Thanks to the massive success of Thor: Ragnarok, Chris Hemsworth is back as the only OG Avenger to get a fourth movie and after months of waiting and an approaching release date, the teaser trailer for Thor: Love and Thunder finally dropped for the highly anticipated sequel.
The trailer opens with Thor contemplating his role in the galaxy as he seemingly has put his warring days behind him as he buries Strombreaker and remarks that he needs to figure out who he is. While the trailer shows off the buff Thor we all know and love, fat Thor will make his return after being hilariously introduced in Avengers: Endgame. Fat Thor also goes hard into a Crossfit routine as he completes exercises with massive chains that are attached to a dead gigantic monster.
Also returning is fan favorite character Korg who appears to be joining Thor on his new journey of self-discovery. Alongside the two (or three as there appears to be a possibly familiar character edited out of the trailer) is the Guardians of the Galaxy as they are continuing their hijinks across the universe. How they factor into the movie remains unclear as of now but what is clear is that Thor and Star-Lord appear to continue their feud that was hinted at the end of Endgame. There is also the awkward stare that the two share as Star-Lord remarks that Thor just needs to look at the people he loves. If this statement is in regards to Thor’s love of Star-Lord, it’s unknown. What is known that there are shots of Thor sharing a kiss with a new love interest, a character that can be assumed to be Zeus, King Valkyrie attending a meeting in New Asgard and Thor along with Korg looking at the body of a gigantic beast.
The trailer closes with a long shot of the return of Thor’s ex-girlfriend, Jane Foster. While Natalie Portman was absent from Ragnarok, she was announced to be returning to the series in 2019 after writer/director Taika Waititi reached out to her and showed her the script. In Love and Thunder, Foster dons The Mighty Thor outfit while wielding a repaired Mjolnir. It is unknown exactly how Jane has come to wear the Thor outfit and gain powers; it’s possible that this is a variant of Thor but another possibility is that if Thor goes missing/cannot be found, then a new Thor is selected and the hammer is magically repaired. Regardless of what the answer is, it is great to see Natalie Portman back alongside Thor.
What is noticeably absent from the trailer is the presence of Christian Bale’s character, Gorr the God Butcher. Including the main villain in the trailer may have possibly thrown the fun action-comedy vibe but what this character’s motives are or what he’s up to isn’t pinned down just yet. While there is one shot of King Valkyrie, we don’t see any more but as the film’s title implies, it could be Thor has a bevy of life partners to select as Jaimie Alexander’s character of Lady Sif also isn’t present in the trailer.
Thor: Love and Thunder will premiere in theaters on July 8, 2022
