Thor: Love and Thunder is the latest entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the fourth Thor movie. Reuniting old cast members and a returning director, the movie is very much a sequel to 2017’s over-the-top Thor: Ragnarok. Combining cosmic mythology with ’80s cheese and whimsy, the film is definitely a spectacle that begs to be seen on the big screen.
The first MCU film in months to not deal with the concept of the Multiverse, Love and Thunder instead chooses to expand the universe’s roster of gods, namely gods of thunder. Drawing from a recent comic book storyline and giving audiences two Thors for the price of one, the movie is a hotly anticipated comeback tour for the self-proclaimed strongest Avenger. Here’s what fans should know before they go thundering into theaters to see it.
The Cast and Crew of Thor: Love and Thunder
Leading the charge in the film is, of course, Chris Hemsworth, who plays Norse god and Avenger Thor Odinson. Another “Thor” is played by Natalia Portman, who reprises her role as Jane Foster. Through the use of a restored Mjolnir, Jane is able to take on the powers of Thor for herself. Unfortunately for the two of them, they’re threatened by the villainous Gorr the God Butcher, who’s played by Christian Bale. Another new character is the Greek god Zeus himself, portrayed by Russell Crowe.
Other returning faces include Tessa Thompson as Valkyrie, Jaimie Alexander as the Lady Sif, as well as the Kronan rock warrior Korg. Though he’s created through CGI, Korg is, again, voiced by Taika Waititi, who returns to not only direct the film (as he did for Thor: Ragnarok) but also write it alongside Jennifer Kaytin Robinson. The beginning of the movie also features the post-Endgame roster of the Guardians of the Galaxy, with Chris Pratt, Dave Bautista, Bradley Cooper, Vin Diesel, Karen Gillan, Pom Klementieff and Sean Gunn playing Star-Lord, Drax, Rocket Raccoon, Groot, Nebula, Mantis and Kraglin.
Matt Damon, Sam Neill and Luke Hemsworth reprise their roles as Asgardian actors of Loki, Odin and Thor, while Kat Dennings and Stellan Skarsgård also return to play Darcy Lewis and Erik Selvig. Jeff Goldblum and Peter Dinklage were meant to reprise their roles from Thor: Ragnarok and Avengers: Infinity War, but their scenes were some of several that were cut from the theatrical film. Likewise, Lena Headey also had an unspecified role that was cut from the final film.
The Plot of Thor: Love and Thunder
Thor: Love and Thunder picks up several of the plot threads from Avengers: Endgame, which saw Thor as a somewhat depressed and overweight God of Thunder who had to find his place in the universe once more. Elsewhere, Gorr the God Butcher begins enacting his revenge against various so-called deities who ignored his pleas to save his daughter. Gorr’s next target is the new home of the Asgardians, but Thor Odinson won’t be the only god there to protect it.
Jane Foster, Thor’s ex-girlfriend, has recently been diagnosed with terminal cancer. Sensing her distress, the destroyed Mjolnir reassembles itself to empower her into the Mighty Thor. Unfortunately, every use of its power drains more of Jane’s mortal life, making her ensuing adventure with Thor across the cosmos their most dangerous together yet. Several characters are developed in this cosmic drama, with many reflecting on their love lives and how far they’ve come among the events of the past few years. What results is a battle of gods and godly weapons, with the climax being a fittingly epic conclusion to several characters’ stories.
Easter Eggs and References in Thor: Love and Thunder
The central premise behind Thor: Love and Thunder is pulled directly from Jason Aaron’s recent run on Thor: God of Thunder. This run introduced both Gorr the God Butcher and Jane Foster becoming the Mighty Thor. In fact, the shot of the dead creature Falligar is pulled directly from this storyline, being an almost exact recreation of the book’s imagery. Thor’s more mortal attire in the movie not only has a shirt with the tree Yggdrasil but also somewhat resembles the costume of Thunderstrike, who temporarily replaced Thor in the comics.
Two Celestials can be briefly seen in the movie, finally tying the events of Eternals in with the rest of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Other “cosmic” beings that show up are Toothgnasher and Toothgrinder, Thor’s goats from both the comics and Norse mythology. Gorr fights his enemies with his familiar Necrosword, which in the comics has ties to Knull, the god of the Symbiotes (which include Venom).
Love and Thunder: Fan Theories and Rumors
The fact that Thor wears a version of the Thunderstrike costume has had many fans curious as to whether he assumes that identity or if Eric Masterson will be hinted at for future films. Another concern among the fandom was that Jane might replace Thor as the God of Thunder, truly signaling the end of an era for the original Avengers roster. The aforementioned Necrosword raised all sorts of questions on how, if at all, it could be tied to the symbiotes, the rights to which are owned by Sony for its cinematic Spider-Man Universe. The post-credits scenes, however, do set up more gods to enter the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
The film is now playing in theaters everywhere, making it the second MCU film to premiere this year, following Doctor Strange In the Multiverse of Madness. It premiered with an impressive opening weekend box office but also received even more mixed reviews than Doctor Strange 2, namely due to its inconsistent use of comedy and brisk pace. This definitely has had an effect on the box office haul going forward, with the movie having a heavy second-weekend drop, despite no real competition.
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