Because of the incredible success of Thor: Ragnarok back in 2017, Marvel fans have been wondering if director Taika Waititi and actor Chris Hemsworth would ever return for another film. In 2019, Kevin Feige announced at Comic-Con that Thor: Love and Thunder would in fact happen with Waititi, Hemsworth, and Tessa Thompson's Valkyrie all returning for the sequel. Additionally, he also announced that Natalie Portman's Jane Foster would also return.
The Thor franchise has seen its ups and downs. The first Thor was generally loved by audiences and critics while the sequel Thor: The Dark World is considered to be among the weakest of MCU outings. Director Taika Waititi, however, was able to breathe uniqueness and life back into the franchise with his mega-hit Thor: Ragnarok. Because of Ragnarok's massive success, Marvel Studios has brought Waititi back to helm Thor: Love and Thunder. With that, here's everything we know about the movie.
18 Natalie Portman will become Mighty Thor
Taika Waititi confirmed at Comic-Con 2019 that Natalie Portman would not only be returning to play Jane Foster, she would portray Mighty Thor. In the comics, Jane Foster wields Mjolnir and acts as Thor for an extended period of time. Waititi claimed that Thor: Love and Thunder would take a lot of inspiration from that storyline. If that's the case, it's possible that the movie will also explore Foster's battle with breast cancer like in the comics. Natalie Portman was absent from Ragnarok due to how Marvel Studios handled The Dark World. However, after Ragnarok's success because of Waititi, Portman agreed to come back. This time, she'll be a superhero.
17 The Guardians of the Galaxy will make an appearance in Thor: Love and Thunder
Confirmed by Marvel Studios and various actors, several members of the Guardians of the Galaxy will be in Thor: Love and Thunder. It is not known how expansive their roles will be, but it is believed to be a bit more than a cameo. Thor left with the Guardians at the end of Avengers: Endgame, so their involvement with the film makes sense. The Guardians confirmed to appear are Star-Lord, Drax, Nebula, Mantis, Rocket, Groot, and Kraglin (played by Sean Gunn). Gamora is not believed to appear. James Gunn, who wrote and will direct Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, helped form Waititi's script and vice versa.
16 Thor: Love and Thunder will lead directly into Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
James Gunn and Taika Waititi have both stated that they have helped work on each other's scripts. Since Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 will come after Thor: Love and Thunder, this implies that Thor will lead into Guardians as opposed to the other way around. Originally, it was supposed to be Guardians leading into Thor, but James Gunn's commitment to The Suicide Squad and Peacemaker came first. In all likelihood, we will see the Guardians get thrown into some sort of crisis in Thor: Love and Thunder that will be the main plot point in Guardians 3.
15 Christian Bale will portray Gorr, The God Butcher
In 2020, Kevin Feige confirmed that Christian Bale will play the main villain of the film Gorr, The God Butcher. It is believed that Bale's performance will have very little CGI, unlike many of the cosmic villains in the MCU. Gorr is likely to be a fully prosthetic character. Additionally, Gorr from the comics is an ancient being, so either he will be an updated version for the movie or Thor: Love and Thunder will explore time travel. It has been rumored that Gorr will kill many named characters in the movie just like Hela did in Ragnarok.
14 Thor will likely become unworthy in Thor 4
In the comics, Jane Foster is only able to wield Mjolnir because Thor loses the ability to wield it himself. Nick Fury whispered something in his ear which caused Thor to drop the hammer. Gorr, The God Butcher also has a history of manipulating Thor's faith and emotions, so it's possible Gorr is what causes Thor to lose his worthiness. This is all purely speculation, but Waititi has clearly stated that he has taken inspiration from Jane Foster's Mighty Thor storyline. The only way Foster can wield Mjolnir is if Thor drops it.
13 Will Korg and Miek return in Thor: Love and Thunder?
Fan favorites Korg and Miek are both confirmed to come back for Thor: Love and Thunder. Waititi stated that the beloved duo would be back for more shenanigans. Korg and Miek were last seen with the Avengers battling Thanos at the end of Avengers: Endgame. They both presumably survived the battle. It is not known how large of a role they will play, but if Ragnarok is of any indication, we should get a good share of fun moments with them.
12 Will Lady Sif will return in Thor: Love and Thunder?
Jaimie Alexander's Lady Sif will finally make her return to the franchise. Aside from a few episodes of Agents of SHIELD, Lady Sif has not been seen or heard of in the MCU since The Dark World in 2013. Alexander was busy filming her show Blindspot when Ragnarok was filming, which was why she was absent from the film. Hopefully this turned out to be a blessing in disguise as her comrades the Warriors Three were quickly dispatched by Hela. If Lady Sif had been present, she would have probably suffered the same fate.
11 Will Fake Odin, Thor, and Loki be back in Thor: Love and Thunder?
One of the most amusing and surprising moments of Thor: Ragnarok was the Asgardian play near the beginning of the movie. It featured Sam Neil (who worked with Waititi in Hunt for the Wilderpeople) as Fake Odin, Luke Hemsworth (Chris Hemsworth's real-life brother) as Fake Thor, and Matt Damon as Fake Loki. In some set pics for Love and Thunder, it has been confirmed that all three will be back to reprise the same roles. Additionally, Melissa McCarthy was also present donning a fake Hela outfit insinuating that she will join the cast as well. Like Ragnarok, their roles will probably simply be cameos.
