The tone of Marvel Studios' Thor franchise hasn't always been popular, however, and a new theory could explain why.

2022's Thor: Love and Thunder caught up with the Asgardian God of Thunder in the wake of his traumatic experiences in Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame, but was not a popular installment for Criticisms aimed at Thor: Love and Thunder may have been misplaced, however, as a new MCU theory posits that the movie's narrative was always supposed to be that silly.

Every MCU Thor Movie Opens With Narration

Chris Hemsworth Debuted In The MCU In 2011's Thor

While the style of each Thor movie in the MCU has been changed depending on what adventure the titular superhero has been embarking on, one narrative trick has remained constant. Each movie in the MCU's Thor franchise opens with a character narrating some backstory, catching the audience up on key events that will become important later, or filling in the gaps between movies. This exposition provides key context for the story ahead, and while Anthony Hopkins' Odin began this trend, both Thor and Taika Waititi's Korg have since taken the reins.

Thor MCU Movie	Release Date	Director	Box Office
Thor	May 6, 2011	Kenneth Branagh	$449.3 million
Thor: The Dark World	November 8, 2013	Alan Taylor	$644.8 million
Thor: Ragnarok	November 3, 2017	Taika Waititi	$855 million
Thor: Love and Thunder	July 8, 2022	Taika Waititi	$760.9 million

Thor began with Odin giving a brief rundown of Asgard's history, while Thor: The Dark World opened with him going further back to his father's battle against Malekith and the Dark Elves. Thor: Ragnarok began with Thor himself explaining what he had done in the two years since 2015's Avengers: Age of Ultron, while Love and Thunder saw Korg explain Thor's history and reveal his new journey with the Guardians of the Galaxy to a group of children. At first glance, this narration has no impact on the stories of the Thor movies, but a new theory suggests otherwise.

Thor Movie Narrators Set The Tone For The Adventures: MCU Theory Explained

Odin, Thor & Korg Set The Tone Of The Thor Franchise

Thor doing the splits in Thor Love and Thunder

Many have already considered that Korg narrated the entire storyline of Thor: Love and Thunder to the children in the cave, but a new theory shared by Reddit YouShouldLoveMore69 suggests that each of the Thor movies should be watched from the perspective of their narrator. This perfectly explains the varying tones and styles of each Thor movie. Odin's more traditional and classical personality is reflected in the serious, Shakespearean tone of Thor and Thor: The Dark World, while Thor's comedic but vulnerable nature can be seen in Thor: Ragnarok.

This theory could be confirmed if the MCU's as-yet-unannounced Thor 5 once again opens with narration, especially if this is delivered by a character audiences haven't heard from before. Taika Waititi has confirmed he won't return for Thor 5, and there have been calls for the overt comedy to be avoided in favor of a darker, more serious tone. Perhaps featuring narration from Hercules in Omnipotence City, Jane Foster in Valhalla or even Loki on his new throne could contribute to this tonal change, though this theory does make Love and Thunder's tone much more palatable.

MCU Theory Makes Thor: Love & Thunder’s Silly Storyline Better

Korg Is An Unreliable & Jokey Narrator In Thor: Love & Thunder

chris hemsworth as thor and taika waititi as korg in thor love and thunder 2022

Korg is one of the most outlandish and ridiculous characters in the Thor franchise, and his silly nature evidently leached into Thor: Love and Thunder's storyline throughout the movie. Some have noticed many instances where Love and Thunder's story didn't quite add up or make sense, suggesting that Korg is an unreliable narrator who made up a lot of information or included many jokes to please his child audience, but this didn't work for the movie's real-world audience. When watching Love and Thunder through Korg's eyes, the Phase 4 movie is much more enjoyable.

The comedy was more overwhelming in Thor: Love and Thunder because Korg tries to be funny to placate difficult situations much more than Thor himself does. This allowed Thor: Ragnarok to contain more tender, emotional and raw moments, while Love and Thunder constantly tried to avert its hard moments with jokes. Unfortunately, this culminated in the movie receiving a huge amount of criticism, but it perhaps still won't stop a sequel to Thor: Love and Thunder from being developed, so there is hope for the franchise and Thor's own future in the MCU.