Thor is the first member of the original six Avengers to get a fourth movie and we couldn’t be happier! It’s been a crazy 11 years since he first appeared with him and his adoptive brother, Loki, tearing up screens consistently with their wit and humour.
After the events of “Endgame”, “Love and Thunder” will explore a god’s journey to self-discovery. With trusty Stormbreaker by his side, Thor and his friends, Valkyrie and Korg must face down a new impending doom in the form of Gorr the God Butcher. Along the way, they will meet new acquaintances and foes alike. Furthermore, Thor must face his past in the form of Jane Foster, who has now taken on the role of the Mighty Thor.
Needless to say, the fourth outing for Thor will be cra-to-the-Z! There are a lot of details to go through here as we travel via the Bifrost. So, sit back and let us tell you the story of the Space Viking and all of the extraordinary details that might spawn while we’re at it.
WAITITI A SECOND
Taika Waititi has been mad busy lately. Juggling everything from “Star Wars” to the development of “Akira”, the pirate comedy “Our Flag Means Death” and Disney Pixar’s “Lightyear”. And yet, he still has the time to bring the thunder to “Thor”! Gosh, how does he do it?!
Time management envies aside, it’s great that he is back. His signature wit and wacky humour revitalised the Thor franchise, for better or worse, and he’s here to stay. We expect the hilarity to rise to new heights as all the things we loved about “Ragnarok” are about to be amplified.
Taika Waititi is also bringing an innovative edge to the Asgardian realm. StageCraft, the game-changing technology that was used on “The Mandalorian” and most recently “Obi-Wan Kenobi”, is also being used for the Thor-quel. This is probably due to Taika’s involvement in the former “Star Wars” project. This is the first Marvel film to be using the technology, and we’re certain it will bring about some beautiful results. Look at the trailers; the colours and lighting are already fantastic!
Oh yeah, and bring on the Asgardian plays! Wink*
THOR, NO MORE
Thor has had one of the most tragic stories in the entire MCU. With the ending of “Thor: Ragnarok” leading right into the harrowing opening scenes of “Infinity War”, two losses were experienced right away. Heimdall, Thor’s close comrade was stabbed in the heart by Thanos after saving the Hulk and sending him to Earth.
However, the more emotional gut-punch came at the demise of Loki Laufeyson, who in a bid to halt Thanos and save his brother, performed one final act of trickery before getting his neck snapped by the Mad Titan. At this point, Thor has lost every single biological tie to Asgard and the nine realms with his family and closest friends all being killed, with the exception of Sif (who is rumoured to appear in “Love and Thunder”).
These hands were once used for battle. Now, they’re but humble tools for peace.
Further loss persisted in “Avengers: Endgame”. With the deaths of Tony Stark and Natasha Romanoff, along with Captain America living out a full life, The Original 6 was reduced by half.
All of these events may cause the Mighty Avenger to have an introspective look into the battles he fought and who he wants to be now. In one shot, Thor plants Stormbreaker into the ground, signifying the seeds of new life. He’s staring out into the sunset, laying in zen.
Emotionally, Thor might be choosing to start anew, but he also has a massive weight to shake off his shoulders, physically speaking. Thor was presented as the guy who didn’t really care about anything after he decapitated farmer Thanos. He developed a beer belly while playing Fortnite with his pals, Korg and Miek.
Of course, him getting back into shape was a given, but he’s gotta earn it through working out, pulling the Benatar, and dragging chains around giants. It’s about transforming that dad bod into a god bod.
Thor has been all about being worthy. Worthy to possess the power of gods. Worthy to be an Avenger. Yet, now, when you take all that off the table, what is that worth? It is a journey into mystery that we’re willing to take with the god of thunder.
KING OF ASGARD
Tessa Thompson’s Valkyrie returns in sleek black and white garb, now holding the title of King of Asgard. Shedding the life of a Sakaarian scrapper, she returns to the life that she formerly knew but in a different role as the ruler of Asgard.
However, she might not be a very good leader at the beginning as her nonchalance toward petty affairs of Earth might bleed into her judgement. In “Spider-Man: No Way Home”, New Asgard was mentioned as being embroiled in political turmoil and Valkyrie might not be seeing things the way the Prime Ministers and Presidents of this rock see them.
Political troubles aside, it’s great to see Valkyrie back, with more time to shine. By her side is her trusty steed, Aragorn, who we’re hoping also gets time in the spotlight as well. The MCU has been doing some Disney animal-sidekick thing recently and we’re not complaining. As long as it alternates between cuddles, badass battles, biting heads off, and more pats, we are all for it!
THE MIGHT OF THOR
Oh. My. God.
Dr Jane Foster, brilliant astrophysicist, enthusiast of the Einstein-Rosen bridge, and Nobel Prize contender, is now worthy to hold Mjolnir! What?! This is one hell of an upgrade!
When we saw Jane in “Thor: The Dark World”, she had just been a vessel for an Infinity Stone, as Malekith pursued her through the cosmos. After extracting the Reality Stone out of her, she helped out in the final battle against the dark elf. And then, she kisses Thor in the after-credits scene, where she’s played by Elsa Pataky.
