I remember reading an article a few weeks after the release of the first Thor film that talked about how much more thematically appropriate the ending for that film would have been if Thor had ended up trapped on Earth when the rainbow bridge was destroyed as opposed to being trapped on Asgard. It would have felt like a much more fitting conclusion, with Thor coming to embrace his new life on Earth, realizing that he didn't really want the throne on Asgard anyway and making a conscious choice to become Earth's latest protector.
That way not only would Marvel have to work out endlessly nonsensical ways to bring Thor back to Earth with each new appearance (which they did less than a year later when Thor zipped randomly back to Earth in time for The Avengers), but the Thor franchise in general could have been a bit more grounded in reality, with Thor forming a more meaningful relationship with Jane as he's stranded on Earth, whilst also having to slowly adjust to life as a mortal by taking up the identity of Donald Blake. Of course, for the sequels he could come back to Asgard to battle his fair share of space monsters, but Thor's film series would be much more strongly rooted on Earth, offering a greater opportunity for more introspective character development in balance with all the exterior sci-fi shenanigans.
It's amazing how much the entire franchise was impacted by that one tiny narrative decision at the end of the first Thor film. It's such a shame the Thor series in general ended up becoming so painfully forgettable. Out of all of Marvel's franchises, the world of Thor by far had the most potential to offer audiences something fresh and interesting to its audience through the eyes of that character.
