Marvel Comics has been known to pull from ancient mythology to lend to their modern superhero mythology. The most obvious and most popular example of this is Thor and the inclusion of Norse Mythology prevalent throughout the Marvel Universe. This, in turn, has had a huge presence in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, with Thor being a core member of the Avengers Trinity, along with Captain America and Iron Man. And, in Thor’s last solo film, Thor: Ragnarok, we got one of Thor’s biggest comic arcs as well as the Norse Mythology version of Armageddon. However, Norse’s version of Armageddon is a bit different that the traditional End of Days, and that has fueled a brand new theory on Thor’s fate in the still untitled Avengers 4.
A fan over on Reddit brings up an interesting point. The way that Ragnarok works, in Norse lore, is that Asgard and all of the gods are killed by Surtur, spurring their end. But, with that end, also comes a rebirth. The gods a reborn, set to live for eternity, as a symbol of the end of winter and coming of spring. The comics arc plays out a little bit the same, with Thor ultimately allowing Surtur to do what he is destined to do, only for all of Asgard to be reborn.
[Marvel Monday-Thor:R and IW] Ragnarok is still happening from r/FanTheories
Now, many people would say that Thor in the MCU did allow Surtur to destroy Asgard and fulfill Ragnarok, but, as the fan points out, a key statement by both Odin and Thor in the film may leave that open. The statement of “Asgard is a people, not a place” has more weight now, as it could mean that Surtur did not yet complete his work. Ragnarok may not be fully complete until all of the Asgardians, including Thor, perish.
And, with Thanos wiping out half of the universe, including half of the surviving Asgardians after his attack on the refugee ship, most of the prophecy is done. So, this could be the very reason why Thor doesn’t make it out alive from the events of Avengers 4.
Another key to this is Thor’s inevitable guilt over not going for the head against Thanos. His pride and desire for vengeance led him to hit Thanos in the chest, so that he was aware of who “defeated” him. But, it allowed Thanos to complete the snap, instead of beheading him for an instant death. This guilt could push Thor to sacrifice himself, in true Hollywood fashion, to help end Thanos, as well as complete the Ragnarok prophecy. The few surviving Asgardians could also join in the battle, ultimately leading to their extinction, which would finally bring Ragnarok to a full fruition.
But, the other key to Ragnarok is the rebirth. This would allow Marvel to bring back Thor and continue off of the success of his third solo film. Chris Hemsworth has already stated he’d love to come back for more films, as long as the scripts are right. And, the rebirth aspect could bring him back at any point in the future of the MCU.
All in all, this well thought out theory may be diving a bit too deep into the literal meaning of the Ragnarok prophecy, but it is still a real possibility for the direction that the MCU takes their God of Thunder. We’ll know for sure when Avengers 4 is release next year.
What do you think of this theory? Let us know in the comments below!