[Updated 07/10/2022]
Thor is officially the star of the longest-running Marvel Studios series! THOR 4, formally called THOR: LOVE AND THUNDER is the first third sequel (work that math out) in Marvel Studios history. Eleven years ago when Chris Hemsworth first picked up the hammer Mjolnir, no one would have guessed that he would be the original Avengers with the most movies.
Now the first trailer for THOR: LOVE AND THUNDER brings things full circle, in a way. We see Thor ending his journey with the Guardians of the Galaxy, following the events of AVENGERS: ENDGAME. We also see the shadow of a new threat arise — and a new Mighty Thor, as another human proves herself worthy to wield Mjolnir. Here's everything we know about THOR: LOVE AND THUNDER, including some details from the film itself.
When Does Thor: Love and Thunder Come Out?
The fourth Thor movie will just miss the fireworks this year, but will probably create plenty of its own. THOR: LOVE AND THUNDER opens exclusively in theatres on July 8, 2022.
Watch the Latest Thor: Love and Thunder Trailer!
It looks like Thor is having a really nice time, for a few moments at least. This trailer makes us happy, too. It doesn't reveal too much about the new Thor movie, but it certainly whets our appetite for the summer release. It's got just enough of all the characters, the signature humor that has evolved around the character, and some interesting black and white footage to make us ready to buy a ticket.
The Thor Love and Thunder Trailer Song
The trailers for THOR: LOVE AND THUNDER rely on a familiar song. If you know the tune you can hear it slowly emerge from the guitar score at the beginning of the teaser trailer. The trailer song is, of course, "Sweet Child o' Mine" by Guns N' Roses. If you weren't around in the late '80s when this song was released, know that it was a thunderous hit for the band — their first number-one single in the US!
While the lyrics of "Sweet Child o' Mine" might not reflect what's going on in this trailer, the general vibe of the song certainly does. The Guns N' Roses megahit conjures a mix of nostalgia and optimism, which certainly seems to reflect what's going on in Thor's head as he attempts to walk away from the superhero game.
What's the Story in Thor: Love and Thunder?
Let's start with what Marvel Studios has to say:
The film 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), 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.
That actually sums up much of what we know. Mostly we have many questions. For instance, how active are the Guardians of the Galaxy in this movie? What's going on down on Earth that has Jane Foster leaping into battle with Mjolnir in hand? And there are a few other big ones we'll ask below.
Does Thor Go to Olympus?
Shots of that splendid and massive city in the sky don't reflect New Asgard. More likely, they are a version of Olympus, where Russell Crowe's Zeus rules with thunderbolt in hand. It'll be fun to see one thunder god approach another, but at the same time, we're worried for Zeus. The bad guy in this movie is, after all, called the God Butcher.
Before Zeus takes on Gorr, he should probably get his powers in check. We really don't need to see Gorr in his birthday suit.
Is Thor a Pirate Now?
Good question and we hope so! A couple of shots in the teaser trailer suggest as much — especially when a mysterious blue-haired woman swings down to the deck of a ship for a kiss from Thor, who seems to be the last man standing after a battle. (There's also a big octopus on the wreck of a boat behind him, and we can't wait to see what that's about.)
From what we can gather, Thor, Jane Foster, Valkyrie, and Korg embark upon a vessel casually called the Goat Boat (based on the goat-powered boat Thor had in the original myths) in order to travel in search of Gorr. So that's what the boat situation is… probably.
It's probably good to remember that while making this movie, director Taika Waititi also played Blackbeard in the HBO series "Our Flag Means Death," so perhaps he had piracy on the brain for the last couple of years.
Is There Really a New Thor?
The main thing we've known about THOR: LOVE AND THUNDER ever since it was first announced is that Natalie Portman's character Jane Foster — who has been mostly absent from the MCU since the first THOR movie — would take up Mjolnir and become some incarnation of Thor. Toy packaging and other materials have mostly revealed the character's look in the last couple of months but now we get to see Jane in armor, with hammer in hand, if only briefly.
Are All of the Guardians of the Galaxy in Thor 4?
Yep! At least, all the Guardians who flew away with Thor at the end of AVENGERS: ENDGAME. While characters like Rocket, Groot and Drax don't get much active screen time in this first trailer, they are certainly there.
Who's In the Thor: Love and Thunder Cast?
It goes without saying that Chris Hemsworth plays Thor… and that Natalie Portman also plays Thor? Specifically, Hemsworth is Thor and Portman plays Mighty Thor, with that "Mighty" modifier seemingly conferred by Mjolnir.
There are also Tessa Thompson as a very bored-looking Valkyrie, who needs some new adventure, and Christian Bale as Gorr the God Butcher. Chris Pratt, Pom Klementieff, Dave Bautista, Karen Gillan, Sean Gunn, Bradley Cooper, and Vin Diesel appear as the Guardians of the Galaxy, while Jaimie Alexander and Jeff Goldblum reprise their roles from previous movies.
Who Directed Thor: Love and Thunder?
Taika Waititi returns as director of the fourth Thor movie. He previously made THOR: RAGNAROK for Marvel Studios, and also directed JOJO RABBIT in the last few years. And once again, Waititi also provides the voice of the character Korg.
Moving Forward After Love and Thunder
There are a couple of big takeaways from LOVE AND THUNDER, but we don't want to get too deep into spoiler territory. It looks like Thor, which is to say the version played by Chris Hemsworth, will be the prime Thunder God going forward.
And then there's a potential rival god to keep in mind, too. Hercules is introduced in LOVE AND THUNDER, and while the Marvel version isn't as well known as Thor, he is a big deal in the Marvel Universe. He's played by Brett Goldstein, who made a huge impact playing the foul-mouthed veteran footie player in "Ted Lasso." With any luck we'll see a lot more of Hercules in the MCU going forward.
THOR: LOVE AND THUNDER is in theatres now.
All images courtesy of Marvel Studios.