Top 10 Outfits of Thor in the MCU, Ranked

This week Chris Hemsworth went on record on the popular “Happy Sad Confused” podcast saying that he did not want to go back to being THOR again unless things were “drastically different” from the last two Taika Waititi movies. It was not a diss (necessarily) to Taika – as Hemsworth was using it as an overall point that he likes to keep the character fresh. Honestly I’m not a big fan of “Happy Sad Confused”, I think they try and make people say controversial soundbites for hits that contextually are not really all that controversial. So I read about the news later. But I kind of agree with Chris here, I think Thor is one of the MCU characters that has gone through the most character evolution – both internally and externally as his changing look reflects his changing attitudes. And I think for the character to survive, he needs to evolve. So I thought about that and thought it might be a good time to rank all of his different looks and outfits and give some thoughts on them as well as the MCU installments to which each belongs (the real purpose of this blog).

10. AVENGERS 2012 – “Classic” Outfit

What the heck was Joss Whedon doing with this suit??? Look at that chest-plate. Look at those bracelets. Look man, I am sorry in advance if you liked AVENGERS 2012. I apologize in advance for what I am about to say and please don’t unsubscribe or block my site. And I get it was a fulfillment of a decades long dream for many Gen X and older millennial comic book fans. But as one of those, I will die on the hill that AVENGERS 2012 is one of the worst films in the MCU. Go back. Watch it again. Please. We have come so far from this film. It is directed like a 90s TV show. It is written like a 90s TV show. When people say that an MCU movie is nothing but a TV show I point them to AVENGERS 2012. Now I have nothing agains Whedon’s style but I like it on TV. As readers know, I love AGENTS OF SHIELD but it is a TV Show. This was supposed to be the culmination of years of build up and it was four superheroes riding around on an airship for 2 hours like some 80s Canon film. Yeah the last hour is pretty good dumb fun and a lot of fan service but I will take ANY Avengers film over this one. Even Whedon’s own AGE OF ULTRON (although not my favorite) is more cinematic and more interesting than this film to me (probably because it is a de facto Scarlet Witch origin story). Anyway, THOR’s suit kind of stinks in this film also. The chest-plate, specifically, is so over-stylized and generally indicative of the fact that Whedon had no idea what to do with Thor – except use him as a springboard and butt of his jokes. And yes, I get that the Taika Waititi films later on also heavily rely on comedy but much of that humor is thematic and directly germaine to Thor’s arc in those films. Not like here in AVENGERS 2012. I mean WHAT was he doing.

9. ENDGAME – All Outfits including Fat Thor

I know a lot of people hate this version of Thor aka meme Thor aka Fat Thor – and I don’t mind what the Russos were TRYING to do here. I just am not quite sure that they followed through. I did not hate it but it did feel like a more serious statement on depression and loss of purpose and fulfillment got lost in video game jokes. Also would have liked to have seen Thor go through some kind of redemption but I guess you can chalk that up to the arc getting lost in video game and beer jokes, as previously mentioned. Still, love it or hate it (and again I lean more to the former), the look, the outfit, Thor walking up to the final battle with a gut, Thor in the bathrobe – they are all, inarguably, iconic. Especially this one below – inarguably.

8. THOR 2011 – Classic Origin Outfit

This of course set the precedent for THOR’s MCU visage and all other outfits would come from this, the prime outfit. It is solid – a great “MCU” interpretation of a classic outfit. You have to remember that back in 2011, the MCU was really bent on creating their own version of costumes that still honored the original comic book version. While they have kept that philosophy throughout the next 10+ years, they hewed a bit closer to the original comics, for better (Iron Man) and worse (Loki – trust me just go back and look at his costumes from this one), back in the day. Here director Kenneth Branagh did a great job, creating an outfit for Thor that was definitely something that was in the better column. Still, there was something that was a little bit off in my opinion about the cape. The way it kind of rises over his shoulders. Check out the difference between Thor 2011 and The Dark World later.

7. THOR 2011 – “Undercover” Thor

This is a really underrated outfit that pays tribute to Thor’s comic alter-ego Donald Blake, also used as the name on his ID card. Yes in the comics, for many issues, Thor was actually Donald Blake, a human doctor on earth who had been cast out of Asgard and forgotten that he was Thor, only to remember, and then use Mjolnir to transform into Thor while keeping his alter ego as both a way to help him investigate crimes and continue his earthly life, which he had grown to love.

Anyway, in Kenneth Branagh’s THOR 2011, Thor dressed in normal clothes throughout the second act after he is cast out of Asgard. Back then, it was barely noticeable but in 2022, it has been so long since Thor took even the most minor of an “undercover” presence. And I always enjoyed that in the comics, so I like this outfit. Plus Hemsworth looks really cool in a wet t-shirt and jeans when he infiltrates the SHIELD base to try and get Mjolnir back. I mean this is an awesome look:

6. THE DARK WORLD – classic outfit returns with gold buttons and no chain mail arms

I think DARK WORLD is underrated in the MCU. Used to be a hot take – now in 2022, depending on who you ask, maybe not so much. Outside of the fact that it is a pretty cool almost standalone THOR story, it has some interesting parts that actually lay the groundwork for INFINITY WAR. It also basically sets up Loki’s entire arc in his current Disney Plus series. Yes I realize that Loki departs the timeline before DARK WORLD, but what Loki becomes in the series LOKI is basically this character. Anyway, I think Alan Taylor did a great job re-working the costume from THOR 2011, making it a bit darker, using gold instead of silver on the chest-plate, making the cape flow a bit better – and now Chris Hemsworth did not dye his eyebrows. Also in the third act we see Thor start showing off his biceps, which would become a trademark for the character as it was in the comics. And moreover he totally trashed that dumb Joss Whedon outfit from AVENGERS 2012 – with the exception of showing off Thor’s biceps. Overall it is a reworking of the classic look that manages to improve on something that was already pretty solid.

