Spoilers ahead for those that haven’t seenThor: Ragnarok
One of the biggest developments inThor: Ragnarokwas the stripping down of the central character. DirectorTaika Waititiand Marvel Studios headKevin Feigewanted to getChris Hemsworth’s Thor down to basics in order to build him back up again, so over the course of the film he loses his hammer, hair, cape, and finally one of his eyes. It’s this final development that’s the most significant, as it also points to Thor embracing his likeness to his father while also accepting the throne of Asgard once and for all. But while the character is sporting a fancy eyepatch at the end ofRagnarok, the next time we see Thor he may have changed once again.
As part ofVanity Fair’sextensive profile ofAvengers: Infinity WarandAvengers 4, a photo gallery was released of the Marvel characters in their costumes, and in it Thor has his eye back:
The hammer and cape—which were broken and torn inRagnarok—may be back for the photo shoot but that doesn’t mean they’ll return inAvengers: Infinity War.As for Thor’s most significant lost accessory, the eye that was plucked out of his head byCate Blanchett’sHela, all that remains of that trauma in our gallery is a light scar running down the right side of Hemsworth’s face.
This choice to give Thor his eye back probably has more to do with logistics than it does story—it’s tough to perform with only one eye, and the Avengers already have one one-eyed member in Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson). How this is explained is unclear, but it’s interesting now to know that we won’t be seeing Thor in that eyepatch for long.
As for the hair, Ireallylike this as a permanent change. Thor always looked a bit silly with the long hair in relation to the other Avengers, and the crop cut reflects character evolution as much as it also just looks better. Besides, it’s possible Hemsworth’s Thorwon’t be sticking around too long anyway…
