There are some that might suggest Thor is not the smartest hero in the MCU. It’s true that he can rely on his muscles more than his mind in most cases, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t have some very intelligent moments. In fact, sometimes he outsmarts everyone around him. He continues to show his intelligence in his latest adventure Thor: Love and Thunder.
When swinging his hammer doesn’t work, there are moments when Thor has to outthink his enemies, including his mischievous brother Loki. And there are other times when his strategy for saving the day is surprisingly smarter than what his fellow Avengers can come up with.
Making Valkyrie King (Avengers: Endgame)
Despite the original Thor opening with Thor excitedly being named the new king of Asgard, his journey in the MCU has shown that it is not a position he was ever really comfortable with. After feeling that he failed his people, he once again turns down the throne in Avengers: Endgame.
But he is also smart enough to realize who would make the perfect ruler of the Asgardians. He passes the throne to Valkyrie who has already proven herself a skilled warrior and someone who looks after her people even when Thor could not.
Using Axle To See (Thor: Love And Thunder)
When Thor returns to Asgard in Thor: Love and Thunder, he finds that it is actually in pretty good shape without him. Valkyrie is an effective ruler and Jane Foster has taken up the mantle as Mighty Thor. But when Gorr attacks and captures a number of Asgardian children, Thor proves he is still helpful to his people.
With Heimdall’s son Axle in the group of captured children, Thor realizes he can get the young boy to use his magic sight to help Thor find out where they are so he can rescue them.
Confronting Zeus (Thor: Love And Thunder)
Thor: Love and Thunder introduces several new gods into the MCU, including the most famous of them all, Zeus. When Gorr is targeting various gods, Thor decides to take the issue to a gathering of the gods and get them to help him.
However, much to Thor’s disappointment, Zeus and the others don’t take the threat seriously at all. There are many times in which Thor shows his immaturity, but this moment proves that he might be one of the most competent gods in the MCU.
Giving The Asgardian Kids His Power (Thor: Love And Thunder)
Thor is able to track down the captured Asgardian children but realizes he needs help if he is going to stop Gorr from wiping out all of the gods. Having faith in his fellow Asgardians, Thor decides to empower the children temporarily with his own powers.
Seeing these young children suddenly filled with the thunder power is an epic moment that helps to even the odds against Gorr and his beastly minions. It is a bit of quick thinking on Thor’s part that helps to save the day.
Influencing Gorr’s Wish
Despite Thor, Jane, and the Asgardian kids putting up a solid fight, Gorr is able to reach Eternity, the cosmic entity that will grant a wish to whatever being reaches it first. While Gorr’s original plan is to wish all gods dead, Thor helps him see another way.
Gorr wants revenge on the gods because they allowed his daughter to die, but Thor reminds Gorr that he can wish to have her back. It is a moment of compassion that breaks through Gorr’s hated and reminds him what is important to him above all else.
Tricking Malekith With Loki (Thor: The Dark World)
Thor and Loki don’t always see eye-to-eye and Loki has successfully made Thor look pretty foolish on many occasions. However, Thor is smart enough to put Loki’s trickery to good use when facing off with Malekith.
The brothers devise a plan to pretend Loki betrays Thor, which is pretty believable. And when Malekith’s guard is down, Thor blasts the Aether to destroy the villain’s weapon. Unfortunately, they underestimate how durable the Aether is, but it is a good plan nonetheless.
The Avengers Try To Lift Mjolnir (Avengers: Age Of Ultron)
As the Avengers gather to celebrate a recent victory, the conversation quickly turns to Thor’s hammer, Mjolnir. Though it is said only those who are worthy can lift the hammer, the other Marvel heroes begin thinking they have what it takes.
Thor gets to sit back with complete arrogance as his colleagues try and fail, one after another. And while he has a moment of brief panic when Steve Rogers appears to move it slightly, the God of Thunder is able to show them all up by easily picking up and twirling the hammer.
