It’s safe to say we will not be getting a Taika Waititi-directed Thor 5, given the filmmaker’s stacked slate and his confession that he only made the past two because he was poor.
The God of Thunder’s franchise looks all set to refresh itself yet again, then, especially as Chris Hemsworth has admitted he’s looking to do something less “silly” next time around. If you believe the gossip, Marvel is on the same page too, as word has it the studio’s looking for someone with a “more serious” background than Waititi to helm Thor 5.
He might not be involved with the film anymore, but Waititi was right about one thing, when he previously commented that a Thor movie is only as good as its antagonist, therefore Thor 5 can’t have a villain who’s “weaker than Hela.” So if Marvel really wants the next outing for the Odinson to be darker than The Dark World (and hopefully a Hela-va lot better), here are some options for Thor’s next nemesis.
Enchantress
When it comes to Thor villains the MCU has yet to adapt, the most notable is definitely Enchantress, a Stan Lee and Jack Kirby creation who dates back to 1964 and serves as one of the Asgardian’s most recurring foes in the comics. While Loki‘s Sylvie is a semi-adaptation of the second Enchantress, the original — Amora — is still MIA in the MCU.
It would be easy to tackle Enchantress in a campy way, but as the most powerful Asgardian sorceress she would certainly be a fiercely formidable foe for Thor, and her best storylines in the comics portray her as both entirely amoral and yet strangely sympathetic. It all depends on how she’s handled, of course, but there’s no reason that Amora couldn’t live up to the high standard for Thor villains set by Hela.
Tyr
On the other hand, maybe what the Thor movies need next is someone to come along who can actually be a physical match for Hemsworth’s hero. Enter Tyr, someone who is both a physically imposing threat and a deeply personal one.
You see, Tyr is Odin’s brother and Thor’s uncle. The God of War — essentially the Norse counterpart to Ares from Greek myths (and DC) — Tyr opposed to Odin’s largely peaceful rule due to his taste for bloodshed. He also particularly hates his nephew due to Thor usurping his position as Asgard’s greatest warrior. To be honest, Tyr did actually have a brief cameo in The Dark World, but given that it’s one of Marvel’s most forgettable movies, Thor 5 would be completely in the clear to introduce a new version of him if it so wished.
Cul
The Thor films have got to keep it in the family, right? Loki and Hela were Thor’s siblings and even Gorr the God-Butcher’s daughter ended up being adopted by the Thunder-God. So Thor 5 has to keep up the tradition. I’ve already pitched one other wayward family member, but if Tyr’s Dark World cameo does rule him out then how about Cul Borson?
Yet another evil uncle of Thor’s, Cul — also known as Serpent — is the Asgardian God of Fear and believes he is the true All-Father of Asgard instead of his brother Odin. With Loki-like shapeshifting abilities — he can transform into a giant serpent — and Thor-esque strength — he once broke Captain America’s shield in two with his bare hands — Cul has everything needed to become the perfect villain for Thor 5.
Mangog
Outside of Enchantress, the next most iconic Thor comics villain who could emerge in the fifth film is Mangog, and honestly, his origin story in the comics could be easily transplanted into the MCU to make for an action-packed storyline.
The brutal, monstrous Mangog is described as the personified hatred of “a billion, billion beings,” a living weapon created by an alien race that once attempted to take over Asgard in ancient times. In the modern-day, he’s freed from Odin’s dungeons by the rock troll Ulik (another famous Thor foe who would make a great secondary antagonist). The escaped Mangog then gets his hands on the Odinsword, which holds the power to end the universe.
A truly threatening villain with deep ties to Asgardian lore? A new powerful Macguffin? Apocalyptic stakes? If Mangog is chosen, Thor 5 practically writes itself.
Hela
Any of these villains would work wonders, but let’s think outside of the box for a moment. Waititi’s right that the Thor franchise is always going to struggle to match Hela, so why fight that? Why not simply resurrect Hela for another round against her brother in Thor 5?
Cate Blanchett’s turn as the Goddess of Death was such a winning performance that she definitely deserves another crack at the whip (or flourish of the necrosword, as the case may be). Yes, she does feature in What If…? season 2, but that doesn’t quite scratch the itch. Imagine a version of Hela not written by Waititi who could be portrayed in an all-new, much darker way.
Plus, if Loki wants to climb out of his World Tree and Daniel Craig’s Balder the Brave can join in the fun and the whole family can be reunited, then Thor 5 could easily become the ultimate Thor film.