Age of MCU: 4 Reasons Thor Is A Lame Avenger

I know I’m in the minority with this, but I just don’t like Thor; I don’t like him as a character, I don’t like his movies, I don’t like anything about him. He’s just terrible.

Let me be clear: I’m not a fan of Marvel’s Thor. I love Norse Mythology and the classic version of Thor, but when these elements are mixed into comic book lore, I just don’t enjoy them. It’s a shame because you’d think that combining two awesome concepts would lead to an incredible result. Unfortunately, that isn’t the case with Thor.

I understand that Thor is one of the core members who started the Avengers in the original comic run, but I can’t get over my distaste for him. I would’ve been fine with substituting him for Ant-Man or Wasp on the big-screen. However, if we didn’t have the two films starring the Norse God of Thunder, then the Marvel Cinematic Universe would be drastically different than what we have today. Regardless, I still think that Thor is a lame Avenger for the following reasons.

4. His Strength Is Not Consistent

Here’s some fun trivia: did you know that Stan Lee created Thor partially because he needed someone to be stronger than the Hulk? When it comes to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it’s obvious that they de-powered Thor so that he’s not too strong. But he’s still strong enough to face the Hulk in hand-to-hand combat in Avengers Assemble. Later on in the movie, the Hulk is able to take down whale-sized aliens by himself. By that logic, you’d think that Thor is just as powerful, right? Well, wait a minute. Wasn’t Thor struggling in that fight against Iron Man in the middle of the woods? So who’s stronger than who?

Also, you have to remember that Thor is only powerful when he is “worthy”. He spent most of his first movie as a normal human being incapable of lifting his own hammer. Do the Avengers really need a team member with such unreliable powers? That’s like having Captain America before he was injected with the Super Soldier Serum.

3. He’s Socially Inept

Thor faces many issues when he first arrives on Earth without his powers. One of those problems is that he’s in a foreign land with no clue as to social norms. He thinks you can buy a horse at your average pet store. He slams a cup of coffee on the ground because it’s a habit he picked up back in Asgard. At first, these quirks seem cute and charming. But look deeper into it and you’ll see some major challenges.

Think how hard it is for the other Avengers to explain Earthly concepts to him. Remember that scene in Avengers Assemble where Iron Man is attempting to fix the helicarrier and needs Captain America’s help to do so? The problem there was that Captain is from a completely different era. He can barely do anything without Tony walking him through it step by step. Multiply that by 100 and you have an average conversation with Thor. The most they can do with him is let him be the muscle and take care of the physical labor.

 

2. He Can’t Do Things Himself

A huge problem I had with the first Thor film, as well as most of the earlier Marvel comics, was that Thor can’t do things on his own. He is almost always accompanied by the Warriors Three. Out of all the people on the Avengers roster, you’d think that Thor would be the least likely to need an entourage. Everything he does, he needs assistance. If it wasn’t for the Warriors Three, Lady Sif, Odin, Heimdall, Loki, or the Avengers, he wouldn’t be able to do anything. At least the other Avengers have proven themselves somewhat independent in their respective roles. To this day, I’m convinced that they should’ve called the original Thor something like “The Norse Gods” or “Thor and Friends.” It’s like he’s not strong enough to carry his own movie.

 

1. He’s Got Major Baggage

Earlier, I mentioned how the Marvel Cinematic Universe would be incredibly different without Thor’s inclusion. That is because Thor has major baggage. Half of the Avengers’ problems stem from Loki and his shenanigans. The entire reason the events of Avengers Assemble happened was because of Loki! Let’s not forget that Nick Fury admitted that S.H.I.E.L.D. was inventing new weapons to handle otherworldly villains. Can you guess who he’s talking about?

Thor is the catalyst for so many issues in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and he offers very little in return. Each Avenger has dropped the ball from time to time and has caused a bit of trouble, but nobody has caused as much collateral damage as Thor thus far. It almost makes you wonder if he’s worth having on Earth, let alone in the Avengers.

I realize I may just be nitpicky with my gripes about Thor. A majority of people will argue that he is an integral part of the team and an important addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. However, I’m sticking by my notion that he is more trouble than he’s worth, and that the movies (and the Avengers in general) would be much better off without him.