The trailer for “Thor: Love and Thunder” was released on April 18, and boy does it make an impression. We’re going to jump straight into some analysis, so if you haven’t seen the trailer yet and would like to, you can view it on YouTube here.
The internet has been raving about one thing since the trailer has dropped, and no it’s not Valkerie in a suit (though that is an honorable mention); it is Jane Foster wielding the mighty Mjolnir in rather comic-accurate Thor armor. If you recall, in the film’s precursor “Thor: Ragnarok,” Hela crushes the quintessential hammer. What Jane wields in the trailer is a pieced-together Mjolnir with evident cracks and damage. This proves a major MCU theme: she is worthy. She is somehow powerful enough to bring together all the pieces of Mjolnir, something Thor Odinson himself didn’t try to — and possibly could not — do. For a bit of comic background, this is not the first time Jane has held the mantle of Thor. In the “Thor” comics “Goddess of Thunder” and “Who Holds the Hammer?,” we see her wielding the hammer and performing Thor duties. As with most hero names, Thor is a mantel, and it can be used by anyone who is worthy and takes on the responsibilities.
Let’s move back to the beginning of the trailer. Thor seems to be putting down his role as ‘God of Thunder,’ the Avenger and King of Asgard. It looks like he is choosing to find himself outside of the role he has played for so long, and evidently, that also means getting back into shape and obtaining a shiny new suit. For those who are worried that this film looks like an end to Chris Hemsworth in the MCU, it is not! The actor signed a contract for three more movies, commencing after “Love and Thunder,” so rest assured there is still more in store for him.
One of my personal favorite theories I have heard for this trailer is that when Thor plants his ax “Stormbreaker” in the ground, he is actually replanting Yggdrasil (the world tree that connects the nine realms in Norse mythology), since the original burned with Asgard in “Ragnarok.” Remember, the hilt of Thor’s ax was originally Groot’s arm, and we’ve seen Groot grow back his limbs before. Could our favorite tree be the start of something as powerful as Yggdrasil? We shall see.
This trailer did not show us the main villain of the film, Gorr the God Butcher, played by Christian Bale. This could be for a number of reasons: they haven’t finished his reshoots (no information has been provided as to why they are reshooting), the special effects for Gorr’s appearance aren’t complete, the character relies on mechanics that will be introduced in “Multiverse of Madness,” etc. Many people may not know who Gorr is, so let’s jump into a quick explanation!
Gorr the God Butcher has a backstory filled with death, as many villains do. He was taught to put his trust in the Gods but they never answered his prayers. His wife and children died and he blamed the Gods for doing nothing to save them. To shorten a long story, Gorr ended up bonding with a Symbiote called “All-Black,” who most frequently takes the form of a sword, and who previously belonged to a dark elder God called Krull. Gorr swore vengeance on all the Gods after his family’s deaths, vowing to kill every God no matter their pantheon, hence the title “God Butcher.”
With that new knowledge of Gorr, it makes sense that we see Mount Olympus and Zeus in the trailer. It’s quite possible that the Olympians will be Gorr’s first victim, despite having no actual connection to his backstory and grievances. They are Gods; that is enough grounds for him. Part of the reason this trailer may have taken so long to release is that Marvel wanted to wait until we established other pantheons, because for the longest time, the MCU has only depicted Norse Gods. With “Moon Knight,” we were given an Egyptian pantheon in a very natural way, which inadvertently normalized other Gods in the MCU.
“Thor: Love and Thunder” is not the only project Marvel has coming up. I’m sure the first release that jumps to mind is “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” on May 6. It is going to be a world-shattering film, going as far as to add America Chavez into the MCU and potentially opening the door for mutants as well. But we also have the “Ms. Marvel” TV series to look forward to starting on June 8. Ms. Marvel was Marvel’s first Muslim character to star in her own comic, and now she’s getting her own show. She is also joining Captain Marvel and Monica Rambeau in “The Marvels,” an upcoming film releasing in 2023. This year is shaping up to be a big one for our beloved MCU.
