A new photo from Thor: Love and Thunder has arrived, and it shows Chris Hemsworth and Natalie Portman in vibrant new costumes as Thor, and The Mighty Thor, respectively. In his fourth solo Marvel outing, Hemsworth reprises his role as the Norse God of Thunder, Thor Odinson. With his planet destroyed and his family dead, the 1500-year-old Thor retires as an Avenger and goes on a journey of self-discovery. But when a new threat emerges, Thor is forced back into battle. And fighting alongside him is none other than his ex-girlfriend, Jane Foster, who now wields the magical hammer Mjolnir and is called The Mighty Thor.Oscar-winning actress Natalie Portman will return to play Jane Foster after almost a decade. She last appeared in 2013’s Thor: The Dark World and her character was briefly seen in Avengers: Endgame. Love and Thunder trailer provided fans with a first look at Portman’s Mighty Thor, but a new photo, courtesy of Empire Magazine, gives us a better look at the character sans the helmet. You can check it out below.
Thor: Love and Thunder is part of phase four of the MCU and makes Thor the first character to get a fourth solo film. While the titular superhero may be retiring in the upcoming movie, Chris Hemsworth, who has been playing Thor for over a decade now, promises that Love and Thunder won’t be his last Marvel movie. Taika Waititi returns with his distinctive vision and signature humor to direct the film, which he co-wrote with Jennifer Kaytin Robinson.
Alongside Chris Hemsworth and Natalie Portman, Thor: Love and Thunder also stars Tessa Thompson, Christian Bale, Chris Pratt, Jaimie Alexander, Jeff Goldblum, Russell Crowe, Dave Bautista, Pom Klementieff, and Karen Gillan. The synopsis for Thor: Love and Thunder reads:
"The film finds Thor 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, who seeks the extinction of the gods. To combat the threat, Thor enlists the help of King Valkyrie, Korg and ex-girlfriend Jane Foster, who – 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."
Love And Thunder Is Inspired By The Mighty Thor Storyline From The Comics
Director Taika Waititi recently confirmed that Thor: Love and Thunder will directly borrow from Jason Aaron and Russell Dauterman’s The Mighty Thor comic run. The story centers on Jane Foster as she is diagnosed with cancer following the deaths of her husband and son. Jane picks up Mjolnir, which grants her the powers of Thor. Waititi also revealed that Portman will have a much bigger role to play in Love and Thunder, and an actress of her stature won’t be underutilized like in the previous films. Talking to Empire, Waititi said:
"You don’t want Natalie coming back and playing that same character who’s walking around with science equipment. You know, while Thor’s flying around, she’s left on Earth, tapping her foot going, ‘When’s he going to be back?’ That’s boring. You want her to be part of the adventure.”
"Natalie’s really funny in real life. She’s kind of goofy and has got a great sense of humour, and I don’t think that was exploited enough in the first films," Waititi added.
How does Mjolnir reintegrate itself? How does Jane find out she’s worthy? What will Jane and Thor’s relationship be like now? All the questions will be answered when Thor: Love and Thunder premieres in theaters on July 8, 2022.