Hulk actor Mark Ruffalo appears to have confirmed that Thor star Chris Hemsworth will be back for Avengers: Secret Wars.
During a Buzzfeed interview, both Avengers were asked if they could accurately count the number of superhero projects they’d now been in. While counting, Ruffalo suggested Hemsworth was in six Avengers movies — even though his current total (including his announced appearance in the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday) is five.
Marvel fans have pounced on the clip, which is now being shared around social media, as evidence that Thor survives the events of Doomsday long enough to be around for its sequel. There’s the suggestion, too, that Ruffalo is speaking like he’s in the same boat — which would mean Hulk makes it to Secret Wars as well.
Mark Ruffalo spoils that Chris Hemsworth is returning as Thor in ‘AVENGERS: SECRET WARS’
(via @BuzzFeedUK) pic.twitter.com/16BC4YS9pt
— Avengers Updates (@AvengersUpdated) February 4, 2026
While it’s not a huge surprise to learn that Hulk and Thor aren’t part of Doomsday’s spree of seemingly-inevitable deaths, Hemsworth had previously sparked speculation he was preparing to say farewell to the character, after issuing an ominous sounding note of gratitude for having played the part (something he later backtracked on somewhat).
Thor’s recent Avengers: Doomsday trailer (that’s not a trailer, apparently) also struck a somber tone, as Thor begs for strength from his fallen father so he can return home to his daughter. And finally, there have been the usual questions around how long these actors want to continue playing the roles that have now taken up well over a decade of their lives.
“One, two, three, four — how many have we done?” Hemsworth says, counting out loud.
“Six,” Ruffalo responds.
“Six?!” Hemsworth replies, surprised.
“Well, there will be,” Ruffalo says.
After counting some more, Hemsworth then replies: “Yeah, but we haven’t shot that one.”
For those who’ve also lost count, four Avengers movies have been released to date (The Avengers, Age of Ultron, Infinity War, and Endgame) with a fifth, Avengers: Doomsday, already in the can. Secret Wars would certainly be a sixth (though this would seemingly put an end to the speculation that Marvel is secretly planning to split Secret Wars in two, to make a new Avengers trilogy.)
Of course, even if Thor (or Hulk) does appear in the multiversal Secret Wars, all bets are off as to what form any appearance might take. Even if Hemsworth does return, it could still be via flashback, alternate version, or even a deathly appearance set in Valhalla, hanging out with Jane and Heimdall.
For now, Marvel has said very little about Secret Wars, as it focuses attention on Doomsday. There’s no official confirmation yet on any Secret Wars cast members (as, obviously, these would be a spoiler), though a report recently revealed that Stranger Things star Sadie Sink would reprise her Spider-Man: Brand New Day role in the movie, sparking speculation she was secretly playing a major character.
Image credit: Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for SiriusXM.
Tom Phillips is IGN’s News Editor. You can reach Tom at [email protected] or find him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social
