How do you watch the Thor movies in order? Thor, the Prince of Asgard and the God of Thunder is one of the Marvel Cinematic Universe's greatest heroes who fought valiantly alongside the Avengers against threats like Ultron, Thanos, and even his own brother Loki.
However, the Marvel Cinematic Universe version of Thor wasn't always so heroic. If you watch the Marvel movies in order, you'll see our favorite hammer-wielding Marvel character grow from the brutish, self-serious wielder of Mjolnir to a much more complex and layered hero. This growth tracks along through the four Thor movies, in addition to other MCU outings.
So, to revel in the glory of Thor's journey, you'll need to know how to watch all the Thor movies in order, including his adventures in the Avengers movies. This list includes some of the best movies in the whole franchise, so you're in for a real treat. And we've even cast an eye into the future to look at where Thor may feature in some upcoming Marvel movies.
Here's how to watch all the Thor movies in order:
- Thor
- Avengers
- Thor: The Dark World
- Avengers: Age of Ultron
- Team Thor
- Thor: Ragnarok
- Team Darryl
- Avengers: Infinity War
- Avengers: Endgame
- Thor: Love and Thunder
Thor (2011)
Where to watch: Disney Plus, Prime Video US, and Prime Video UK.
Directed by Kenneth Branagh, of all people, Thor serves as an MCU origin story for the character and sees the arrogant prince of Asgard (Chris Hemsworth) banished to Earth after nearly starting a war with the Frost Giants.
While on Earth, Thor meets Jane (Natalie Portman), learns the value of humility, becoming worthy of his hammer in the process, and returns to Asgard to prevent his brother Loki (Tom Hiddleston) from overthrowing Odin (Anthony Hopkins).
It's a fairly by-the-numbers origin story in the MCU and isn't ingrained in the memories of Marvel fans. But it's got plenty of humor and action, and we can't ask for much more, really.
Avengers (2012)
Where to watch: Disney Plus, Prime Video US, and Prime Video UK.
In his second adventure, Thor makes his way to Earth once again to stop his brother Loki from summoning Thanos' army and seizing control of the planet in pursuit of the Tesseract. This time, though, Loki's too much for Thor to handle, and – after a tussle with Captain America (Chris Evans) and Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), then a full-on slugfest with the Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) – the thunder god joins Earth's mightiest heroes.
While Thor essentially serves as muscle for the Avengers, the film does set up his dynamic with the rest of the team, including his somewhat fractious relationship with the Hulk, which will be resolved a few movies from now.
Thor: The Dark World (2013)
Where to watch: Disney Plus, Prime Video US, and Prime Video UK.
After putting a stop to the chaos engulfing the Nine Realms, Thor is called back to Earth (yes, again) to investigate a powerful Dark Elf weapon known as the Aether. This strange red mist has infected Jane and made her the target of Malekith, a despotic Dark Elf who wants the Aether for himself.
The whole thing culminates in a battle in Greenwich, which leads to Loki dying (but not really), Thor declining the Throne of Asgard, and Odin being banished to Earth. Messy and tedious (Editors Note: and the personal bane of my existence), the only thing Dark World has going for it is that it introduces one of the Infinity Stones. But, if you're watching the Thor movies in order and want the full experience, it's a must-watch.
Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)
Where to watch: Disney Plus, Prime Video US, and Prime Video UK.
After declining the throne of Asgard, Thor spent his time with the Avengers working to bring down Hydra bases across the globe. With the final stronghold destroyed, Thor's set to return to his home when the malicious mechanical menace Ultron attacks.
To be honest, Thor has very little to do in this film other than hit robots with his hammer – although he does provide the spark of creation needed to bring Ultron to life – and he spends most of the film worrying about Infinity Stones. Oh, and he learns that Cap might be keeping a secret about Mjolnir.
Team Thor 1 and 2 (2016-2017)
Where to watch: YouTube.
The beginning of Thor's evolution from the Avengers' heavy-hitter to comic relief, these shorts (directed by Taika Waititi and may or may not be canon) show what Thor was up to during Civil War. Basically, he spent his time in Australia leaching off his long-suffering roommate, Darryl.
Short and fun, they're not essential to Thor's journey, but you may as well check them out -especially if you want to see the Thor cast having a blast.
