Thor returns in The Avengers (2012), the first major crossover event of the MCU. Here, Thor teams up with other heroes—Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), Captain America (Chris Evans), Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), and Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner)—to face a global threat posed by Loki. Loki has aligned himself with the Chitauri, an alien army, in a bid to conquer Earth. Thor’s motivations are deeply personal, as he wishes to stop his brother’s madness and bring him back to Asgard. This film emphasizes Thor’s role as a protector of both Earth and Asgard, and shows him grappling with the familial conflict that would persist throughout the MCU.