5. LOVE AND THUNDER – “Super Armor”

I am an unapologetic defender of LOVE AND THUNDER. Taika Waititi really made me smile with this film. I loved the nods to Jean Claude Van Damme, Kurosawa, the Marx Brothers, George Miller, and of course 80s hair metal (only Taika Waititi could place all of these in the same story, let alone make it work). It was a solid Thor standalone tale (something that is true of all four Thor films in the MCU tbh – and cannot be said about any other character) and Christian Bale as Gorr turns in a wildly fantastic performance along with Natalie Portman returning as Jane Foster who just seems so happy to be back in the MCU. The climactic scene feels right out of a Jack Kirby fever dream – and gave just the right amount of surprise and inevitability that is rarely seen in the finale of an MCU film these days.

Anyway, this “super armor” (a term I gave it – its is given no official name) is what Thor creates when he sees Jane Foster as Mighty Thor and her helmet like armor. I loved this armor mostly because it seemed to be the apotheosis of Taika Waititi’s 1980s Flash Gordon aesthetic. It is bright, colorful, and like I previously said, very VERY Kirby-esque. Is it practical in any respect? No. Thor takes the helmet off within seconds. Can it be used on a regular basis in the MCU? No. Does it look absolutely outstanding to me? Yes. And I am so glad that it is used for the rest of the film – in a modified form. The cape has never looked better – well, maybe one time…

4. LOVE AND THUNDER – Fur Cape Armor

This outfit is in just a few scenes in the film. I’d say blink and you’ll miss it but it is just too damn badass and awesome to miss. This Fur Cape Armor appears when Thor and Korg go to the cold tundra of Alfheim to help and rescue Sif. Not much to say about it – but I dare say, it speaks for itself.

3. INFINITY WAR – All Black Armor, no cape, with eye-patch

Somewhat influenced by King Thor’s outfit from the Black Winter storyline in 2019’s Marvel Comics THOR storyline, I just thought this was a great, simple, badass outfit that really helped re-ground THOR post-Ragnarok for the more serious INFINITY WAR. It is simple but really works, especially with the eyepatch and short hair from RAGNAROK. Thor had “work to do” in INFINITY WAR, creating Stormbreaker, taking on Thanos, and generally trying to save the world, but losing the fight. The black outfit was a perfect fit for this arc.

2. LOVE AND THUNDER – Ravager Outfit

Well this might be a bit of a shocker at #2. But I think it does so much in setting the precedent for the post ENDGAME Thor, what he does in this film, and where he might go in the future. I love how this outfit is basically Thor’s (and in turn, Taika’s) take on a GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY (and in turn, James Gunn) outfit. It really shows just how similar but really different Taika and Gunn’s styles are.

Undeniably influenced by THUNDER STRIKE Thor’s comic run, Taika manages to make the outfit his own. I love the way it calls out to mythology (with the t-shirt) and Jean Claude Van Damme and Rowdy Roddy Piper and THE TERMINATOR – all in one look. Its great to see Taika “sell” Thor’s long hair visage (something he is now tasked with after crafting his short hair reinvention). The look wisely uses a hair metal aesthetic to counter Ragnarok’s “short-hair” in terms of degrees of coolness. Taika made Thor look like JCVD meets Axel Rose meets 80s Schwarzenegger. And then the long hair somehow works again. You have to give LOVE AND THUNDER some serious credit. Taika Waititi gives Thor three very distinct looks – and yes, they all end up in my top 5. Anyway this outfit for me, REALLY works. It works better than all but one…

1. RAGNAROK – Sakaar Grand Arena Outfit

Well this is it – the outfit that basically resurrected Thor from the post DARK WORLD, post AVENGERS 2012, good but unchallenging existence. How do you make a god cool? You give him to Taika Waititi who managed to breathe new life into the space viking, not by building him up but by tearing him down. And he did not tear him down by de-powering him (well sort of) – he de-powered him by bringing others up to his strength level. And that called for a new re-invented rebirth of a look. And so we have the Sakaar Grand Arena Outfit. His current armor, graffitied and his hair shorn by a Sakaar barber (played by the legend Stan Lee). I mean if anyone is going to cut MCU’s hair Thor, it better be Stan Lee.

BONUS: Where I think Thor might go in the future…

This is still my favorite version of Thor:

The 80’s bodybuilder, page boy haircut, crazy WW1 helmet with wings coming out of it. A god that spent half of his time as his alter ego as Donald Blake – a man. A man who mingled with, conversed with, and was friends with a plethora of terrans. But how does the MCU Thor get to be THAT Thor??? Well, in honor of Chris Hemsworth’s request to keep things fresh, here’s an idea:

My take is I would love to see him living a Donald Blake-like existence on earth, perhaps realizing that the best way to raise his daughter would be in a more normal environment. We could have a Mr. Mom era of THOR, maybe she gives him a bad haircut and we finally get this version of Thor – the one with the crazy helmet and the crazy haircut. A friend to all humans, a peaceful Thor, but one with a target on his back courtesy of Hercules. Moreover, I just don’t think the Donald Blake alter-ego has been explored enough in the MCU and now that Thor’s cosmic side has been explored, I think the next installment is the perfect time to metaphorically and actually “come back to earth”.

What do you think, love it, hate it? And which Thor outfit is your favorite? Vote below: