Key Takeaways
- Director Kenneth Branagh expresses interest in returning to the Thor franchise.
- Branagh had ideas for a Thor 5 that would explore a more serious narrative.
- Chris Hemsworth hints at continuing his role as Thor beyond 2027.
- Taika Waititi will not return to direct Thor 5.
Thor 5 is slowly moving forward, but the director who brought the iconic Avenger to life in the Marvel Cinematic Universe proposes a massive pitch for what the future installment could focus on.
In a new interview with Business Insider, Kenneth Branagh, who directed the first Thor movie in 2011, spoke about the prospects of returning to the MCU franchise, but also why he didn’t come back for Thor: The Dark World. The British filmmaker stressed that he “definitely was ready for another, for sure, but not right then. Marvel shoots are intense. Marvel postproduction is more intense — wildly exciting but super intense. I definitely needed to smell the roses. Kevin Feige was very understanding, and so was the cast. I needed a break.”
However, as the Thor 5 movie is in development, Branagh admits that “part of me would love to finish my relationship with that character. I’d always wanted to do more and indeed had a couple of ideas, more in the territory of James Mangold’s brilliant “Logan.” I would love to see Chris Hemsworth and the others have their own individual final story that takes Thor into a glorious twilight.”
Branagh elaborated that Marvel Studios wanted him back for Thor: The Dark World, which was directed by Alan Taylor, saying, “For sure. I was thrilled to be asked. They were disappointed; they understood, but they were disappointed. They wanted to go straight away with a sequel, and why shouldn’t they? And I said to Kevin at that time, “I don’t have it in me.” He also confirmed that he has definitely seen the later sequels with Chris Hemsworth.
The director called them “amazing films. I mean that,” as he said that “watched them with a mix of tremendous pride and amazement at the many ways such stories can go. I think it’s a tribute to what Kevin saw in the potential for a character and a world. To see how elastic it’s been in encompassing a different kind of adventure, different kind of humor, different drive to the narrative, it’s been an absolute fascination on how that’s developed.” The last two films were helmed by Taika Waititi, with Thor: Ragnarok and Thor: Love and Thunder grossing $1.6 billion in total.
The Multiverse Saga is currently focused on finishing its remaining Phase 6 projects, with Marvel Studios looking to start principal photography on Avengers: Secret Wars, the final film of the massive storyline. However, Hemsworth has already alluded to the fact that things are in motion for his MCU future as Thor after 2027. During an interview with the Smartless Podcast in 2026, the Australian star stated that he will be playing the Marvel icon a “couple more times.”
Hemsworth has also been on the record that he wants to take his character back in a more serious direction, especially after Thor: Love and Thunder was criticized for taking the long-time hero too comedically. Waititi has also confirmed that if Thor 5 happens, he will not be back to direct it, as he shared in an Insider interview in 2023, “I know that I won’t be involved. I’m going to concentrate on these other films that I’ve signed on for.”
While Thor 5 has not landed a release date, Hemsworth will be back in the franchise this year in Avengers: Doomsday, which is opening on December 18.
