After Spider-Man: No Way Home and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, the Marvel Cinematic Universe will next present a more straightforward story with the next Phase Four film. As it stands, the multiverse has been very well established as a part of the MCU, and we can certainly count on that coming into play in various movies and Disney+ shows in the future. As for Thor: Love and Thunder, however, those elements will not be included as the multiverse just was not necessary for this story.
That's the word from Taika Waititi, director and co-writer of Thor: Love and Thunder. In the latest issue of Total Film (via The Direct), Waititi was asked about the inclusion of the multiverse and if Natalie Portman's Jane Foster is perhaps a Variant and not the same one fans first met in two prior movies. Waititi was quick to shut that down by clarifying that while he "[likes] the idea of the Multiverse," there is "nothing like that in this film," which he says is part of the "singular-verse."
”I feel like this one feels more original and unique, and stands apart from a lot of other Marvel films because of that element of love, and leaning into that idea of what love means for all these characters. You never go to those superhero movies to see a movie about love. It’s a preposterous answer. No fan wants to see that. But as I said with the last film, they don’t know what they want until they get it."
Star Chris Hemsworth reiterated Waititi's point that love is at the heart of Thor: Love and Thunder. It's much more than a mere romance film, however, as there are plenty of comedy and action elements to keep viewers entertained. But it all comes back to the love story between its leads.
“It’s sort of a romantic comedy with action. But we had to keep coming back to the love story. That was what was going to anchor these characters, and anchor this story, and ground it. And you can, on top of that, layer it with all sorts of insanity and fun and action and humor and all that. But the core of it, it was about universal love. It was a hell of a ride.”
Thor: Love and Thunder Features Christian Bale as the Villain
A previously released synopsis notes how Gorr the God Butcher is the big threat of the film. The villain seems to be compelling enough on his own that there was simply no need to raise the stakes by bringing in the multiverse. You can read the synopsis below.
"Gorr the God Butcher (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), 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."
Thor: Love and Thunder will be released in movie theaters on July 8, 2022.