Needless to say, the absence of Jane Foster in “Thor: Ragnarok” was actually better due to the crazy stuff that had happened throughout. Having a human scientist around would have bogged down the entire trip to Sakaar. There was literally no reason for her to tag along with Hela on the loose and the Hulk rampaging across an arena.
Now, Jane Foster was actually a victim of the snap, which helps to bring a certain line into context. When she asks Thor how long it’s been since they last met, she states that it’s been like “three, four years”, to which Odinson gives her a doubled and more accurate figure. Jane, like the rest of the population who was snapped, would be experiencing some disorientation in terms of time due to having lost five years.
So, now that we know that this is the same Jane that has appeared throughout the Thor films, how is it that she is holding Mjolnir? Well, one theory is that she proved that she could hold an Infinity Stone and have the restraint to not use it for nefarious purposes. Another theory posits that she was always worthy, although it seems like an underwhelming explanation. Regardless, we believe Waititi has a bonkers idea for this anyway. So we’ll just leave it at that.
Waititi has gone on record to state that the story of Jane will draw closely from the comics. This would probably mean that there is a possibility that Jane has a more tragic story behind that mystical helmet of hers. In the original Jason Isaacs run, she was revealed to have contracted breast cancer, but transforming into the Mighty Thor gave her the strength to fight. However, the use of the hammer has perpetuated her cancer, as it purged the toxins from her chemotheraphy.
Despite Jane now being worthy of Mjolnir, Taika Waititi has warned audiences not to expect the retirement of the Odinson. “I think a lot of fans are gonna potentially assume, ‘Oh, OK, this is the passing on of the torch’… I’m not privy to any plans Marvel has for the future, but I don’t think that’s the case.” said Waititi.
Whosoever holds this hammer, is he/she be worthy shall possess the power of Thor.
Right off the bat, the Mjolnir held by Jane seems to have been reconstructed off the fragments when Hela broke it. So, is it the same Mjolnir? Yup, we think so, and it does look kinda cool, with its blue glow emanating from the cracks. How is it being held together? Ramen and duct tape, perhaps.
Nevertheless, the Mighty Thor uses Mjolnir in a distinct manner. When she throws it, it is able to shatter apart to hit multiple targets all at once. Firing on all corners, the Mighty Thor will prove to be a formidable force in battle.
If there’s one thing we know, she’s no Plain Jane. Possessing all the powers of the Odinson, The Mighty Thor is a worthy addition to the MCU and we can’t wait to see how she teams up with her ex once again.
THE REVOLUTION HAS BEGUN?
Everybody’s favourite Polynesian-bouncer-sounding pile of rocks is back and he’s gonna tell kids some bedtime stories.
The Warbound member, along with his trusty bug sidekick, Miek will feature in “Love and Thunder”. Korg sports a different look this time around. Less Sakaar, more Asgardian funk, with goat heads and diamonds on his pants. He seems to be doing well as a tour guide for New Asgard, giving tourists details of the new area in Tonsberg, Norway, along with driving the ‘goat boat’.
Miek also has a sleek upgrade. During a “Thor: Ragnarok” live stream, the director revealed a couple of new looks for Miek. One was a white and red robotic exoskeleton and another had a business suit covering the same exoskeleton. It’s interesting to note that the body has female proportions and could be confirmation that Miek is actually female, as opposed to the comics.
We guess the duo will be out there, revolutionising the citizens of New Asgard with zany ideas and politeness. All in all, we hope they print enough pamphlets for such a movement.
GUARDIANS OF THE FREAKIN’ GALAXY
This is the first time the Guardians of the Galaxy are being featured in a solo franchise. Of course, this is expected as Thor tagged along for the ride after the Battle for Earth. Threatening the hierarchy aboard the Benatar, Peter Quill has to constantly keep Thor’s place in check as a member of the crew.
We expect the involvement to be minor, and only to be part of the opening act as the cast only filmed for a couple of days, which isn’t enough to cover the length of the movie. Presumably, Thor is trying to find his place with the Guardians but it doesn’t really work out and he has to return to his friends on Earth later on.
Regardless, it’s great to see Thor hanging out with the Guardians. It shall be short but it is something to be relished as their time in the MCU might be coming to an end next year. James Gunn has confirmed that “GOTG Vol. 3” will be the last time we see this iteration of the Guardians. So, this and the Holiday Special will be their penultimate appearances before the finale. We are not ready.
BLOOD, GUTS, AND GORR
“Love and Thunder’s” second trailer finally revealed Gorr’s live-action look and it is glorious in all of its monochrome tones. Making his jump to the Marvel end is the former Dark Knight, Christian Bale, as he swaps out the dark hues of Bruce Wayne for a much brighter skin. Don’t be fooled though as Gorr, ehhh, that man’s not a hero. In fact, he’s all out for blood and the guts of the heavenly gods.
While his motivation isn’t stated in the promotional material, we can guess that it is a personal one. If it is anything like the comics, Gorr will be extremely deadly and unforgiving in his misdeeds as he harbours a deep hatred for any and all deities.
