By Brandon T. McClure (@btmcclure @fakenerdpodcast)

The MCU, specifically the Infinity Saga (2008-2019) has meant a great deal to me, as I am sure it has for many people. What first started as a book pitch is now a series of essays of mine that will be (hopefully) published every week. The goal is to pick a specific moment within The Infinity Saga and share with you why I believe it’s a defining moment. To revisit previous posts, visit our site HERE.

Enjoy the ride as we count down from 50 of the most defining moments and share your thoughts in the comments. 

• HE WENT FOR THE HEAD•

MOMENT# 39

MOVIE: Avengers: End Game

DIRECTORS: Joe and Anthony Russo

WRITERS: Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely

Throughout the events of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Thor has suffered a great deal of loss. Thor lost his parents, his brother, his hammer, and his planet before Avengers: Infinity War. When Thanos arrived, he lost half his people, his brother (again), and half of all life in the universe. In Thor’s quest for revenge on the Mad Titan, he got close to ending Thanos before he could use the stones, but crucially, he did not go for the head. Thor wanted Thanos to suffer and it cost the lives of trillions of species. 

The events of Avengers: Infinity War was difficult for many heroes. There was so much lost to them by the end of the film. When Avengers: Endgame begins, Thor and the remaining heroes travel to New Titan with the plan to get the Infinity Stones from Thanos and return the population that was lost. Thanos, now living peacefully on a farm, has been weakened from using the stones, so it was unlikely he would be able to put up much of a fight. When they arrive, the heroes successfully subdue the villain, only to find the stone are no longer in the gauntlet. In his moment of triumph, Thanos used the power of the Infinity Stones to destroy the stones themselves, making it impossible for anyone to undo what had been done. In his rage, Thor swung Stormbreaker and removed Thanos’ head from his body. He went for the head.

Even before they left the Earth, it was clear that Thor had blamed himself for the loss of life that Thanos had caused. The line “you should have gone for the head” has surely rung in his ears ever since that fateful day on the Wakandan battlefield. This was a mistake he made sure he would never repeat, but the damage had already been done. Without the Infinity Stones, it would be impossible to bring back the friends and loved ones that were lost. Everything was hopeless. As Thor left Thanos’ little farm, Thor could only blame himself. In Thor's mind, trillions of lives were on his hands.

Up until Avengers: Endgame, Thor had been bouncing back from his losses. There was always another battle and there was always a path to victory. But now that path was closed to him. Taking that path away from the character, allowed the character to go in an unpredictable direction. Audiences expected to see Thor as he had always been but were shocked to see the shell that had taken its place. In his loss, Thor fell into a deep depression and for five years, indulged in temporary serotonin hits that excess food and drink provided. But nothing could ever fill the hole of loss that he felt.

Dubbed “Bro Thor” by many, he’s actually a deep, introspective look at how depression can consume a person. Thor was vulnerable, unable to rule his people, unable to leave his home, and prone to fits of tears. It was a major departure for the character, but something that helped to normalize the type of extreme depression that many watching surely face. Allowing such a boastful character as Thor to show this type of vulnerability created an opportunity to represent mental health in a way that hadn’t been done in blockbuster filmmaking. All because he didn’t go for the head.