Make all the Love and Thunder jokes you want, but at the end of the day, it’s nothing short of heartbreaking to think that Chris Hemsworth‘s days in the Marvel Cinematic Universe are a touch more numbered than we may have first thought.

With the actor coming to terms with the presence of two APOE4 genes, which means he’ll be far more likely to develop Alzheimer’s, he seems to have pumped the brakes on acting for now, meaning his MCU presence is likely to take a hit.

He’s no doubt doing the right thing in choosing to spend more time with his family and focus on making his life as full as possible, but for those of us plugged into the MCU, there’s going to be questions about Thor’s comparatively flimsier future now.

We know that the character is coming up on his final appearance in the franchise, but how does one possibly retire an immortal god for good? On top of that, can it be done without killing the character off? We’re not sure, but the folks at r/marvelstudios certainly took a stab at it.

The original poster suggested that Avengers: Secret Wars could result in Thor becoming human, allowing him to retire on Earth as Donald Blake. Just about everyone else in the thread instead swallowed their pride and suggested we should all prepare for Thor’s exit to be a fatal blaze of glory.

And we can’t disagree, either; with so many of his family and friends having entered Valhalla by now, including his lover Jane Foster, Thor’s death in battle would actually be quite a happy one. Thus, it’s not a death that we should suffer through, but instead embrace.

But one other user nevertheless managed to dream up a theory that could only exist in the darkest timeline.

One thing is for sure; Thor’s goodbye isn’t going to be an easy one. As one of the last remaining original Avengers, his departure will be like a farewell to an old friend. But, all good things must come to an end, and hopefully Thor and Hemsworth can close out this chapter with an emotionally-energized bang for the ages.