The much anticipated “Thor: Love and Thunder” finally wrapped this month. There is a long wait until its release, but fans certainly have a lot to look forward to.
While the series has not always been Marvel’s most popular, the New Zealand native, Taika Waititi, breathed new life into its third installment as director. Fans are hoping he will be able to do the same in “Thor: Love and Thunder.” Here are five reasons to be excited for the film.
The Cast
“Thor: Love and Thunder” has debatably the most impressive cast in a Marvel film outside of “The Avengers” series. Chris Pratt, Natalie Portman, and Tessa Thompson will be reprising their roles from previous Marvel films. Russell Crowe is reportedly playing Zeus, in the spirit of the films title, and Christian Bale is confirmed to be the main antagonist, “Gorr the God Butcher.”
Natalie Portman’s Return to Asgard
Since “Thor: Love and Thunder” was announced at Comic-Con a couple years ago, Waititi has made it pretty clear that Portman will be back in the fourth entry of the franchise in a big way. She is reportedly going to be taking over the mantle of Thor and wielding his mighty hammer. While it is unclear how exactly this will unfold, there are several iterations of it happening in the comics which the film will likely pull from.
Taika Waititi’s Bold Promises
Director Taika Waititi has made several ambitious claims in recent interviews regarding the film. He said the film was so crazy, it seemed like it, “shouldn’t be made.” He went on to explain that, “It’s crazier…There’ll be far more emotion in this film. And a lot more love. And a lot more thunder.” This is certainly big talk for a director who is far from completing the film, but his confidence speaks volumes.
The Guardians of the Galaxy
The ending of “Avengers: Endgame” left Thor somewhat stranded with the Guardians of the Galaxy. Given that this film will be released over a year before the next Guardians sequel, it is assumed that it may have to pick up where Thor was last seen onscreen. Chris Pratt is confirmed to return, which means the the Guardians are sure to appear in some capacity. Peter Quill’s need to be a leader made him a comedic adversary to Thor and his literal God complex when they were last seen together.
The Hype
Like any great blockbuster, there is already plenty of buzz surrounding the film. As of now, all we have are a few behind the scenes photos from the shoot. However, in the coming months, there is sure to be countless new photos and trailers to excite Marvel fans.
Chris Hemsworth posted one of the latest photos from the set to nearly fifty million followers. It hides the typically-colorful set in a black and white filter. Writer/Director/Actor Taika Waititi stands to his left in the bizarre motion capture suit that he is using to reprise his role as Korg. On the right, Hemsworth stands in a strange graphic t-shirt — perhaps displaying some Asgardian symbols. Another interesting element of the photograph is that Hemsworth’s arms seem even more hulking than usual.
Hemsworth’s post touted the upcoming film’s “crazy” humor, something that fans are likely looking forward to after “Thor: Ragnarok.” The film is set to be released on February 11th, 2022.
