Thor: Love and Thunder (2022)

Marvel Studios’ Thor: Love and Thunder is set to bring back Chris Hemsworth’s titular God of Thunder for another thrilling solo adventure. Thor: Ragnarok director Taika Waititi returned to direct the movie, and it features a host of new and returning characters, such as Tessa Thompson’s Valkyrie, Korg, and Natalie Portman’s Jane Foster. 

Set after the events of Avengers: Endgame, official footage of the upcoming sequel has revealed that it will focus on Thor’s journey of self-discovery, with the Asgardian trying to find peace after defeating Thanos. 

When fans last saw Thor, the MCU hero joined the Guardians of the Galaxy for a trip to the cosmos. The trailer for Thor Love and Thunder showed our hero fighting alongside Chris Pratt’s Starlord and Dave Bautista’s Drax.

Early in the movie, Thor comes to the revelation that his “heroing days are over”, and he takes retirement from being in the Guardians and the Avengers to find himself.

Thor’s retirement is cut short due to the arrival of Christian Bale’s Gorr the God butcher, a villain who is hellbent on killing every god in existence. 

Thor has to deal with this new threat to the universe while also dealing with the return of his ex-girlfriend Jane Foster (Natalie Portman), who to Thor’s surprise inexplicably wields the legendary hammer, Mjolnir.

Natalie Portman’s return as Jane Foster in the MCU is an exciting one, to say the least, especially after the character’s first official look in Thor 4’s trailer. 

In the months leading to the film’s premiere, several character designs from Love and Thunder’s ensemble have emerged online. An updated look at Korg shows that he will have facial hair in the movie while leaked image shows an upgraded design of Thor’s new costume, potentially being boosted by Zeus and the Olympian gods. 

While Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness pushed the concept of alternate realities into the forefront, it still remains to be seen if the new Thor movie will deal with the ramifications of the Benedict Cumberbatch-led sequel. However, a potential tie-in to other MCU projects like Moon Knight and Black Panther has been addressed. 

Moon Knight introduced several Egyptian Gods, notably Khonshu. When asked if those gods will appear in Love and Thunder due to Gorr’s involvement, the show’s writer Beau DeMayo admitted that he’s unaware of what’s happening in the MCU sequel, but he pointed out that "[it's a question on [his] mind."

Love and Thunder director Taika Waititi responded to fan speculation that Natalie Portman is replacing Chris Hemsworth's Marvel hero, saying "I don't think that's the case." That said, the character’s transition into Mighty Thor presents many story opportunities in the future, and signs indicate that her comeback in Thor 4 is only the beginning.

Meanwhile, Valkyrie is currently the King of New Asgard, but it seems that she is not fond of the tourism efforts of the kingdom. It remains to be seen if Valkyrie will give up the throne of Asgard at the end of the movie to seek more action-packed missions, but the arrival of Gorr could potentially change her perspective about ruling her people. 

Love and Thunder is also the first Thor movie without franchise mainstays Tom Hiddleston as Loki and Anthony Hopkins as Odin. 

Thor: Love and Thunder’s other cast members include Matt Damon, Sam Neill, Melissa Mcarthy, Jamie Alexander as the returning Lady Sif, Chris Pratt’s Star-Lord, Dave Bautista’s Drax, Pom Klementieff’s Mantis, Karen Gillan’s Nebula, Bradley Cooper’s Rocket Raccoon, Vin Diesel’s Groot, and Russell Crowe as Zeus. 

The MCU’s Thor: Love and Thunder is set to premiere in theaters on July 8.