- Primary Subject: Kenneth Branagh’s potential return to the MCU
- Key Update: Original Thor director Kenneth Branagh expressed interest in helming the next (and final) installment.
- Status: Confirmed
- Last Verified: May 4, 2026
- Quick Answer: Kenneth Branagh is open to directing Thor 5, pitching a grounded, gritty finale inspired by Logan to conclude Chris Hemsworth's iconic MCU journey.
Original Thor director Kenneth Branagh has expressed interest in helming the next installment for the God of Thunder with a potential Logan-esque finale.
Following the polarizing reaction to Love and Thunder, fans have been wondering what Marvel's plans are for the future of solo Thor movies in the MCU. While he will be returning in the upcoming Avengers movies, there is hope that he will have another solo movie one last time that could serve as a send-off for the Chris Hemsworth character.
Is Kenneth Branagh Open to Directing the Next Thor Movie?
In a recent interview with Business Insider, Branagh shared that he is interested in directing the next Thor movie in the MCU and has an idea for the installment to be inspired by Logan.
"Part of me would love to finish my relationship with that character. I’d always wanted to do more and indeed had a couple of ideas, more in the territory of James Mangold’s brilliant Logan. I would love to see Chris Hemsworth and the others have their own individual final story that takes Thor into a glorious twilight," he said.
Branagh admitted that he deliberately did not return to direct the Thor sequels due to the intensive process of making an MCU movie.
"Marvel shoots are intense. Marvel postproduction is more intense — wildly exciting but super intense," he said. "I definitely needed to smell the roses. Kevin Feige was very understanding, and so was the cast. I needed a break."
The Oscar winner also shared that he watched the sequels with "a mix of tremendous pride and amazement at the many ways such stories can go" and "would be something very beautiful to take those characters into their own particular sunset."
However, he is doubtful that he would be invited back since Marvel Studios may already have a plan down the line for the character of Thor.
"They are so far deep into the future of the Marvel Universe that I’m sure whatever plans they have for it are already kind of set. All I know is there’s something beautiful to be had out of arriving at a conclusion for that arc of those stories with those characters and those actors," he concluded.
What to Expect in the Upcoming Avengers Movies
The plot details regarding Avengers: Doomsday are still under wraps, but it is expected to feature a multiversal team-up between the heroes in Earth-616, the Fantastic Four from Earth-838, and the X-Men from the Fox universe against Doctor Doom.
The star-studded cast includes Robert Downey Jr., Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Chris Hemsworth, Anthony Mackie, Sebastian Stan, Paul Rudd, Letitia Wright, Simu Liu, Tom Hiddleston, Winston Duke, Florence Pugh, David Harbour, Wyatt Russell, Lewis Pullman, Hannah John-Kamen, Danny Ramirez, Tenoch Huerta Mejía, Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, Kelsey Grammer, James Marsden, Rebecca Romijn, Alan Cumming, Channing Tatum, and Chris Evans.
The film is slated for release in theaters on December 18. Four teaser trailers were already released, giving fans an early glimpse of what to expect.
As for Secret Wars, the details are still under wraps since production will begin this year. It is slated for release in theaters in December 2027.
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