MCU Director Eyes Logan-Style Last Ride for Chris Hemsworth in Thor 5

So, here’s a wild little story out of the Marvel universe: Kenneth Branagh, the guy who kicked off the whole big-screen Thor business, says he’d love to come back for a final send-off movie for Chris Hemsworth’s God of Thunder — and he’s not talking about another forgettable sequel. He wants to go big. Or, more accurately, he wants to go Logan.

Branagh Kicked Off Thor’s MCU Run… and Then Walked Away

If you remember back (or honestly, just look it up on Disney+), Branagh was the director behind the first Thor movie in 2011. That one really set up the character: Thor gets booted down to Earth by his dad, Odin, loses his hammer, and has to earn another shot at godhood, while baby brother Loki gets up to his usual backstabbing shenanigans. Critics and audiences were into it, so Marvel wasted no time moving ahead with a sequel.

But for Thor: The Dark World (2013), Branagh didn’t return. Here’s the backstory: In a recent chat with Business Insider, Branagh explained that Marvel did, in fact, ask him to come back for round two. He said no — not because he didn’t want to, but because he’d just put three years of his life into the first one and was completely wiped out. According to Branagh:

'I definitely was ready for another, for sure, but not right then. Marvel shoots are intense. Marvel post-production 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.'

Bottom line: Marvel wanted to roll straight into a sequel, and Branagh just didn’t have it in the tank.

But Now? Branagh Wants Another Shot

Fast-forward more than a decade, and Branagh is dusting off that Asgardian longing. According to his latest comments, if Marvel does decide to close out Chris Hemsworth’s run as Thor, Branagh wants the director’s chair for one last ride.

But it’s not just any ride he’s pitching. He wants something more in the spirit of Logan—the brutal, R-rated Wolverine finale where Hugh Jackman finally hung up his claws and went out in style. Branagh said he’s had a couple of ideas kicking around in his head for a while that would send Thor off into the sunset with a little more weight and finality.

'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.'

If you missed Logan, it was that R-rated, actually-moving “old man superhero” flick where Wolverine stumbles through his last days with a new kid (X-23), takes on some nasty baddies, and — spoilers — bows out for good. It actually got an Oscar nom for Best Adapted Screenplay, which is no small thing for a superhero movie.

What’s Next for Thor? (A Quick Recap)

• Chris Hemsworth’s 10th round as Thor is coming up in Avengers: Doomsday.
• There’s been buzz for months about a fifth Thor film at Marvel Studios, but, as of now, it’s all just rumor. No official announcements.
• Every Thor movie plus Logan are sitting there on Disney+, if you need a refresher (or you’re just feeling nostalgic for early MCU fish-out-of-water gags).

Personally, I’d be into a proper, weighty sendoff for one of the last “Phase 1” Avengers still out there swinging a hammer. The big question: will Marvel actually go for something grittier and more final, or stick with their usual PG-13 safe zone? Branagh’s clearly up for it — now we’ll just have to wait and see if the studio wants to make it happen.