Thor: Ragnarok (2017)
Where to watch: Disney Plus, Prime Video US, and Prime Video UK.
Ragnarok was the film that saw Thor go from dull Viking warrior guy to Viking alien weirdo. Thor's entire characterization is changed for the sake of this film, and it works marvelously, rightly redefining the character as a comedic, slightly buffoonish, but ultimately well-meaning hero.
The superhero movie opens with Thor working to stop Ragnarok and ends with him (with some help from the totally not-dead Loki, Valkyrie, and the Hulk) causing the destruction of Asgard to kill his long-lost sister Hela, the God of Death.
Hilarious, irreverent, and exciting Thor: Ragnarok is the high watermark by which all Thor movies should be judged. In terms of major plot developments, Ragnarok sees Mjolnir destroyed, and Thor learns his power comes from within, Asgard is obliterated, and Loki finally accepts he belongs by his brother's side. It's Thor's best movie and one of the best MCU movies overall.
Team Darryl (2018)
Where to watch: Disney Plus.
Another Waititi-directed short, this fun little film was included on the Ragnarok DVD and sees poor Darryl get a new roommate, the Grandmaster (Jeff Goldblum). It goes about as well as you'd expect.
Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
Where to watch: Disney Plus, Prime Video US, and Prime Video UK.
Picking up just moments after Ragnarok ends, Infinity War sees Thor brought to his lowest ebb yet when ultimate movie villain Thanos chokes the life out of Loki, and the Children of Thanos slaughter half the Asgardian population in their quest for the Infinity Stones. Not a great start for the God of Thunder.
Desperate for revenge, Thor and half the Guardians of the Galaxy go on an adventure to forge a new weapon for the Asgardian in order to kill Thanos before he gathers all the stones. He's given much more to do here than in the other Avengers movies, and it shows.
While Thor succeeds in getting his hands on a new hammer, he failed to go for the head, allowing the Mad Titan time to snap his fingers and wipe out half of all life in the universe. Infinity War is perhaps the best comic book movie ever made, and coming off the back of Ragnarok, this makes for wonderful 5-ish hours of viewing for Thor fans.
Avengers: Endgame (2019)
Where to watch: Disney Plus, Prime Video US, and Prime Video UK.
Five years after the Avengers failed to stop Thanos, Thor has become a shell of his former self. Depressed and overweight, he's reluctant even to try and gather the Infinity Stones after completely giving up. A chance encounter with his dead mum (time travel has its perks) lets Thor know he's still worthy, and he regains his confidence.
During the climax, he helps Cap and Stark battle an alternate version of Thanos, and following the battle, Thor gives up the throne of Asgard to Valkyrie, setting off into space with the Guardians of the Galaxy (albeit only for a short amount of time).
Thor: Love and Thunder (2022)
Where to watch: Disney Plus, Prime Video US, and Prime Video UK.
Love and Thunder opens with Thor still hanging out with the Guardians (having gone back to a god bod). When the new Thor character Gorr starts butchering the gods, Odinson answers the call.
Oh, and Thor is reunited with a repaired Mjolnir, now wielded by Jane, who'll help the former Prince of Asgard on his mission. Our own Thor 4 review praised this entry, though it is one of the MCU's more divisive pictures, with some arguing that it takes the comedic side of the character too far. Whether we agree or not depends on the day we watch it, really.
Upcoming Thor movies
Love and Thunder ended with the promise that "Thor will return," so we know the God of Thunder will be back; we just don't know how or when. It's possible we'll get a Thor 5 release date, and Hemsworth has admitted to informal conversations about where to take the character, but nothing formal has been agreed.
Watiti also has a few ideas, claiming the next Thro film will need a villain even more powerful than Hera, but there's no Thor film in Marvel's Phase 5 or Phase 6. It's far more likely, in our opinion, that Thor will enjoy his retirement up until the Kang Dynasty, or maybe even Secret Wars until finally being called back to action by Earth's mightiest heroes. We'll have to wait until the Avengers 5 release date to find out though.
If you want to know more about the future of the MCU, check out our guide on The Marvels release date and all the Marvel series ranked for you. Not satisfied? Well, why not check our detailed lists of the best superhero movies ever made and all the new movies coming out in 2023?