"I'm not going to put him in there": how Chris Hemsworth was excluded from one of the best Marvel movies of all time

While everything seemed to indicate Thor's presence in "Guardians of the Galaxy 3," James Gunn made a radical decision. The director has since revealed why he intentionally excluded Chris Hemsworth from one of the biggest successes of the MCU.

Last year, as James Gunn was preparing to launch a new phase of his career with the release of his Superman, the filmmaker reflected on one of the most discussed choices during his time at Marvel: the absence of Thor in Guardians of the Galaxy 3.

During an interview with Entertainment Weekly, the director shed light on this decision that had long intrigued MCU fans.

A surprising absence for viewers

For many viewers, Thor's presence in the third installment of the Guardians' adventures seemed obvious. At the end of Avengers: Endgame, the hero portrayed by Chris Hemsworth boarded with Peter Quill's team, even going so far as to claim the role of captain aboard the Milano.

This conclusion hinted at a more significant collaboration between the God of Thunder and the Guardians in subsequent films.

However, events took a different direction. While the famous space adventurers did appear in the early sequences of Thor: Love and Thunder, Thor himself never joined the main storyline of the latest installment directed by James Gunn.

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James Gunn had no intention of using the character

Far from being an oversight or a constraint imposed by the studio, this absence was a deliberate choice by the director from the scriptwriting stage.

"I said in the script notes: 'I'm not going to put him in there. I don't want Thor in Guardians. I don't want to make a movie with Thor',” the director explained in his interview with Entertainment Weekly.

Gunn then detailed the reasons for this decision, mentioning his difficulty in finding the right approach to write the character: "I don't really understand this character very well. I love watching his movies, and I adore Chris Hemsworth as a person. But I don't understand how to write for this character."

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A possible return alongside the Guardians?

Even though Thor did not participate in the ultimate adventure of the Guardians of the Galaxy, a reunion between the Asgardian hero and the team does not seem to be on the horizon – although one should never say never.

The upcoming Avengers film, Doomsday, scheduled for December 16, 2026, will indeed bring together several major figures from the Marvel Cinematic Universe. While Chris Hemsworth is already among the announced cast members, the Guardians of the Galaxy do not seem to be part of the adventure. That said, a surprise is not to be ruled out.

For his part, James Gunn has definitively turned the page on Marvel. As you know, the director is now focusing his energy on the DC universe, which he is overseeing in its new creative direction.

The Guardians of the Galaxy saga is available for streaming on Disney+.