Welcome to my MCU Rewatch, where I write an analysis of the MCU movies in the order of theatrical release. In this installment, I talk about the way Jane feels after a night with her beau: Thor.
Release Date: 6 May 2011
Distributor: Paramount
Director: Kenneth Branagh
Looking back, Thor was probably the most difficult movie to make in Phase 1. Not only did the audience have to relate to and love the character Thor (Chris Hemsworth), but it had to be done in a setting that was not Earth. Sure, we’ve previously had hyper-advanced suits and transforming rage monsters, but those things have existed within the realm of Earth (er, Midgard). In Thor, we leave Earth to follow two alien entities for their coming-of-age stories.
Yes, I’m referring to Thor and Loki (Tom Hiddleston). Thor not only introduces the concept of galactic neighbors, but the main characters are aliens themselves. Specifically Asgardians. This requires a bit more from the audience, who now have to relate to unknown characters they’re supposed to love navigating an unfamiliar world with unfamiliar rules.
Luckily, Asgardians suffer from the same pitfalls as the rest of humanity. Thor wants to be a good leader for his people, Loki wants to prove himself worthy of the throne, and Odin (Anthony Hopkins) wants everyone to believe that he is definitely a good guy, yep, no ulterior motives here.
For a couple of non-earthlings, Thor and Loki are, in my humble opinion, the two most compelling characters in the entire MCU. Let’s break them down.
God of Thunder, Thor Odinson
We first meet Thor when he’s a bully. He’s almost coronated king of Asgard (or something) when a couple Frost Giants ruin his big day by breaking into the Odinson family vault. Thor goes to seek revenge for the slight, but is then chastised and exiled for his childish behavior. Thor’s arc is one of learned humility. He’s polite, respectful, and gentle despite his ability to crush you with the pinky of his non-dominant hand. At the end of the movie, he learns that protecting the vulnerable is more important than your pride. He wins back his hammer by sacrificing himself to an Asgardian monster, and he overthrows Loki’s genocidal plot despite attacking Loki’s target at the beginning of the film.
He’s masculine without being toxic. He’s smart and strong without being egotistical about it. Once he realizes that he’s stuck on Earth for the foreseeable future, he starts to make the best of it. He makes breakfast for his new friends and replaces broken coffee cups and takes a step back from the battle when it inevitably arrives on Earth.
Something that was lost to me when I first saw Thor was how young Thor is supposed to be relative to the other Avengers. Yes, he has the body of an adult, but he has the attitude and actions of an adolescent. Physically, he’s thousands of years old. Emotionally, he’s like 18. His emotional growth in this movie is akin to a coming-of-age story.
That being said, Jane Foster (Natalie Portman), grown-ass astrophysicist with a PhD and shit, essentially falls in love with a younger man. This isn’t a bad thing; neither do I blame Jane. (Have you seen Chris Hemsworth?). The narrative doesn’t frame their relationship as that of an older woman with a younger man either. Their power dynamic is equalized, especially towards the end of the film when Thor finally starts to pay more attention to her.
Trickster God, Loki Laufreyson-Odinson
Opposite Thor is his brother Loki. Where Thor is gung-ho and a natural-born leader, Loki grew up on the outskirts of attention. He learned the ways of magic from his mother and accompanied his brother on warrior campaigns. But what Loki most wanted in the whole universe was to be seen as worthy.
In my opinion, his character arc was more compelling than Thor’s. He learned that he was adopted at an older age and that his real parents were the monsters that go bump in the night. In his denial of his heritage, Loki starts on a path of self-destruction that affects much more than just himself. After Odin falls into the Necessary Plot Point (Odinsleep), Loki ensures his reign on Asgard by tricking Thor into staying on Earth. It’s the opportunity to prove himself to his father. Then Loki attempts an act of genocide against his own people and, well, somehow the fans forgave that.
In the end, he parts ways with his family; the first of many fake deaths. He is a trickster after all. His alignment alternates between true neutral and chaotic good. He’d serve himself before serving others, but it’s that devotion to himself that is also compelling in a superhero.
When superheroes are often displayed as selfless and caring (lookin’ at you, Thor), Loki is an antihero with pure intentions and twisted methods. Like his brother, Loki is also emotionally adolescent. He’s more rebel and misfit than Thor, and he had to make a few mistakes to learn his own sense of humility. In the end, he finds his place alongside his brother, despite his attempts to leave, because it is ultimately brotherly love that kept Loki from staying evil. Loki’s biggest lesson is that love always leads him back to the path where he belongs.
Stay tuned next time for the birth of Steve Roger’s perfect pecs in Captain America: The First Avenger.
Random Thoughts about Thor
- Kat Dennings as Darcy is my lifeblood and spirit sister.
- Knowing what I know about Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) in the later movies, he seems uncharacteristically hesitant to take down Thor. What made him hesitate? Was it a quiet dislike for Agent Coulson (Gregg Clark)?
- It really bugs me that SHIELD just straight up takes Jane’s work without taking Jane too. Why take the work but not the mastermind behind the work? That seems oddly counterproductive and vaguely sexist. You can do better, SHIELD.
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