Once a simple alien being, Gorr lived in a world that was desolate and dying. Although his species had faith in the gods, constantly praying for help, his family was torn apart little by little, until only Gorr was left. With nothing else left, Gorr began to question the existence of such, which led to his exile.
Eventually, he witnessed a battle between the elder god, Knull and another powerful deity. Seeing that they had time to scuffle but not help his family survive, his doubt transformed into hate. He now knew that gods existed but were apathetic to the affairs of suffering nations or species despite numerous pleas for help.
So, this is my vow. All gods will die…
Gorr takes on a more human look rather than his original alien features that make him look like a cross between The Nun and a Twi’Lek from “Star Wars”. Perhaps this was intentional as a way to humanise the threat and make him more sympathetic due to the Gorr’s utter deadliness.
Many have fallen before him and he relishes in their despair and eventual demise. With the help of a shape-shifting weapon called All Black aka the Necrosword, he slashes and slays his way to the top of the god chain. With his weapon, he is also able to conjure up an army known as the Black Berserkers which do his cruel bidding.
Now, we doubt the Necrosword will be tying into the symbiotes (as in the Venom-Carnage-Toxin-Phage symbiotes, yes) but it probably will interact with him in the same way. It also influenced his mind like a symbiote. So, who knows, we might end up with a Bully Bale meme before the end of the year.
Scenes featuring Gorr in the trailer have also been majorly devoid of colour, which is a stark contrast to the bubbly frisk that Thor and co. bring with them. This is to show that Gorr brings nothing but dread along with being a black hole for the soul.
One interesting thing to note is that Gorr has also created his own headquarters on an unnamed planet just like in the comics. And we’re quite certain that there will be Space Sharks swimming in its orbit. Wait, why are we hearing John Williams all of a sudden?
OLYMPUS HAS RISEN
It’s been a long time coming but “Thor: Love and Thunder” will finally feature the live-action debut of the Greek pantheon.
At one point during the film, the two Thors, Valkyrie, and Korg will be travelling to Olympus possibly to meet at a summit of the gods. There could very well be the Egyptian Ennead as seen in “Moon Knight” with Bast confirmed to appear.
The most notable name here is Zeus Panhellenios, played by Russell Crowe. The Greek counterpart to Thor in Norse mythology, Zeus holds the title of being the God of the heavens, sky, and thunder. He possesses a lightning bolt along with the power to ‘flick’ things with a mere gesture. This is used to humorous effect as he flicks Thor’s clothes off, leaving the Odinson butt naked.
We’re rather excited about the inclusion of the Olympians as this might mean that two famous sons of Zeus could finally appear. Oh yeah, Ares and Hercules might finally get their dues as new heroes of the MCU! Ares was teased in “Thor: Ragnarok” as one of the contestants on Sakaar, but has yet to make an appearance. Hercules, on the other hand, could also be an important character moving forward.
One thing that needs to be addressed, however, is how the Eternals factor into all of this. Due to some Eternals playing a part in ancient legends and mythology, it remains to be seen whether they were the sole bearer of their ancient names or not. In the case of Angelina Jolie’s Thena, she was called Athena, after the goddess of war. Whether another ‘Athena’ exists within the pantheon, remains to be seen. The same can be said about Eros, Ikaris/Icarus, and Sersi/Circe, all of which have names derived from Greek legend.
POWER! COSMIC!
Now, this is one shot that got us hella excited!
In the second trailer, The Mighty Thor raises Mjolnir into the air before conjuring some lightning. If one chooses to turn their focus to the side, they could see that there are multiple large busts surrounding her. Similar to how “Thor: Ragnarok” featured some giant heads outside the Sakaarian arena, these are teases to characters that may arrive sooner or later in the MCU!
Three are instantly recognizable: The Living Tribunal with its hooded heads, The Watcher as seen in the animated series “What If?…”, and Death herself. The other two at the back are a little harder to make out, but after some squinting, it is likely that these are statues of Mephisto Eon and Infinity.
In case you didn’t know, this isn’t the first time the Living Tribunal has been referenced in the MCU. The first was a little strange (pun intended) as Baron Mordo pulled out a weapon called the Staff of the Living Tribunal in the 2016 movie. The cosmic being was referenced in “Loki”‘s fifth episode, albeit as a statue in the background.
Nevertheless, things got going recently, as he made a blink-and-you-miss-it moment in “Doctor Strange In The Multiverse of Madness”. As Strange and America punch through multiple dimensions, one of the very first things you will see is some bright floating eyes and the unmistakable drapes of the cosmic being.
Eon, Infinity, and Death are even more intriguing as these are references to some really powerful cosmic beings who have lasted as long as the universe itself. Ok, maybe some of them just don’t do anything and mess around with their underlings. cough* comics Thanos cough* simp cough*. No doubt, these aren’t the types of beings you’d wanna mess around with as that would mean a trip to heaven, literally.
“Thor Love and Thunder” brings the lightning to cinemas this 7th July 2022.
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