Thor will return in Guardians of the Galaxy 3, the highly-anticipated sequel could still include a major moment for Thor's MCU story.
Throughout the course of the MCU, Thor has become one of the universe's most powerful characters but also one of the more tragic. It really started in Avengers: Endgame.
Even though Thor got his mojo back a bit by the end of Avengers: Endgame and seems to be better than ever in Thor: Love and Thunder, the good times could end once again with Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. The movie is described as the final iteration of this version of the Guardians, leading to great speculation that some of the characters will die. Unfortunately for Thor, Rocket is at or near the top of the movie's list of most likely casualties. This is mostly because Gunn has itted that Rocket is the character he feels the strongest connection to. Rocket dying in Guardians of the Galaxy 3 would also fit incredibly well into his overall arc of accepting this new family, watching Yondu die to save them, being one of the only to survive The Blip, and then sacrificing himself to keep his new family safe. If Gunn does kill Rocket Racoon, though, it'll be the latest tragic moment in Thor's MCU story.
The MCU made Rocket and Thor's friendship incredibly strong during Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame. They started as a pair of rebellious fighters who were interested in obtaining incredibly powerful weapons. However, Avengers: Infinity War had Rocket check in on Thor's mental state before going through with this mission, which is where Thor heartbreakingly said, "What more could I lose?" It turned out he could still lose a lot more, but his friendship with Rocket continued throughout a difficult period of his life. It was even Rocket who got through to Thor so he'd re the fight in Avengers: Endgame after Hulk failed. Guardians of the Galaxy 3 killing Rocket would be another heartbreaking moment for Thor, even if it is the best decision for the movie itself.
If Rocket's MCU story ends in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, that will hopefully mean that Thor will have a role in the movie. Depending on how the film handles his death, Thor could be present for his funeral and reflect on what Rocket's friendship meant to him. Chris Hemsworth's character could even be present for the moment Rocket dies if Thor makes a return in the third act potentially. In any case, Thor could have more tragedy ahead in the MCU if this Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 theory comes true.
