Marvel surprised us when they dropped the long-awaited trailer for Thor: Love and Thunder on April 18, 2022. We got hit with first looks at Natalie Portman’s the Mighty Thor, as well as Russell Crowe’s Zeus, and what appears to be another truly wild Thor movie from director Taika Waititi. The trailer also teased Thor’s team-up with the Guardians of the Galaxy and Thor’s journey of self-discovery. And there was a mysterious blue-haired lady kissing Thor on a ship and snippets of Korg’s (Waititi) and Valkyrie’s (Tessa Thompson) returns.
All of these things, by themselves, were pretty exciting. However, all together, they were a little bit overwhelming. The trailer alone couldn’t fully encompass all of the pieces that ultimately came together in Thor: Love and Thunder once we actually saw it in theaters. Hence, viewers might not have had a strong grasp on the plot until the film’s further teasers and eventual release.
Thor: Love and Thunder premiered on July 8, 2022. Prior to the trailer, it was already confirmed that Portman would be returning for Thor 4, after portraying Jane Foster in Thor (2011) and Thor: The Dark World (2013). Additionally, the team-up with the Guardians of the Galaxy was also confirmed at the end of Avengers: Endgame when Thor appointed Valkyrie as the new ruler of Asgard, while he joined the Guardians. Now, here is how all these pieces fit together in Thor 4′s plot.
What is Thor: Love and Thunder about?
Alongside Thor 4‘s official teaser trailer and new poster, Marvel dropped a synopsis for the film. As the trailer showed, Thor is attempting to retire from the superhero business. However, Gorr the God Butcher (Christian Bale) makes his live-action debut to pull Thor out of retirement. This supervillain is on a crusade to wipe out all of the gods across the cosmos. Luckily, across the course of his three previous films, Thor came across numerous helpful allies who now join him to stop Gorr. Read the new official synopsis below:
A new trailer and poster are now available for Marvel Studios’ “Thor: Love and Thunder,” offering long-awaited clues to what’s in store for the God of Thunder.
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.
Directed by Waititi (“Thor: Ragnarok,” “Jojo Rabbit”) and produced by Kevin Feige and Brad Winderbaum, “Thor: Love and Thunder” opens in theaters July 8, 2022.
Thor: Love and Thunder plot explained
Thor: Love and Thunder’s initial trailer didn’t give us a look at Bale’s Gorr, but he proved to be a large part of the film. The film centers around Gorr, who embarks on a bitter vendetta against the gods after losing his daughter, and then finding the uncaring god he worships, only to be belittled and nearly “sacrificed.” Chosen by the Necrosword and able to create shadow constructs, Gorr sets off on a mission to cleanse the universe of all gods.
When Gorr comes to Thor’s attention, he departs from the Guardians of the Galaxy, with whom he had been journeying, and heads to New Asgard to face him. There, he is reunited with Korg and King Valkyrie. He is also reunited with his ex-girlfriend, Foster, who is now the Mighty Thor and wields Mjolnir. Similar to the comic books, Thor: Love and Thunder also explores Foster’s cancer diagnosis and how it leads to Mjolnir calling to her and empowering her as Mighty Thor.
While Thor, Mighty Thor, Korg, and Valkyrie join forces, it isn’t enough against Gorr’s powers. Hence, they set out to Olympus in hopes of enlisting help from Zeus (Russell Crowe). Meanwhile, Gorr seeks a means, besides the Necrosword, to attack the gods and hatches a plan in which he can wipe them all out in one swift blow, if Thor and his team can’t stop him first.
Thor: Love and Thunder marks Thor’s 4th cinematic adventure. This film saw him reunite with old and new allies and face off against one of the biggest villains yet. Thor 4 wraps up some loose ends in the Thor film series, particularly Thor and Foster’s story arc. Additionally, it reveals what Thor’s future in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) will be.
(featured image: Marvel Entertainment)
