Fear not, fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe: The beloved superhero Thor is returning to the big screen this July after a five-year hiatus. While the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) has always had good representation in their films, this film puts a whole new spin on the superhero, featuring a female Thor (don’t panic — Chris Hemsworth and his washboard abs will still be in the film in all of their glory).
Here’s everything we know about Thor: Love and Thunder, from the intriguing plot to the absolutely stacked cast.
The trailer alludes to… well, love and thunder.
The two-minute trailer for the film was released back in May, and fans are already praising the production team for their CGI (computer-generated imagery) developments and the ’80s feel to the film (as intended by the film’s director, Taika Waititi, who also directed 2017’s Thor: Ragnarok). While a sequel to Thor: Ragnarok has been on the table since 2018, production was halted due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, and I think it’s safe to say fans are eager for their beloved hero to return.
The cast is stacked with returning favorites.
The upcoming film, Thor: Love and Thunder, features numerous role reprisals by MCU actors Chris Hemsworth, Tessa Thompson, and Natalie Portman (with huge biceps apparently, but we’ll dive into that later), along with a bombshell (and long-awaited) addition to the MCU, Christian Bale. Christian Bale can be nothing short of sinister and cunning, shown in his films such as American Psycho and Vice, so it comes as no surprise that he will be portraying the new villain of the film. Looking more like Voldemort than Bruce Wayne, Christian undertook an impressive transformation for this role.
In addition to this group of A-listers, Taika Waititi will be returning to the Thor franchise as the film’s director. He’s also previously shown his refreshing approach to film direction in movies like Jojo Rabbit, which won a slew of awards, including an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay. Taika himself will be in Love and Thunder, reprising his role as Korg (Thor’s gladiator friend) from Ragnarok.
Allegedly, and as depicted in its title, this film will have more of an emphasis on romance than previous Thor films. As long as Chris Hemsworth doesn’t rock a dad bod again in this film, all is right in the multiverse. And as always, we can excitedly expect the return of the Guardians of the Galaxy crew in this film, including Chris Pratt, Dave Bautista, Pom Klementieff, and more.
Here’s what we know about the plot so far.
We last saw Thor in Avengers: Endgame in 2019, and similar to his reclusive approaches in Avengers: Infinity War, Thor is just trying to make peace. But if there’s one thing he won’t be receiving in Love and Thunder, it’s just that.
Thor is soon called to stop Gorr the God Butcher (charming name, isn’t it?), played by Bale, from destroying all gods, and he recruits his old pals Valkyrie, Korg, and Jane Foster to help him save the day. We can only imagine Thor’s surprise when he is reunited with Jane Foster after eight years (or eight years, seven months, and six days, as pointed out by Thor) only to find that she is now the “Mighty Thor.” Erm, I guess the saying that you adopt the personality of your significant other is not far off here?
Fans of the franchise are dying to know how Jane Foster, the research fellow, turned into Jane Foster, the Mighty Thor. It doesn’t seem to deter Thor at all, however, as the trailer shows him being just as smitten with Jane as he was in previous films with Jane. The movie plotline does follow the comics’ plotline, in which Jane Foster battles cancer while dominating as the Mighty Thor, and hopefully this does not mean the end of Natalie Portman in the MCU.
The release date is just about here.
Regardless of its plotline or who has biceps and who doesn’t, Marvel will most likely smash box office projections with this release. Anytime there is a five-year hiatus with one of the original Avengers’ franchises, box office lines of eager and antsy fans are to be expected. Thor: Love and Thunder will hit theaters in the U.S. on July 8, so get your popcorn ready!