thunder saw Chris Hemsworth's God of Thunder embark on another journey with King Valkyrie and his former lover Jane Foster/Mighty Thor to save Asgardian children kidnapped by Gorr the God Butcher. Setting its cosmic scene in a post-Endgame world, the film revisited Thor's entire history in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and even traced back to when the God of Thunder was a baby. As such, Thor: Love and Thunder seemed like the perfect stopping point for the Asgardian god.

However, Thor: Love and Thunder director, star and co-writer Taika Waititi revealed that both he and lead actor Hemsworth were shocked to see the closing message. Before the film's theatrical release, Hemsworth suggested that Thor 4 would be his last Marvel film. Fans also speculated that the film would mark the God of Thunder's exit from the MCU, similarly to other original Avengers in Phase Four projects. However, Love and Thunder's closing message promised the return of Hemsworth's fan-favorite character.

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Thor and Korg from Thor Love and Thunder

Up until the events in Love and Thunder, Thor had lost almost everyone he loved: half of the Asgardians, both of his parents, his adopted brother Loki, Heimdall and even Mjolnir. In the fourth Thor film, the God of Thunder then lost his one true love, Jane Foster, to cancer. Though the film saw Thor teaming up with Gorr's daughter Love and getting Mjolnir back, it still raised the question of what more viewers could ask to see from the God of Thunder. Could the father-daughter dynamic teased in the film do justice to denying the character's well-deserved retirement?

Just like Love and Thunder introduced Thor at the beginning of the film, the MCU has already explored Hemsworth's character in almost every way possible. Viewers have seen Thor falling in love and getting his heart broken. He has been banished and disowned by his father, deemed unworthy of his power, and then earned his name back.

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Thor powers up in Thor: Ragnarok

Thor has mourned his brother's death three times and saw him rise from the dead twice. He lost and restored an eye, won and lost battles, drifted to self-destruction and regained hope. Additionally, Thor has fought alongside every character in the MCU before Phase Four, including the two main organizations, The Avengers and the Guardians of the Galaxy.

For many fans, Thor: Love and Thunder seems to be the perfect stopping point for the Asgardian God of Thunder to retire. On the other hand, having a familiar face among the new heroes introduced in Phase Four does offer some comfort to Marvel's die-hard fans. Currently, it's unclear what role Thor will play in the future MCU beyond Love and Thunder.

To see Chris Hemsworth's Thor again, Thor: Love and Thunder is now playing in theaters.