As of late, it seems that the production of Thor: Love and Thunder has been rather slippery when it comes to the subject of surprise celebrity cameos. Recently, Matt Damon’s supposed reprisal of his role from Thor: Ragnarok has been a subject of intense scrutiny and speculation, and now a new cameo for director Taika Waititi’s next MCU entry may have been revealed. Looks like Melissa McCarthy may have gotten that Thor: Love and Thunder role she’s been lobbying for after all.
That news is less mysterious than you’d think, thanks to photos obtained by The Daily Mail, which hints at an interesting concept that might also be returning in Thor: Love and Thunder. Spotted playing “Fake Hela” on the set, Melissa McCarthy’s appearance seems to hint that Asgardian theater is alive and well in Taika Waititi’s second Thor movie. Putting together Matt Damon’s now confirmed return, along with Sam Neill’s reteaming with Waititi, the puzzle seems to be falling into place that we’ll see another dramatization of Marvel cinematic history.
Expanding on that point, it wouldn’t be all that surprising if Thor: Love and Thunder might be using Melissa McCarthy, and potentially Ben Falcone, as players in a prologue sequence that’ll recount Thor’s adventures from Thor: Ragnarok straight through to Avengers: Endgame. So rather than using this bit merely to repeat the joke from the previous film, this stage play would serve as a usefully hilarious recap for audiences heading into Thor: Love and Thunder. Though another possibility comes to mind, considering some of Thor’s new friends that are supposed to be part of the action as well.
As the Guardians of the Galaxy team is also part of Thor: Love and Thunder, their apparently short appearance in the fourth Thor film might be part of why this gag has come to pass yet again. What better way to catch the Guardians up on Thor’s past history than with a newly expanded and corrected version of “The Tragedy of Loki of Asgard?” Should this scenario be true, we can only hope that Melissa McCarthy’s Asgardian actor gets to mix it up with Rocket Raccoon; because how could you not?
While the secret’s out when it comes to this particular scene of Thor: Love and Thunder, there’s still plenty of secrets and questions that are in the air after learning the news. Is Asgardian theater the only pastime that convinces Loki to stay on his home planet? Could this, instead, be a way for Natalie Portman’s Jane Foster to catch up with Thor franchise history? What’s the Asgardian equivalent of musical theater, and how does it compare to Cats? Thor: Love and Thunder will reveal all on May 22, 2022; but of course, there will be plenty of breadcrumbs dropping between then and now to tease the audience about that ultimate truth.