Disagreeing With Odin (Thor: The Dark World)
Thor’s father Odin can be a tough parent at times, even going so far as to banish Thor to Earth. While Thor comes to respect his father’s rule as king of Asgard, they do butt heads when it comes to the Dark Elves’ attack on their kingdom.
Odin is stubbornly insisting they defend the city from future attacks while Thor feels it puts the people of Asgard at too much risk. While Thor’s plan to bring the Aether to Malekith doesn’t go according to plan, it works to get it out of Asgard and keep his people safe.
Bringing Vision To Life (Avengers: Age Of Ultron)
After Tony Stark accidentally brings Ultron to life and he proceeds to threaten the world, the other heroes are understandably skeptical when he wants to create another super android with Vision. As the other heroes debate if it’s the right move, Thor makes the choice for them, blasting Vision with lighting and bringing him to life.
Though it seems like a reckless decision, Thor decides that his own vision about the Infinity Stones means that having an ally who is in control of the Mind Stone puts them at an advantage. And since Vision turns out the be a key hero, it was a wise choice.
Tricking Valkyrie (Thor: Ragnarok)
Before she becomes one of Thor’s best friends, Valkyrie doesn’t think much of the God of Thunder when they first meet. In fact, she captures him and puts an “obedient disc” on him to keep him in line. While that puts Thor at a disadvantage, he proves to her that he is cleverer than he looks.
After trying to convince Valkyrie to help Thor escape, she refuses. However, it turns out Thor was just using their conversation as an excuse to steal the obedience disc remote from her and free himself of it. It is a pretty sneaky move for such a big guy.
Battling Loki On The Rainbow Bridge (Thor)
By the end of the first Thor movie, Thor and Loki’s sibling rivalry turns to them becoming enemies. This leads to the brothers battling each other on the Rainbow Bridge which Loki is attempting to use to destroy the Frost Giants’ homeworld.
While Loki is able to trick Thor with his magic, Thor uses both his strength and his intelligence to win. After pinning Loki down with Mjolnir, he destroys the Rainbow Bridge to prevent any further destruction. With all his schemes, Loki is still unable to predict his brother doing that.
Stopping Surtur From Carrying Out Ragnarok (Thor: Ragnarok)
Thor: Ragnarok opens with Thor being held captive by the fire demon Surtur who claims that he will be carrying out Ragnarok, the end of Asgard. As it turns out, while Thor appears to be a prisoner, this was actually his plan all along.
After allowing Surtur to explain his plan, Thor breaks free and easily defeats him, taking his power away as well. Though it is another display of Thor’s superior fighting skills, it also shows he can be quite a trickster himself.
Figuring Out How To Defeat Hela (Thor: Ragnarok)
Given how mighty he is, it’s quite surprising when Thor meets a villain more powerful than himself. Such is the case with Hela who earns her title as the Goddess of Death. To make her even more formidable, she draws her power from Asgard, becoming stronger the longer she is there.
After a brutal battle, Thor sees that he is not strong enough to defeat her. But he then realizes that she is only powerful as long as Asgard is standing. He decides to release Surtur and destroy Asgard which destroys Hela at the same time.
Realizing Odin Is Loki In Disguise (Thor: Ragnarok)
Perhaps the greatest of Loki’s many betrayals was faking his own death and posing as Odin in Thor: The Dark World. When Thor returns to Asgard in Thor: Ragnarok, Loki is still pretending to be the king and seems to have everyone else in the kingdom fooled.
Though the people of Asgard appear to be intelligent enough, Thor establishes himself as the only one who can see through this ruse. He immediately knows what Loki is up to and quickly forces him to reveal himself.
Predicting Loki’s Betrayal (Thor: Ragnarok)
There are so many instances of Loki betraying people in the MCU that he even mocks Thor for falling for it so many times. However, by Thor: Ragnarok, Loki’s tricks are more predictable and Thor has become a lot wiser to them.
Thor accepts Loki’s help in fleeing Sakaar only for Loki to decide to hand Thor over to the Grandmaster. But Thor sees this betrayal coming and had planted an obedience disc on Loki earlier. It is one of the few times Thor looks like the smarter brother.
