The Thor movie series has been a fan favorite from its first release in 2011. MCU has kept its fans well entertained with different Thor feature-length movies and have also featured the hammer-wielding superhero in some of its other productions as well. So if we count the number of movies in which Thor was the star character, it comes up to four, but when we include all of the other movies he has appeared in alongside other MCU heroes, we have a total of 9 movies.
Actor Chris Hemsworth has had the pleasure of portraying Thor since the superhero was introduced and that is still very much the case even though the last time we had the pleasure of seeing in any production was way back in 2022. He has assured his fans that Thor is not ready to retire just yet.
How Many Thor Movies Are There?
To count the number of Thor movies there are, it would be necessary to count not just the movies that are about Thor, but to include all the movies where he has made an appearance no matter how little his contribution was. Going by the above, the count would come up to a total of nine movies where Thor mesmerized his avid fans with his ability to save the planet. The four Thor movies that have him as the major character are Thor (2011), Thor: The Dark World (2013), Thor: Ragnarok (2017), and Thor: Love and Thunder (2022).
The other five Marvel Cinematic Universe movies where Thor also puts in a strong appearance are The Avengers (2012), Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015), Doctor Strange (2016), Avengers: Infinity War (2018), Avengers: Endgame (2019).
The Correct Order of Thor Movies
- Thor (2011)
- The Avengers (2012)
- Thor: The Dark World (2013)
- Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)
- Doctor Strange (2016)
- Thor: Ragnarok (2017)
- Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
- Avengers: Endgame (2019)
- Thor: Love and Thunder (2022)
Thor Movies in Order of Release
Thor (2011)
Released in 2011, Thor’s self-titled first movie saw him engage in a succession battle with his brother Loki who will stop at nothing to sit on the throne of Asgard. He goes as far as unearthing old feuds, conflicts, and rivalry. He would also go as far as trying to take out anyone and anything that stood in his way including his brother Thor.
the production of this first film was a huge task because it involved the task of casting the actors that would best suit the characters and bring them to life in the most indelible way. This was when Chris Hemsworth was chosen after much deliberations. The actor put in the hard work, gaining pounds and sculpting it into muscles. He also researched the characters thoroughly in the comics. The result was a wonderful performance which helped the first Thor film to gross $449.3 million on a budget of $150 million.
The Avengers (2012)
This movie is not completely about Thor, it was just one of those movies where he put in a strong appearance alongside the Avengers who are the main stars of the movie. The major difference between Thor and the Avengers is that while he fights to save the planet solo, the Avengers work as a group.
They are not new superheroes, they are the same ones we have been seeing previously with a few new additions. The movie was directed by Joss Whedon and was a massive hit. It made a whooping sum of $1.519 billion on a budget that did not exceed $225 million.
Thor: The Dark World (2013)
By the third movie where we see Thor in Thor: The Dark World of 2013, his fans are relieved to see him working with his brother Loki for a change. Alongside other superheroes like Thor’s love interest Dr. Jane Foster to fight off the ancient Dark Elf Malekith and stop him from unleashing the evil Aether on the Nine Realms.
The film which was made somewhere in Bourne Wood, Surrey, England, released on the 8th of November 2013, was a good fusion of action, romance, and humor beautifully delivered by a stellar cast of A-list actors and actresses. It successfully grossed $644.8 million worldwide.
Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)
Avengers: Age of Ultron joined the list of movies that tackled the dangers of AI and other hot present day topics when it was released in 2015. As the fourth movie in Thor’s lineup, the Avengers alongside Thor go up against the artificial intelligence being Ultron who is determined to wipe out the entire human population to save the earth.
Hemsworth as well as all the other Avengers actor still reprised their roles in addition to new cast members like Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Don Cheadle, Paul Bettany, Elizabeth Olsen, Hayley Atwell, Linda Cardellini, and Anthony Mackie. Ultron was played by actor James Spader. The movie delivered a stellar performance and grossed $1.403 billion while winning many awards.
