Joe and Anthony Russo support claims that Avengers: Infinity War's version of Thor is the best. The 2018 blockbuster was the beginning of the culmination of the Infinity Saga. It also functioned as the direct sequel to Thor: Ragnarok, which significantly changed the trajectory of the God of Thunder's arc in the MCU in several ways.
Some have named Avengers: Infinity War the best MCU film so far thanks to its balanced storytelling, not to mention its memorable cliffhanger ending. But aside from being an ensemble film and the third Avengers movie in the franchise, it's also typically regarded as the midpoint in Thor's personal mini-arc towards the end of the Infinity Saga. Following the death of Odin in Thor: Ragnarok, Thor suffered another significant loss with the death of Loki, Heimdall, and half of his people at the hands of Thanos and his minions. This set him off on a separate revenge story against the Titan, as he, alongside Rocket Raccoon and Teenage Groot, journeys to Nidavellir to get Stormbreaker — a battle ax that's designed to kill the purple villain.
SCREENRANT VIDEO OF THE DAY
Since Avengers: Infinity War, Thor has appeared in two more films: Avengers: Endgame and Thor: Love and Thunder. Despite this, some claim the best version of the character is still the one from the 2018 MCU blockbuster. As the directors of Avengers: Infinity War, the Russo Brothers are grateful for this continued support, as seen in their latest tweet regarding the matter. Some also interpret it as a sign of endorsement. Check out the social media post below:
Is Infinity War Thor Really The Best?
Considering how Thor arguably made his biggest MCU mistake in Avengers: Infinity War, it might be surprising for some that many believe the film featured the definitive version of the character. After going through all the hassle of acquiring Stormbreaker, the God of Thunder came very close to killing Thanos and preventing the catastrophic snap. Unfortunately, he let his emotions get the best of him and decided to gloat over the Titan instead of killing him right away. This gave him enough time to click his fingers and execute the halving of the universe. Despite this massive screw-up, the character's handling in the movie was actually great. Hemsworth both had comedic and dramatic moments — often at the same time. A prime example of that is the conversation Thor had with Rocket, as seen in the clip above.
There's a newfound appreciation for Avengers: Infinity War's version of Thor, especially on the heels of Thor: Love and Thunder, which leaned a bit too hard on his comedic side. While a humorous God of Thunder is always fun to watch, especially given Hemsworth's comedic timing, there are arguments that it might have gone overboard in his last MCU outing. In any case, since Thor is confirmed to return to the franchise, Marvel Studios has a chance to make up for that misstep.