Avengers: Secret Wars may revive a Thor: Love & Thunder complaint that many MCU fans have had if a certain storyline is adapted. The fourth installment in the Thor franchise was released to mixed reviews. Some fans enjoyed the tone of the film, while others thought it tried too hard to emulate the humor of Thor: Ragnarok. The jokes worked the first time around because the banter felt right between the lead group of characters. Thor: Love & Thunder called for a more serious tone, so the comedy leanings comparatively risked feeling like a forced gimmick.
The MCU’s problem with reducing Thor to a comedic character started with Thor: Ragnarok. The tone worked for that specific film, but Marvel tried to continue with it in Avengers: Endgame and saw a different reception, as the last team-up film played off the character's grief by poking fun and his struggles in a way that divided audiences. Since Thor ended Love & Thunder with a daughter, this would logically be the MCU’s chance to have the character get more serious. However, one potential Avengers: Secret Wars plot line could prevent that from happening.
Thor 4's Comedy Complaints May Get Worse If Avengers 6 Adapts Secret Wars' Comic Story
Thor’s MCU Tone Has Been Hit Or Miss
Marvel hasn’t confirmed which version of the Secret Wars comics that they will be adapting for the MCU just yet, though it stands to reason the story will be inspired by some version of the comics that share its name. Avengers: Doomsday and Secret Wars directors the Russo Brothers have expressed their love for the original 1984 comic run before, but there’s a big possibility that Marvel could adapt the 2015 run too, particularly since it already appears to tie in well to the existing Multiverse Saga story via covering the aftermath of a colossal universe incursion.
With the 2015 run of Secret Wars comes an iconic Thor storyline. Even though Thor will likely take more of a backseat in Avengers: Secret Wars to make way for the new generation of heroes, his Doom-related storyline from this run could still get included, allowing the franchise to feature him in a focal capacity of a sort.
The Thor Corps were a group of people who could all wield Mjolnir and possessed the power of Thor. Their home was on Battleworld, the world created by Doctor Doom from the remnants of realities destroyed during the Multiverse’s collapse. The group served as Doom’s police force and served their leader without question. The Thor Corps are serious in their mission and dedication to Doom, but the concept itself is one that looks likely to be a challenge for the MCU to adapt without adding considerable comedy into it, especially given the precedent that's been established with Thor.
Secret Wars' Thor Corps Are Hard To Not Make A Little Silly
The Thor Corps Concept Is Silly By Nature
Although Deadpool’s main personality trait is to be comedic relief of sorts, the Deadpool Corps shown in Deadpool & Wolverine holds a lot of similarities to a potential Thor Corps. If Avengers: Secret Wars does adapt the Thor Corps, it can’t be helped if some audiences find the concept to be silly from the name alone. This will only be amplified by the fact that the Thor Corps essentially acts as a police force for Doom, which is an inherently jarring concept itself and feels like a comedic scenario that the MCU would play off in an alternate timeline.
The comics have an easier job of playing the Thor Corps off as something serious than the MCU would, but that isn't to say that the comics don't also play into the somewhat silly energy of the group. Even if the MCU tries to play off the Thor Corps as a completely serious organization, the nature of their actions do lean on the comedic side. For example, Thunder Thorlief, one of the top Thor Corps members, was known for his record of arresting 13 Hulks in one night. Little details about the Thor Corps like this would undoubtedly be facts that the MCU includes to lighten the mood.
Avengers 6 Adapting The Thor Corps Would Be A Major MCU Challenge
Avengers: Secret Wars Would Have To Strike The Right Balance
The Thor Corps could play a part in Avengers: Secret Wars if the 2015 Secret Wars Marvel Comics are adapted, or even just parts of it. The inclusion would even make sense with the plot instead of just feeling like a forced storyline. Working directly for Doctor Doom as a police force would mean that the Thor Corps would be extremely present on Battleworld, even if it is in the background of the main action. However, adapting the Thor Corps would be a major MCU challenge, especially if the MCU wants to nail the tone of the organization.
The potential Thor Corps in Avengers: Secret Wars can’t take themselves too seriously without alienating viewers who find a police force made up of Thor variants and allies surreal, but the MCU can’t push them as pure comedic relief either without risking continuing the complaints that Thor is played too comedically. Thor’s reputation among MCU fans has already taken a bit of a dive after the events of Thor: Ragnarok, Avengers: Endgame, and Love & Thunder, and the tone of the character is all over the place now.
The MCU would have to strike the right balance of seriousness and comedy to ensure a theoretical Thor Corps don't come across as a downside, which will prove especially difficult if Thor’s Secret Wars appearance is only considered a small part of the movie as a whole. However, though this concept has its dangers, a careful hand could make the unusual premise a stepping stone to put the character back on the right track.
Avengers 6's Potential Thor Story Could Be Exactly What The MCU Hero Needs
The Thor Corps Could Be Used To Help The MCU’s Thor
Although adapting the Secret Wars Thor Corps story comes with its risks, it could also be what the MCU’s version of the character needs right now. Despite the failures of Thor: Love & Thunder, the character ended the film with a solid narrative of taking care of his newly adopted daughter. There is a lot of potential for this storyline, especially to grow the character of Thor and have him step up as a parent. Even though Thor and Love were shown to be a light-hearted duo, the experience would undoubtedly cause Thor to mature.
By the time of Thor’s appearance in the upcoming Avengers films, a mature Thor coming across the Thor Corps would mean he’d have to step up. As a loyal part of the Avengers since Phase 1, Thor won’t just sit around and watch his variants aid Doom in his mission. Thor going up against the Thor Corps can give the character a chance to show off his serious leadership side, but it’d provide for some natural comedic moments too. As such, there is also the potential for the Thor Corps story to work in Avengers: Secret Wars as long as Thor himself isn’t played off as a joke.