Doctor Strange (2016)
Doctor Strange is one of the feature length films that features an appearance from Thor. Released in 2016, it tells the story of Stephen Strange the famous neurosurgeon who embarks on a dangerous study of magic and mystery arts in his effort to regain mobility in his hands. His search led to a face off with a dark dimension trying to take over the earth. Thor’s appearance in the film was very brief and mostly as in the post-credits of Doctor Strange with his brother Loki while they search for their missing father.
Doctor Strange was primarily filmed in Nepal as the producers wanted it as realistic as possible. It received an approval rating of 89% on Rotten Tomatoes, 72 out of 100 on Metacritic, and 91% overall positive score on Postrak. For good measure, it grossed $677.8 million at cinemas worldwide.
Thor: Ragnarok (2017)
In 2017, Thor: Ragnarok became the 6th Thor movie and the third film in which Thor is the titular character. It tells the story of a prophesied Ragnarok, an apocalypse that will see the demon Surtur destroy Asgard. This in addition to an unknown sibling named Hela whi also seeks to destroy Asgard keeps Thor on his feet trying to look for a way out. He successfully evacuates his people and Surtur successfully destroys Asgard with Hela in it.
Directed by New Zealand filmmaker Taiki Waititi, the film justified its $180 million budget by raking in $865 million at the box office.
Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
The line up of the Avengers got expanded to include Spider-Man, Black Panther, and Dr. Strange. With Thor, they lead a charge to thwart the evil plans of Thanos who is trying to destroy half of all life form to gain all six infinity stones. Infinity War featured the likes of Zoe Saldana, Danai Gurira, Dave Bautista, Chris Pratt, and Chadwick Boseman, while Josh Brolin played Thanos.
Infinity War was a huge success, grossing $2 billion on a budget of $325 to $400 million. It made history as the 4th film ever to reach the $2 billion mark, joining a select club of movies limited to Titanic (1997), Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015), and Avatar (2009).
Avengers: Endgame (2019)
In the Avengers: Endgame released in 2019, Thor and the Avengers go back in time to thwart the destructive acts of Thanos and stop it from taking place in the future. Their plan was as audacious as it was risky and had them ready to deal with the fallout.
Avengers: Endgame was similarly as successful as Infinity War, grossing $2.799 billion on a budget of between $356 million and $400 million. In fact, the film, which was directed by the duo of Anthony and Joe Russo, stands as the second-highest-grossing movie of all time. It is only outperformed by 2009’s Avatar, which grossed $2. 923 billion.
Thor: Love and Thunder (2022)
Finally, there is Thor: Love and Thunder, which a very light hearted movie compared to the others before it. In this final movie, we see Thor being forced into action while suffering from some kind of mid-life crisis. He received a distress call about the being Gorr who is set on wiping out all of the gods after one of them neglected to save his daughter and had let her die.
The movie was released on July 8, 2022, in the United States of America and then globally. It earned its budget twice over by making as such as $760 million at the box office.
List of Thor Movies Ranked in Order of Release
- Thor (2011)
- The Avengers (2012)
- Thor: The Dark World (2013)
- Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)
- Doctor Strange (2016)
- Thor: Ragnarok (2017)
- Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
- Avengers: Endgame (2019)
- Thor: Love and Thunder (2022)
How To Watch Thor Movies in Order
All of the Thor movies are under the Marvel Cinematic Universe and their complex storyline might challenging for someone who is new to MCU to understand, hence the need for a watch order. However, the Thor movies storyline completely aligns with their chronological order of release.
Therefore, to watch Thor movies in order, simply follow the date on which the movies were released outlined as follows: Thor (2011), The Avengers (2012), Thor: The Dark World (2013), Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015), Doctor Strange (2016), Thor: Ragnarok (2017), Avengers: Infinity War (2018), Avengers: Endgame (2019), Thor: Love and Thunder (2022) etc.
