What Next For The MCU After Avengers: Endgame?
7. Keeping Chris Hemsworth
With Robert Downey Jr. and Chris Evans stepping down as Iron Man and Captain America, the franchise is in need of en elder statesman rooted at the heart of the MCU's shared continuity.
Step forward Chris Hemsworth.
Unlike his previously mentioned former castmates, Hemsworth has been open to idea of remaining a part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Despite being a veteran of eight movies going back to the beginning of Phase One, Thor never really hit his stride as a character until he was reinvented as a hilarious Shakespearean frat-bro in the excellent Thor: Ragnarok.
This new take on the character showcased Hemsworth's impeccable comic timing and natural charisma, turning Thor into one of the highlights of the entire MCU. However, the God of Thunder's arc across Infinity War and Endgame was also wracked with regret and depression, allowing the Australian actor to display both sides of the tortured character in one of the best performances across both movies.
It doesn't feel as though this version of the character has been fully explored yet, and the final moments of Endgame left the God of Thunder's story wide open. Thor and the Guardians of the Galaxy are a match made in heaven, and hopefully this is the direction they go if they get Hemsworth signed up.
The character has been around for so long that he could literally show up in anyone's movie and the fans would buy it, and after abdicating the throne of New Asgard and having no family left alive to tie him to one particular franchise, keeping Thor on board as the MCU's grizzled veteran makes a whole lot of sense.