Thor Movies in Order

By Sofia Marlowe · Updated October 21, 2026

Story order and release order match for all four solo films. The catch is that many of Thor's biggest moments happen in the Avengers films, so the solo movies only tell part of his story.

Thor watch order: the four solo films

1. Thor (2011). A proud prince of Asgard is banished to Earth to learn humility. This is where Thor, Loki and their father Odin are introduced.
2. Thor: The Dark World (2013). Thor returns to protect the Nine Realms from the Dark Elves, and he has to work with Loki to do it.
3. Thor: Ragnarok (2017). Stranded on a garbage planet, Thor must escape and get home before Asgard falls to his long-lost sister Hela.
4. Thor: Love and Thunder (2022). A grieving, aimless Thor is pulled back into action when a killer of gods appears, and Jane Foster returns wielding a hammer of her own.

That is the whole solo series. Watching these four on their own takes a couple of evenings, but you will hit some confusing jumps, which is why the next section matters.

Four films, four different moods

No other Marvel hero has changed tone this much between solo outings. The first film is a family drama with a Shakespearean feel. The Dark World stays serious and leans into fantasy. Ragnarok throws most of that out and turns Thor into a comedy lead with a bright, retro look. Love and Thunder pushes the comedy further while bringing back Jane.

Knowing this in advance helps. Viewers who loved the first film are sometimes thrown by Ragnarok, and people who start with Ragnarok are surprised by how earnest the early films are. It is the same character at different points in his life, and the shifts in tone track how much he has lost along the way.

What is the order of Thor with the Avengers films?

Thor's biggest turns happen outside his own series. For his complete arc, slot the team-ups between the solo films:

Ragnarok's final scene leads straight into the opening of Infinity War, and Love and Thunder picks up from where Endgame leaves Thor. Skip those Avengers films and the later solo movies lose much of their context. Thor also sits out Captain America: Civil War, and Ragnarok explains where he and Hulk were during that fight. One small extra: the mid-credits scene of Doctor Strange shows Thor visiting the Sanctum with Loki in tow while searching for Odin, and Ragnarok picks that thread up.

Who this order suits

This page is for viewers who want to follow one hero rather than the whole timeline. It is also a good way to revisit Loki's story, since the trickster is central to the first three films. If Loki is your real interest, his own series picks up with a variant of the character, and it makes more sense after this run. You will find it in our guide to Marvel shows in order.

For the bigger picture, every Thor film also appears in our list of all Marvel movies in order alongside the rest of the franchise, and the Marvel release order shows which other heroes premiered between his outings.

Can you skip The Dark World?

This is the question we hear most. The Dark World is often ranked low among Marvel films, and you can skip it if you are short on time. Two things are worth knowing, though. It introduces one of the Infinity Stones, which matters later, and it develops the relationship between Thor and Loki that Ragnarok builds on.

A reasonable compromise: watch it, but go in with modest expectations. It is shorter on payoff than the others, not on story.

Starting with Ragnarok

Some people only want the funny ones. Starting with Ragnarok works better than you might expect, since the film quickly explains what you need. It also introduces Valkyrie and features Hulk heavily, so having seen Age of Ultron still helps.

After that, Love and Thunder assumes you have seen Endgame. Do not jump straight from Ragnarok to it.

Planning a Thor marathon

The solo films alone fit into a long weekend. Add the four Avengers films and you have eight movies, which is closer to a week of evenings. A natural split is three nights: the first two solo films with The Avengers and Age of Ultron, then Ragnarok with Infinity War, then Endgame with Love and Thunder. Our Marvel marathon plan can turn that into a schedule that fits your week.

Mistakes to avoid

Watching only the solo films. Thor's grief, his changed look after the Snap and his trip with the Guardians are all set up elsewhere. Without the Avengers films, Love and Thunder feels random.

Expecting the same Thor each time. Treat each film as its own flavor, and the tone shifts stop feeling like mistakes.

Missing the credits scenes. Several Thor films end with teasers for the next big event. Stay until the credits finish.

Short on time across the whole MCU? The essential Marvel movies and shows list tells you which Thor entries are required.