As the MCU expands with new heroes and villains in Phase 4, it's tricky to sometimes remember what transpired in previous projects. As a result, Marvel announced a way for fans to catch up with the character's journey in the franchise so far by revealing a new show called Marvel Studios: Legends. This project acts as a brief recap of some of their memorable MCU moments leading up to their next on-screen appearance. Given that Thor: Love and Thunder is the next in line, it's now time for the film's lead characters to shine in their respective Legends episodes.
Love and Thunder is set to feature the fourth solo adventure for Chris Hemsworth's God of Thunder, making him the first MCU hero to achieve such an accolade. The upcoming sequel is set sometime after the massive events of Avengers: Endgame, meaning that a lot has already happened to the titular Asgardian since he helped Earth's Mightiest Heroes to defeat Thanos.
Alongside Thor, a host of returning characters will also be part of the sequel, such as Natalie Portman's Jane Foster and Tessa Thompson's King Valkyrie of New Asgard.
Now, to give fans a chance to remember the heroes' MCU journey ahead of Thor 4, Disney has revealed a new batch of Legends episodes.
Thor 4 Gets the Marvel Studios Legends Treatment
Disney+ Germany confirmed that three episodes of Marvel Studios: Legends dedicated to the lead characters of Thor: Love and Thunder will be released on Friday, July 1.
This release comes as a surprise to many fans considering that the episodes were not listed on Disney+'s official July 2022 release slate.
Although the House of Mouse didn't reveal which characters will be the focus of the episodes, it's reasonable to assume that these will revolve around Chris Hemsworth's Thor, Natalie Portman's Jane Foster, and Tessa Thompson's Valkyrie. A double-feature showcasing Valkyrie and Taika Waititi's Korg could also be an option.
Back in May, Disney made a similar move by releasing Marvel Studios: Legends episodes for Doctor Strange, Wong, and the Scarlet Witch, which was in line for the release of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.
Thor Returns with Powerful New Allies
Thor, Jane Foster, and Valkyrie's Marvel Studios: Legends episodes will give fans an opportunity to relive these heroes' iconic moments from the Infinity Saga.
Thor has had an interesting journey in the MCU, with the character losing many important figures from his past. From losing both his parents to his brother, Loki, Thor's dedication to still becoming a hero is unparalleled, and more of his growth will be unraveled in Love and Thunder.
However, given the nature of Legends, it is unknown if Tom Hiddleston's Loki will be included, especially after Marvel omitted the God of Mischief from its official recap recently. A similar situation happened to Doctor Strange's recap where the events of No Way Home were scrapped from his Legends episode due to the character rights of Spider-Man being owned by Sony Pictures.
Still, there is no rights issue concerning Loki since the character is owned by Marvel Studios. It's possible that this was intentional in order to tease a future storyline involving Thor and Loki or this could be Marvel's way of distancing the God of Mischief from the God of Thunder since the Loki from his own series is an alternate version of the character.
Meanwhile, Jane Foster would benefit the most in the Legends treatment, considering that it has been a long time since her last MCU appearance. As for Valkyrie, the character's growth from a selfish fighter in Sakaar to a full-fledged king in New Asgard would be interesting to see once the fans watch her official MCU recap.
Thor: Love and Thunder is set to premiere in theaters on Friday, July 8.
