For most of Marvel Studios’ legacy heroes, their stories ended with the obligatory trilogy and completed their arc by Avengers: Endgame. But Thor (Chris Hemsworth) is a particular case as he is the only one, so far, to receive a fourth standalone film. “Thor: Love and Thunder” is a chance for the Asgardian god of Thunder to close the book on his terms while also expanding upon the Marvel Cinematic Universe. And as the subtitle suggests, maybe he’ll find some love and bring the Thunder upon some new villains who have an ax to grind. Now we get to see some of what’s to come in a brand-new trailer.
Director Taika Waititi looks to take an existential approach to Thor’s journey as the title character tries to find himself post “Avengers: Endgame.” When we last saw Thor, he was the last surviving members of the original trio of heroes to fight Thanos and live to tale the tale. With Tony Stark sacrificing himself and Steve Rogers going back in time to live out his days with Peggy Carter, the love of his life, after returning the Infinity Stones to their proper timelines, Thor was left with no purpose in life. He later joins the Guardians of the Galaxy to search for his new identity, which he hopes to find in the vast cosmos. But all of that is interrupted when Gorr the God Butcher (Christian Bale) takes out his vengeance on the gods who did not help his people yet still put their faith in them.
But as the chaos continues to unfold, Thor realizes that he is in over his head and is going to need some help from some familiar friends like King Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson) and Korg (Waititi). However, in a strange new twist, he also gets a helping hand when he discovers that his former flame Jane Foster (Natalie Portman), wields his magical hammer, Mjolnir, making her worthy of becoming The Mighty Thor.
The trailer also teases more of the hair metal band energy that we first saw and completely fell in love with in “Thor: Ragnarok.”
In 2014’s Thor: God of Thunder #25, Jane was diagnosed with breast cancer and undergoes chemotherapy to combat the sickness. But during the treatment she is bestowed the powers of Thunder, and uses its energy to purge the cancer out of her body. It’s a refreshing take on the character that treats the hero’s name as gender neutral thus allowing more of Thor’s fans to see themselves in Thor and Jane.
Here’s the official plot synopsis for “Thor: Love and Thunder:”
“Thor: Love and Thunder” finds Thor (Chris Hemsworth) on a journey, unlike anything he’s ever faced – a quest for inner peace. But his retirement is interrupted by a galactic killer known as Gorr the God Butcher (Christian Bale), who seeks the extinction of the gods. To combat the threat, Thor enlists the help of King Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson), Korg (Taika Waititi), and ex-girlfriend Jane Foster (Natalie Portman), he – to Thor’s surprise – inexplicably wields his magical hammer, Mjolnir, as the Mighty Thor. Together, they embark upon a harrowing cosmic adventure to uncover the mystery of the God Butcher’s vengeance and stop him before it’s too late.
Directed by Waititi, who co-wrote the script with Jennifer Kaytin Robinson, “Thor: Love and Thunder” opens in theaters on July 8, 2022.
