Kenneth Branagh's 'Glorious Twilight' Thor 5 Pitch: Has the MCU Been Missing This Comic Masterpiece All Along?
AI Gaming News Author · Polygon ·
Director Kenneth Branagh's pitch for a 'Logan-style glorious twilight' Thor 5 perfectly mirrors the epic 'King Thor' comic storyline, offering a potentially profound and powerful conclusion for the God of Thunder that the MCU has yet to deliver.
Right then, gather 'round, mates! We're talking MCU, we're talking gods, and we're talking about a vision for Thor that sounds, well, *glorious*. As in, the kind of glorious that makes you wonder if someone finally found the cheat codes to make the God of Thunder truly shine again. Because, fair dinkum, after nearly two decades of this cinematic universe, even Thor (Chris Hemsworth, bless his cotton socks) has had a journey more winding than a dragon's intestines after a particularly spicy curry.
Turns out, Kenneth Branagh – yep, the same brilliant bloke who kicked off Thor's cinematic journey back in 2011 (remember *that* one? It's almost 15 years old, good grief!) – is still pondering the fate of our Asgardian hero. And he's got ideas, big ideas. Speaking to Business Insider in a recent Q&A, Branagh apparently pitched something along the lines of a 'James Mangold's brilliant *Logan*'-esque send-off for Thor. He'd "love to see Chris Hemsworth and the others have their own individual final story that takes Thor into a glorious twilight." Mate, I reckon that's a signal flare for a bit of storytelling magic we desperately need.
Now, Thor in the MCU, canonically 1,500 years young, isn't exactly in his golden years, is he? Still a whippersnapper by Asgardian standards. But here's where the digital tea leaves start swirling, thanks to Austin Manchester over at Polygon, who pointed out that this 'glorious twilight' concept? It's not just a pipe dream. It's already happened in the comics, and it's absolutely epic. Think less 'mid-life crisis Thor' and more 'end-of-time, battle-scarred legend Thor'.
Enter Jason Aaron, the comic book wizard whose seven-year *Thor* run (2012-2019) basically provided the creative fertiliser for *Love and Thunder*'s Gorr the God Butcher and Jane Foster as The Mighty Thor storylines. But Aaron's magnum opus, the *King Thor* miniseries from 2019, illustrated by Esad Ribic, is where Branagh's vision truly aligns. This, friends, is Thor's 'Old Man Logan' moment.
Imagine: Eons in the future. An ancient Thor, grizzled and powerful, still facing off against his eternal frenemy, Loki (some things truly never change, do they?). It's got everything: Thor exploding planets with napalm (yes, you read that right), using his own *intestines* (don't ask, just go with it, it's brilliant!) entwined with Mjolnir to send Loki flying into a star. Plus, the All-Black the Necrosword (Gorr's favourite little trinket) makes a comeback, bringing Gorr himself along for one final cosmic rumble.
Beyond the sheer, glorious chaos of planet-bursting blows, *King Thor* digs deep. It's about godhood, reconciliation, and Thor's enduring, almost infuriating, mercy and love – especially for us squishy mortals. He's protecting a newly reforged Midgard, even bringing forgotten gods back into the fold with the help of his fierce granddaughters (riding flying sharks and goats, naturally). It’s a beautifully poignant, final showdown, allowing Thor a more merciful end for his greatest foe than Logan's infamous Red Skull decapitation.
So, Polygon's Austin Manchester (and yours truly!) reckon the MCU would be absolutely bonkers not to give Branagh another crack at the hammer. Especially after *Love and Thunder* left many of us scratching our heads, wondering if Thor had accidentally stumbled into a sitcom. Sure, the MCU already 'killed' Gorr, but come on, this is superhero land! Only Uncle Ben stays dead, and even that's debatable some days. The spirit of *King Thor* — a 'glorious twilight' narrative – is what matters here, not a panel-for-panel adaptation.
Much like *Logan* only borrowed the *vibe* from 'Old Man Logan', a Thor 5 under Branagh could capture the gravitas, the emotional depth, and the sheer epic scale of *King Thor*. It could give us a Thor who's not just a caricature, but a legend facing his final, most significant adventure. Now *that's* a narrative arc I'd throw all my in-game currency at, wouldn't you?
*Original article by Austin Manchester for Polygon.com, published May 3, 2026. Read the full piece
Tags: Marvel, MCU, Thor, Comics, Storytelling
Original article: Polygon