Considering how successful 2017’s Thor: Ragnarok was, it’s hardly surprising that Marvel decided to bring back Taika Waititi to not only direct Thor: Love and Thunder, but also write it. We’re still a ways off from learning what’s specifically in store for the God of Thunder’s fourth solo outing, but for those of you who enjoyed the adventure aspect of Ragnarok, you’ll be getting more of that in Love and Thunder. According to Waititi:
The next Thor film I’m doing, basically, we’re sort of launching ourselves again on this adventure film, really. That was the thing really that I loved about doing Ragnarok, it felt like we were just putting Thor on a really cool adventure. There’s always like new things to see and do, and this one, I think we’re gonna double down a lot on that and have it bigger, bolder and brighter. There’s just gonna be some really crazy stuff in the film.
Now granted, you’re guaranteed an adventure with any superhero movie, but Thor: Ragnarok kicked that aspect up a few levels by having the Asgardian hero visiting numerous locations around the Marvel Cinematic Universe cosmos, including Asgard and Sakaar. So Taika Waititi telling Entertainment Weekly that the adventure Thor will embark on in Love and Thunder is even grander and crazier than what unfolded in Ragnarok is a bold claim, but one that’ll surely get fans of the third movie even more excited for the next installment.
When we left off with Thor at the end of Avengers: Endgame, he’d named Valkyrie as the new ruler of New Asgard and departed Earth with the Guardians of the Galaxy. If Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 had come out in 2020 as was previously expected, maybe Thor would have tagged along with them, but since Thor: Love and Thunder will arrive beforehand, presumably that means he’s left their company behind by the time the movie starts (although there could still be a way for the Guardians to cameo).
With the cosmic corners of the MCU continually growing, it’s hard to predict where Thor will travel to in Thor: Love and Thunder, although we can logically rule out Asgard since that was destroyed at the end of Ragnarok. It’d be especially interesting if this ends up being the first Thor movie that doesn’t spend any time on Earth. The Odinson has already spent so much time there, and while other heroes operate nicely on this planet, Thor’s place is out in the stars.
There’s still no word on who Thor: Love and Thunder’s villain will be, but luckily, the central protagonist won’t be without allies. Along with Taika Waititi and Tessa Thompson reprising Korg and Valkyrie, respectively, the movie will also feature the return of Natalie Portman’s Jane Foster, who hasn’t been seen since Thor: The Dark World (although repurposed footage of her was used for Avengers: Endgame). For this outing, Jane will follow in her comic book counterpart’s footsteps and also inherit the power of Thor.
How this will be accomplished hasn’t been officially revealed yet, although it’s been rumored that the alternate timeline Loki we met in Avengers: Endgame and is starring in his own Disney+ series will somehow make his way to the main MCU reality with his timeline’s Mjolnir, which Jane could obtain. Throwing alternate timelines into an already cosmically insane adventure would certainly qualify as going bigger, bolder and perhaps even brighter.
Thor: Love and Thunder will begin filming next summer and storms into theaters on November 5, 2021, so keep checking back with CinemaBlend for more coverage. Don’t forget to also look through our Marvel movies guide to learn what else is coming out in Phases 4 and 5.
