In 2018's Avengers: Infinity War, Josh Brolin's Thanos had arguably the most impactful moment in MCU history by snapping his Infinity Gauntlet-laden fingers and eliminating half of all life in the universe. The Snap and the Blip both changed the franchise drastically, and the effects of those events are still being felt to this day, including in the upcoming Thor: Love and Thunder.
Thanos' impact on Love and Thunder may only be minimal after the Mad Titan turned to dust in Avengers: Endgame, but he'll only be part of the tributes to the past that this movie will bring. On top of Natalie Portman's return as Jane Foster and the inclusion of the Guardians of the Galaxy, this new outing plans to fully showcase New Asgard and its status as an MCU-centric tourist attraction.
Before the Asgardians face an attack from Christian Bale's Gorr the God Butcher, fans will see the area turn into a tribute to MCU history, which includes new merchandise that fans can purchase in the real world.
Looking more closely at the expanding Norwegian city, there's even a nod to the MCU's biggest villain to date, on which director Taika Waititi recently shared new information.
Thanos' Snap Immortalized in Thor 4
In a behind-the-scenes look into the set of Thor: Love and Thunder, via Entertainment Tonight, director Taika Waititi shared a look at a store in New Asgard that pays tribute to the Mad Titan Thanos.
Walking around the area with leading actor Chris Hemsworth, Waititi points out an ice cream parlor called "Infinity Conez." The "Infinity" uses the same text style as the title card for Avengers: Infinity War and features Thanos' Infinity Gauntlet holding a giant ice cream cone with candies that pay tribute to the six Infinity Stones in the ice cream.
Waititi pointed this shop out in the video, even joking about Infinity Conez making its way from the movie into real life someday:
“As you can see here, a little special invention just for the film, which I have heard on quite good know that it’s going to make it into real life one day, is this ice cream shop here called ‘Infinity Cones.’ So keep an eye out for that.”
It seems odd for New Asgard to center an entire attraction around the weapon belonging to the man that wiped out half the universe, which could be taken as a major disrespect to the victims of the Snap in-universe. The Asgardians were one of the first groups to meet Thanos' wrath as he embarked on his Infinity Stone quest in Avengers: Infinity War, so it's a bit bizarre that the residents of the town are now poking fun at the Mad Titan and subsequently those that perished during the five year gap.
It could be said that this ice cream store is in poor taste.
This is only one of many nods to the MCU in New Asgard, which also includes sight-seeing tours and a theme-park-style rollercoaster.
Thor 4 Brings Hilarious Thanos Nod
While director Taika Waititi is certainly best known for his use of comedy, which will continue to be the case in Thor: Love and Thunder, Infinity Conez comes as something different that brings another kind of hilarity.
Considering that Thor tried to kill Thanos at the moment Thanos snapped his fingers, it certainly says something that this store made it into New Asgard even with the emotional trauma attached to the moment. The people could be using this as a way to move forward from that event, but at the least, the ice cream at this shop is something visitors are sure to seek out as they enjoy their vacation.
New Asgard will also pay tribute to the past in more serious ways throughout its time on screen, including a nod to Anthony Hopkins' Odin and hopefully something commemorating Mjolnir before it's pieced back together. But considering Waititi's penchant for humor, this shop seems to fit in perfectly with his filmmaking style - whether it plays any role in the plot is another mystery entirely.
Thor: Love and Thunder will debut in theaters on Friday, July 8.
