Everything We Know So Far in Thor Love and Thunder
#10: Release Date
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The commercial and critical success of 2017’s “Thor: Ragnarok” revitalized interest in the thunder god’s somewhat faltering franchise. Though Chris Hemsworth’s contract with Marvel was set to expire after “Avengers: Endgame,” both the actor and studio were interested in bringing the hammer-wielder back for further adventures. Filming on “Thor: Love and Thunder” was set to begin in August of 2020, but the global pandemic pushed this back to January of 2021, with production wrapping in June of that year. The film’s original release date was November 5th, 2021. This was first changed to February 11th, 2022, before the current release date was set for May 6th, 2022.
#9: Waititi Returns
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Director Taika Waititi’s unique blend of humor and heart helped propel the third “Thor” film to both commercial and critical success. This was no surprise to those familiar with his work. Waititi wrote and directed 2010’s “Boy,” a powerful coming-of-age story in which he also appeared as an actor. In 2014, he co-wrote, co-directed and co-starred in the wickedly hilarious vampire mockumentary, “What We Do in the Shadows.” He also directed and wrote the screenplays for the delightful 2016 film “Hunt for the Wilderpeople,” as well as 2019’s “Jojo Rabbit,” an oddball comedy drama. Considering this incredible track record, it’s no wonder Marvel brought Waititi back to direct the fourth Thor film, which he also co-wrote.
#8: Returning Characters
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Many characters from prior Thor films will be returning in the franchise’s fourth installment. Matt Damon, Sam Neill, and Luke Hemsworth are back as the Asgardian acting troupe who satirized the events of the second Thor movie during the third one. To keep their act from getting stale, Melissa McCarthy joins the players, likely as Hela’s substitute in another play within a film bit. Of course, Waititi reprises his role as Korg, a talkative rock-skinned alien now living in New Asgard. Miek — Korg’s taciturn insectoid friend — will also be back, as will Jeff Goldblum’s Grandmaster. Last but far from least, Jaimie Alexander's Lady Sif will return, rounding out a strong bench of supporting characters sure to make for another delightful romp through the MCU.
#7: Thor: Love and Thunder leads into Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
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Marvel's favorite crew of ragtag aliens really gelled with Thor, that is, except for the team’s half-human leader, Star-Lord. He clearly felt more than a little threatened by the god, leading to some wickedly funny teasing from his teammates. At the conclusion of “Avengers: Endgame,” Thor bailed on New Asgard to explore space with the Guardians. This is likely where we’ll pick up with him at the beginning of Love and Thunder, since Star-Lord, Drax, Rocket Racoon, Groot and Nebula are all confirmed to make appearances. Further, Director James Gunn, whose third “Guardians of the Galaxy” film is scheduled for release in May of 2023, has been consulting with Waititi, ensuring the stories of both MCU flicks will flow together seamlessly.
#6: New Gods Set to Appear
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While the Greek gods have long existed in Marvel Comics, they have yet to show up in the MCU. However, Asgard’s divine cinematic monopoly will end. Russell Crowe spilled the beans about his role as Zeus during an interview in April, though he didn’t share many details. Will Zeus and Thor battle, or will the bearded sky god become a surrogate father figure to Odin’s son? Will Hercules or any other Olympians show up? In the comics, the chief god of the Greek pantheon has been both friend and foe to Thor. We don’t yet know what role Zeus will play in the plot, but even his mere appearance will likely have big implications for the entire MCU moving forward.
#7: Costume Update
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The thunder god’s look has evolved considerably since first stumbling into theaters. His initial costume was a shiny blend of metal and leather. For the first installment of the Avengers, Thor got his cape taken in and ditched the armor covering his arms. In “Ragnarok,” he cut off his flowing locks and simplified his look, which changed drastically by “Endgame.” “Love and Thunder” seems to be embracing an 80s retro aesthetic based on the movie poster and leaked images. In February, the Daily Mail published a shot from the film’s set showing Hemsworth wearing a sleeveless, red and black leather jacket. It appears to be a callback to another hammer-wielding comic book hero, Thunderstrike, and represents Thor’s boldest fashion statement to date.
#4: Loki, Silver Surfer, &… Iron Man?
Back in April of 2020, Waititi hosted a watch party for “Thor: Ragnarok” where he answered questions from fans and gave out hints about the next chapter in Thor’s story. The director shut down rumors that the Silver Surfer would appear in the upcoming Thor flick but played coy on Tom Hiddleston’s character Loki. Subsequently, Hiddleston confirmed he’s not part of the film, though fans got plenty of the mischief god in his dimension-hopping series on Disney+. Speaking of mischief, Waititi tapped into his inner-Loki by sharing a fake script in which Iron Man returns from the grave thanks to science, full stop. It also teases the return of Thanos and the formation of a new team called the Avengererers.
#3: Valkyrie Searches For Her Queen
When Tessa Thompson's Valkyrie first showed up in “Thor: Ragnarok,” she was an alcoholic bounty hunter with a major case of PTSD. Nevertheless, by the film’s end, Valkyrie has a change of heart. She helped Thor escape Sakaar and even faced down the source of her trauma, the goddess of death. Valkyrie’s character growth continued in “Infinity War” and “Endgame,” culminating with her accepting the crown of New Asgard. According to Thompson and Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige, the next “Thor” film will explore the new queen’s bisexuality. This probably means Valkyrie’s plot will involve her search for love and/or a co-monarch, as this would line up well with a multi-film transformation from jaded loner to loving leader.
#2: Christian Bale Plays the Villain
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The next big baddie has been confirmed to be Gorr the God Butcher. In the comics, he’s an alien who goes on a deicidal rampage after learning that the gods are real. To that end, Gorr acquires a weapon called All-Black, the Necrosword from the malevolent deity who created the symbiotes. In the MCU, Hela used necroswords, so Gorr may acquire her power, as the Collector did in the second episode of “What If…?” This is just speculation, but what we know for sure is that Academy Award winner Christian Bale will play Gorr. The actor’s intense screen presence and raw physicality promise to make this slayer of divine beings one of the MCU’s most unforgettable antagonists.
#1: Jane Becomes a Goddess
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Natalie Portman played Thor’s mortal love interest in the hero's first and second films, but has been more or less absent since then. However, Jane Foster is returning to the MCU in “Love and Thunder.” Throughout her career, Portman has played a space princess, child assassin and crazy ballerina, but in this film, her character becomes a god, as she did in the comics. Specifically, Foster became just like Thor, complete with all his powers, and wielded Mjölnir. While that may sound like a pretty awesome deal, Jane also developed cancer, an aspect of the storyline likely to be featured in the film version as well.