10 Grandmaster will likely return in Thor: Love and Thunder
One of the many scene-stealers in Thor: Ragnarok was Jeff Goldblum's portrayal of the Grandmaster. Although his role has not been confirmed by any trusted source, Goldblum was spotted with the cast in Australia. This leads me to believe that he will at least have a small cameo in the film. His fate in Ragnarok gives him plenty of room to return, so I would bet he shows up at some point. He was last seen on Sakarr exiting an escape pod following the revolution that Thor started. The Grandmaster in the comics is a celestial, so he almost certainly found a way to survive.
9 Dr. Darcy Lewis will likely NOT return in Thor: Love and Thunder
Unlike many characters reprising their roles in the Thor movies, Kat Dennings has recently claimed that she never got a call to appear in Thor 4. This is surprising due to Jane Foster's return and the fact that Foster and Lewis are great friends. Fans of Dr. Lewis should not fret, however, as she did have a major role in WandaVision and will probably return to the franchise sooner than later. Dennings has hinted at filming other projects for Marvel Studios, but revealed Love and Thunder was not among them. Kat Dennings Has Filmed Another Marvel Project, But It's Not Thor 4 (screenrant.com)
8 Russell Crowe plays Zeus in Thor: Love and Thunder
In an interview with an Australian radio show {Russell Crowe says he's playing Zeus in Thor: Love and Thunder, Crowe let slip that he was involved with Thor 4 and would play Zeus. He said, "Now, I'm gonna get on my bicycle, I'm gonna ride up to Disney-Fox studios... and round about 9:15, I shall be Zeus in Thor 4. It's my last day of Zeus-ing about." From the sound of it, his role is merely a cameo, but it's still a major announcement. Regardless of how large his role is, this could open the floodgates of more celestial appearances within the MCU. We have only seen the Norse mythology, so delving into the Greek side could be a sign of things to come.
7 Thor's goats will appear
Spotted on set, the beloved goats from the comics Toothgrinder and Toothgnasher will be in the film. In the comics, the goats mainly pull Thor's chariot, but they also have unique abilities - great strength and the ability to travel between realms - that help him. Both have been resurrected multiple times, so I would not panic if they get killed in the movie.
6 Valkyrie will be searching for a queen
At the end of Avengers: Endgame, Thor handed the title of King of Asgard to Valkyrie before bailing with the Guardians. Tessa Thompson stated at Comic-Con 2019 that the first thing King Valkyrie would need to do is find a queen. As this storyline is not heavily explored in the comics, fans can only guess at what this could mean for Valkyrie. There have been many fan theories that Valkyrie would marry one of Lady Sif, Jane Foster, or even Carol Danvers, but it's likely her future wife will come from somewhere else within the canon. This will mark one of the first openly LGBTQ+ heroes within the MCU.
5 The script for Love and Thunder is wild
Taika Waititi, who wrote the script, has claimed Thor 4 Script Is "So Over the Top," Says Taika Waititi (collider.com) that "it's so over the top now in the very best way. It makes Ragnarok seem like a really run of the mill, very safe film...this new film feels like we asked a bunch of 10 year olds what should be in a movie and just said yes to everything." This is welcome news for anyone who liked Ragnarok as it was praised for its ridiculousness. Thor: Love and Thunder is sure to expand on that tone. Waititi has also stated that it's the most romantic script he's ever written, so there are lots of possibilities in that regard.
4 When does Thor: Love and Thunder come out?
The release date for Thor: Love and Thunder is currently set for May, 2022. Filming is already underway and soon to come to a close. While Feige claimed in 2019 that Thor 4 would come to theaters in November of 2021, COVID-19 predictably pushed the release slate around causing it to be pushed back several months. It is now confirmed to release in theaters on May 6, 2022. This should stick because of how much filming has already been completed. This release follows in the footsteps of the first Thor movie, which also released in May. Ragnarok and The Dark World both came out in the month of November in their respective years.
3 Is Thor: Love and Thunder being filmed in Australia?
Like its predecessor, Thor: Love and Thunder is currently being filmed in Chris Hemsworth's home country of Australia. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, this has led to many character and set leaks as actors have a more difficult time hiding from the paparazzi for several weeks. We will not share those leaks in this article, but there are other articles for you if you are curious. It has also been reported that the film will make use of a similar screen set used in The Mandalorian.
2 Is Thor fat in Thor: Love and Thunder?
For those who have seen Avengers: Endgame, you may recall Thor gaining a hundred pounds or so along with a large beard. Hemsworth has stated that he's in the best shape of his life, insinuating that Thor will indeed be the same. Due to Waititi's comedic style, we will likely see some sort of montage of Thor getting back to great physical shape, but this is more a theory than anything. Thor's physique in Endgame was extremely polarizing as it split the fandom. Many fans loved and empathized with the portrayal of an overweight God of Thunder, while other criticized the film for making light of his weight gain (Tony Stark and Rocket being the most guilty). It will be interesting to see how Thor 4 handles Thor's weight loss.
1 Is Thor: Love and Thunder connected to the Disney+ Loki series?
Although Loki has had a prominent role in every Thor movie, do not expect him to pop up in Love and Thunder. Yes, while he is getting his own show (premiering on Disney+ in June, 2021), Loki is currently dead in the Thor 4 timeline. The Loki show will follow a different Loki from an alternate timeline, so it highly unlikely that it will lead into Thor: Love and Thunder. However, Loki has been rumored to lead into Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, so Thor and Loki may have a reunion in a separate, future project.