Thor's back and he's got dad worries in new Avengers Doomsday Teaser

Dubai: Marvel has dropped the latest Avengers: Doomsday teaser, and this time it's Thor's turn to take centre stage. The clip, which played in cinemas last week ahead of Avatar: Fire and Ash, is now officially online, and it's giving us a very different version of Thor.

Short hair, big feelings

Chris Hemsworth's Thor is sporting the short-haired look from Ragnarok again, which fans will no doubt appreciate. But this time, the tone is far more serious. The teaser shows Thor kneeling with Stormbreaker, praying to his late father Odin for strength to survive one more battle so he can return home to his adopted daughter, Love, who is played by Chris's actual daughter India Rose..

The prayer itself is genuinely moving. Thor talks about answering every call to duty and war his entire life, but now he's been given something he never expected: a child. He asks for the strength to come back not as a warrior, but as warmth, to teach her stillness instead of battle, "the kind I never knew."

“Father…all my life, I have answered every call…o honor, duty, to war. But now fate has given me something I never sought…a child…a life untouched by the storm.Lend me the strength of the All-Fathers…so that I may fight once more.Defeat one more enemy and return home to her. Not as a warrior but as warmth.To teach her not battle but stillness. The kind I never knew. Please Father heed my words.”

It's emotional, introspective and different from the more comedic Thor we've seen recently.

Is everything about the kids now?

Here's where it gets interesting. Both Avengers: Doomsday teasers released so far have centred on children. The Captain America trailer showed Steve Rogers holding a baby, presumably his child with Peggy Carter. The Fantastic Four post-credits scene had Doctor Doom showing a suspicious interest in baby Franklin Richards. And now Thor is praying for the chance to return to his daughter.

Could children be a major plot point in Doomsday? It certainly seems like Marvel is hinting at something.

Is this goodbye for Thor?

The darker, more reflective tone has some fans wondering if Thor might not make it out of this one alive. It doesn't help that Chris Hemsworth posted a tribute video back in May titled "Thank You! The Legacy of Thor," which included clips spanning his entire run as the character. Many interpreted it as a farewell, though Hemsworth insisted it was simply a moment of gratitude.

Last year, Hemsworth admitted he "didn't stick the landing" with Thor: Love and Thunder, saying he became too wacky and turned into a parody of himself. He told Vanity Fair he felt he owed fans another film. Whether Avengers: Doomsday counts as that redemption or if we'll see Thor 5 remains unclear.

We might see Doctor Doom next

Marvel's pattern seems clear: release a character-focused teaser in cinemas, then put it online a week later. An X-Men trailer has already started appearing in theatres this week and will likely drop online soon. As for the fourth teaser, fans are expecting a first proper look at Robert Downey Jr.'s Doctor Doom.

For now, Thor's emotional plea has done its job. People are talking, theories are flying, and everyone's quietly bracing themselves for what might be a very tearful farewell.