Although the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) timeline is a little tough to follow, it is agreed that the events of Thor take place after Iron Man 2 and about one year before the first Avengers film.
Thor begins with three scientists in an all-terrain vehicle chasing a colorful storm, similar to the colors found in the Aurora Borealis. While observing and documenting the events of the storm, they hit a man – Thor. The film then ventures backward to describe how Odin led the Asgardians to victory over the Frost Giants and took the Casket of Ancient Winters back to the vault in Asgard. Years later, Odin’s firstborn son Thor is about to be crowned king when the Frost Giants sneak into the vault in an attempt to retrieve the casket. The Frost Giants are destroyed, and afterward Odin and Thor disagree on how to respond. Odin cautions peace, while Thor seeks revenge. Against his father’s wishes, Thor goes to the Frost Giant’s home world, Jotunheim, with Loki and close friends, Volstagg, Fandral, Hogun, and Sif, to annihilate the Frost Giants.
When they cross the Bifrost and land in Jotunheim, one of his companions immediately states that “we shouldn’t be here.” Nevertheless, they head toward the throne room but on their way they find no Frost Giants. When Sif asks, “Where are they?” Thor responds, “They are hiding, as cowards always do.” When they get into the throne room, they are met by Laufey, King of the Frost Giants and later discovered to be the biological father of Loki. Laufey greets them with, “You have come a long way to die Asgaurdians.” When Thor asks how they managed to sneak into Asgard, Laufey tells him that, “The house of Odin is full of traitors.” Although enraged, Thor is initially persuaded by Loki to stand down and peacefully leave before a fight breaks out between the two groups. However, while they are leaving, a Frost Giant mutters “Run back home little princess,” which sets Thor over the edge and a battle ensues. After knocking out the first few Frost Giants, Thor gloats, “At least make it challenging for me.”
Thor continues to fight, and the other Asgaurdians and Frost Giants join in on the battle. As the Asgaurdians become surrounded by the Frost Giants and it seems as though there is no escape, Odin appears to save them and attempts to renegotiate peace with Laufey. Although the Asgardians are able to escape, the peace between the Asgardians and the Frost Giants was destroyed as a result of Thor’s reckless and brash actions. As punishment, not only does Odin tell Thor he is not fit to be king, but he also strips Thor of his powers and banishes him to Earth. He then sends Thor’s hammer, Mjølnir, to Earth while saying, “Whosoever holds this hammer, if he be worthy, shall possess the power of Thor.”
Thor is arrogant and reckless in his decision making, and as a result he loses everything.
Like Thor, our actions can affect us in a positive or negative way. While we do have the ability to choose our actions, we may not have any control over the consequences of those choices. These results can bring us joy or great sadness, which Thor learns firsthand throughout the events of the film.
We are then brought back to the initial opening of the film, and the scientists are scrambling to see what and who they hit in the storm. The three are identified as astrophysicist Dr. Jane Foster, her assistant Darcy Lewis, and mentor Dr. Erik Selvig. They take Thor to the hospital, but he soon leaves to go after his hammer.
Meanwhile, Jane and her team return back to their lab where they discover Agent Coulson and SHIELD confiscating all of their work. While sitting on the roof of her house complaining about what Coulson took from her, Selvig tells her about a similar event involving gamma radiation research and a research colleague of his that was never heard from again (hinting at the eventual connection to the Hulk).
Thor is arrogant because he is used to getting his way without others questioning him.
Thor was one of the most powerful warriors on Asgard, and as a result he was very egotistical. By losing his powers and being sent to Earth, he is forced to rely on the kindness of strangers and has no control over his situation. When he initially arrived on Earth, Thor made demands of people to make him food, get him more coffee, provide him with clothes, and provide him a place to sleep. Once he found out his hammer was on earth, he became solely focused on obtaining it. However, Odin’s enchantment prevents him from taking his hammer back, and he is forced to instead contemplate the situation he is in.
Back on Asgard, Odin is weak after saving Thor and his companions and goes into Odinsleep, a deep rest to restore his power. Loki takes the throne in Odin’s place and, having learned of his past and true origin as a Frost Giant, offers King Laufey the chance to kill Odin and retrieve the casket.
As a human, Thor learns humility and becomes willing to die to save humans after befriending Jane Foster and her colleagues.
The Warriors Three and Sif go to earth because they think Loki is up to something. However, as the acting king of Asgard, Loki controls all the weapons on Asgard. In order to thwart their attempt to bring Thor back to Asgard, The Destroyer is sent after them to kill both them and Thor. When it appears as though The Destroyer is about to defeat his friends, Thor offers himself up as sacrifice in exchange for their lives. As a result of his selflessness, he is again worthy to be in possession of Mjølnir. He defeats The Destroyer and, after promising Jane that he will return to her someday, he and his friends rush back to Asgard to stop Loki. Thor arrives on Asgard, and after defeating Loki in battle, he destroys the Bifröst Bridge in order to prevent Loki from attacking other planets, thereby stranding himself in Asgard. During the destruction of the bridge, Loki supposedly falls to his death, while Thor is rescued from the same fate by Odin.
Thor has grown significantly during the film and now treats others with respect.
When he leaves Earth, Thor kisses Jane Foster on the hand as a sign of affection rather on the lips – a new form of respect from Thor. He also acknowledges to his father that he is not yet ready to be king and wishes to continue to learn from Odin before ascending the throne. He has developed from an egotistical prince to a thoughtful, responsible future king. As a result of losing everything, he found the ability to become worthy of his glory and power. . Like Thor, we should act with humility and respect toward others.
Individual Online Therapy in Florida, Idaho, South Carolina, and Utah
At Calming Transformations Counseling, our therapists understand how life’s challenges can affect your emotional and mental well-being like Thor. We offer support for those experiencing anxiety, stress, depression, or relationship issues, including individuals seeking a religious or faith-based perspective. In addition to our standard therapeutic approaches, we also provide movie therapy—an engaging method that uses the power of film to explore emotions, promote self-reflection, and spark meaningful discussions about personal growth.
Photo Credit (ALL): Marvel Studios
