Thor’s Avengers Quote Still Ranks Among the MCU’s Best Seven Years On

Thor has some of the funniest lines in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He screams “Another” in a restaurant because he doesn’t understand how society works. He calls Loki adopted. That makes it hard to pick one perfect quote for him. He has great ones, but they aren’t as inspirational as the lines given to some of his fellow Avengers. Still, one line stands out above the rest.

Chris Hemsworth’s Thor has served as comic relief throughout the MCU. Even when “Fat Thor” was clearly going through something, he was the punching bag of Robert Downey Jr.’s Tony Stark. Yet in Avengers: Endgame, his best moment is one where he could have been mean and was excited instead. He learned that he was right about one of his fellow superheroes all the way back in The Avengers. That hero was Steve Rogers/Captain America (Chris Evans).

The moment comes during the final battle with Thanos (Josh Brolin). Thor and the remaining Avengers are fighting as hard as they can. Their plan to reverse Thanos’ snap has worked, but now they only want to stop him from wiping out all of mankind to fix what his earlier self “did wrong.” The team is still small compared with the earlier fight against Thanos. Tony, Steve and Thor are facing him alone. Scott Lang (Paul Rudd), Rocket Raccoon (Bradley Cooper) and others are still fighting their way out of the rubble left by Thanos’ ship.

When all hope seems lost, Steve summons the power of Mjölnir. Thor simply says, “I knew it.” For many reasons, that is his most iconic quote in the MCU.

The Moment Was Four Years in the Making

The setup came in Avengers: Age of Ultron, which gives the team a brief stretch of happiness before their world falls apart. The Avengers hang out in Avengers Tower, with Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson) acting as bartender. Thor challenges his fellow heroes to pick up Mjölnir. You have to be “worthy” to lift Thor’s famed hammer, and only a few people are. Vision (Paul Bettany) eventually lifts it. Odin (Anthony Hopkins) was worthy, and so is Thor.

Among all the Avengers trying to move the hammer for fun, one of them shifts it slightly. Steve Rogers either could lift it and chooses not to for Thor’s sake, or he isn’t yet fully worthy but still budges it. Thor holds his breath until Steve plays it off, and the scene moves on.

The payoff waited until Endgame. Thor’s “I knew it” was sweet, and it also matched how fans felt. The minute Steve shifted Mjölnir, viewers understood that he might be able to wield it. They just didn’t know when they would see it happen. It was worth the wait to sit in a packed theatre of Marvel fans and watch Steve carry Mjölnir into battle against Thanos. Thor still wouldn’t let him use Stormbreaker later in the fight.

The Endgame scene works because Thor isn’t angry or upset that someone else can wield his hammer. He is astonished that he was right. As Steve and Thor fight Thanos, it looks like the end. Thor is about to be stabbed by Stormbreaker, and Thanos shows no sign of letting up. Mjölnir flies through the air and hits Thanos, which stops him from hurting Thor. Fans first assumed Thor had called it. Then the hammer swings back around and lands in the hand of Steve Rogers.

Watching Thor say “I knew it” felt relatable. If the trailer is any guide, Steve is still worthy in Avengers: Doomsday.

Source: Polygon