The Walt Simonson Thor run hasn’t truly been adapted in the MCU, and it would be the perfect basis for Chris Hemsworth’s final film as the character.
Thor has had a bit of a rough go as far as movies in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. His first film was largely considered just OK, with its follow-up largely despised. While things turned around with Thor: Ragnarok, Thor: Love and Thunder definitely left a lot to be desired. The God of Thunder may not have much time left in the MCU, and with Chris Hemsworth stepping away from acting, Thor’s future movie prospects are up in the air. Still, the perfect recipe for his grand finale already exists.
The Thor films still haven’t really touched the Walt Simonson Thor comic book run, despite it being seen as containing the character’s best stories. The bombastic, epic and grandiose nature of these films would work well with what’s been done with the character thus far while also utilizing some of the best elements of the first movie. Here’s how drawing from the classic 1980s comic books can pave the way for what could be Thor’s last film and end things on a high note.
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The MCU Still Hasn’t Adapted Thor’s Best Run
From 1983 to 1987, Walt Simonson took over Marvel’s Thor comic book and delivered one of the best titles the Norse god had ever seen. More than ever, the original myths were a deep aspect of Thor’s character, even when Marvel canon departed from it. Simonson’s writing reflected this, giving off an incredibly epic and almost Shakespearean vibe. A huge part of this was the writer/artist jettisoning many of Thor’s former supporting cast members and his status quo. Gone were the humans that had once made up his life, as well as his mortal alter ego as Donald Blake. By focusing on the god full-time, Simonson was able to draw out his essence in a way that previous books had not.
The dialogue itself is incredibly over-the-top but in a way that fits the colorful and dramatic art. Simply put, anything more mundane simply wouldn’t fit in the divine story that Simonson tells, especially for how iconic they became for the character. Plots such as Thor fighting the Midgard Serpent and his hammer Mjolnir being picked up by Beta Ray Bill were monumental, especially in the case of the latter. Beta Ray Bill quickly became a major character in the Thor mythos and an excellent example of a “replacement” character. In fact, he was once arguably analogous to War Machine in that he could be seen as more popular than the hero he spun off from.
The Walt Simonson run itself would remain a highlight in Thor’s publication history, with only the J. Michael Straczynski and Jason Aaron runs coming as close in terms of popularity and influence. Despite being the real true breakout Thor run, the Simonson stories have still been largely overlooked as far as adaptations go. Considering the extent to which many of Spider-Man, Daredevil and the X-Men’s stories from the same era have been used in outside media, the Marvel Cinematic Universe would be wise to use the 1980s Thor comics as an inspiration for a final farewell to the character.
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Thor’s Final Movie Can Pass the Torch to Beta Ray Bill
Outside of a rather wasted use of Skurge that somewhat emulated his death in the comics, the MCU hasn’t done much with the Simonson stories in terms of Thor’s big-screen appearances. On the other hand, the shared universe did use elements from the Aaron run in Love and Thunder, though many were displeased with how Gorr the God Butcher was implemented. Likewise, Chris Hemsworth may be saying goodbye to his iconic Asgardian role and stepping back from movies in the near future, meaning that Marvel Studios needs to make the most of his next few appearances. One way to do so is to give him a truly epic sendoff that adapts what are easily his best comic books.
The Simonson Thor comics were filled to the brim with moments worthy of a god, and given the potential ramifications of Thor meeting Zeus in his last movie, a fifth Thor film could be all-out war among the pantheons. This possible movie needs to bring an end to everything surrounding Thor as fans know it, giving him the same sense of finality afforded to Captain America and Iron Man. Since Malekith from Simonson’s run was already used, this hard-hitting goodbye worthy of the gods could at least involve a mighty battle against the Midgard Serpent, especially given that such a sequence was cut from Avengers: Infinity War.
Most importantly, Marvel Studios needs a way for Thor’s legacy to live on even without Thor himself. An appropriate exit could be given to Hemsworth via Beta Ray Bill being introduced and promptly given one of Thor’s enchanted weapons. It’d be a passing of the torch that fans could actually get behind, especially since they’ve been begging to see Bill since Thor himself debuted in his first movie. Such grandiose yet epic fare would require the thematic leanings of Kenneth Branagh (director of the first Thor) with the more animated antics seen in Taiki Waititi’s energetic Thor movies. It would be a full-circle effect for the journey that the God of Thunder has experienced, and it’d be using his best stories to wrap things up perfectly.
