Amongst the numerous new properties, sequels, and threequels confirmed to fill the MCU's ranks over the next two years, 2022 will also bring a Marvel Studios first by having a fourth movie focused on a solo hero. That fourth solo outing is Taika Waititi's Thor: Love and Thunder, which will bring back Chris Hemsworth's Asgardian hunk for yet another thrilling cosmic adventure.
Before boarding a wild emotional rollercoaster in the last two Avengers outings, Hemsworth found himself leading arguably the most fun movie in MCU history in 2017's Thor: Ragnarok.
Infused with a new energy thanks to Oscar-winning director Taika Waititi, Ragnarok truly embraced this solo franchise's cosmic nature while adding elements of comedy and action at every turn. This helped to deliver one of the MCU's most colorful and visually stunning movies, particularly with a fresh take on Asgard and new planets like Sakaar in play.
The expectation is that this trend will continue and expand with Thor: Love and Thunder as Waititi returns to direct and write this highly-anticipated summer blockbuster. That notion was solidified further by the movie's costume director, who teased some of what's coming in less than a year.
Love and Thunder Costume Designer on Outfit Strategy
Thor: Love and Thunder costume designer Mayes C. Rubeo spoke with the Designing Hollywood Podcast on what she hopes to bring to the sequel from a costumes and colors perspective.
Also having worked on Thor: Ragnarok, Rubeo expressed her excitement to bring so much color and excitement to Thor's world by "(doing) things differently." Not wanting to spoil anything for her next outing, she teased that the outfits are dependent on the film's script, as well as the "different worlds or different countries" explored in the script's pages:
"We were able to bring [Thor: Ragnarok's color palette and costume lessons to Thor: Love and Thunder's costuming]... I think there are always opportunities to do things differently. And obviously, we are dictated by the script and the situations of the script, and if there are different worlds or different countries, and stuff like that. It all comes with every single part of the script."
Thor 4 Script Dictating Costume Design
Rubeo worked with Waititi in 2017 to deliver a fresh new look for the Thor franchise after things reportedly felt a little stale in 2013's Thor: The Dark World. With Waititi bringing a level of fun and excitement that hadn't been seen before in the franchise, Rubeo went with that vision to deliver dozens of intricate and colorful costumes for Sakaar, Asgard, and more.
Now that Chris Hemsworth's Thor has potentially the biggest adventure of his MCU career to date coming in Thor: Love and Thunder, the question that remains is which worlds will come into play for Rubeo to use as inspiration in the costume department. Fans already have a small glimpse at an '80s-themed workout outfit Thor will sport, and things will only get crazier from there.
Christian Bale's Gorr the God Butcher will certainly have his own dark background to explore, and it seems likely that he will have his own unique landscape with an expected group of similar-looking subordinates backing him up. Throw that in with numerous other stops throughout the universe and a quick appearance by the Guardians of the Galaxy, and the stage is set for yet another special visual outing.
Thor: Love and Thunder will debut in theaters on May 6, 2022.
