This piece contains some MAJOR SPOILERS for Thor: Love and Thunder, so please exercise caution if you have yet to watch the movie for yourself.
Like a lot of people, I have seen Thor: Love and Thunder on the big screen, and like a lot of people, I have a few questions about the latest addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. This is not to say I didn’t like it; I actually enjoyed the movie and all its epic scenes and hilarious situations as much as the next guy. It’s just that I have some questions about some things that happened before we got to the Thor: Love and Thunder ending, as well as what some of the big reveals and consequential moments mean for upcoming Marvel movies.
All that being said, come with me as I try to make sense of some of the biggest questions surrounding Thor: Love and Thunder, a massive box office juggernaut. And no, none of them have to do with why Thor was the first O.G. Avenger to get a fourth solo movie…
Who Built The Case For Mjølnir If Only Thor, Steve Rogers And Jane Foster Can Wield The Hammer?
The Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) arc throughout Thor: Love and Thunder is one of most fulfilling of the movie, but it is not without some major questions. And while I could go on and on about the smaller details of the story, the one part that continues to leave me perplexed is how did Mjølnir get placed in its case in New Asgard?
In the past, only Thor (Chris Hemsworth) and Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) have been able to wield the mythical hammer as well as Foster later on. And since Thor left with the Guardians of the Galaxy and Rogers didn’t immediately come back after returning the Infinity Stones in the final moments of Avengers: Endgame, who was worthy enough to pick up the shattered pieces and place them in that case? Maybe Thor had a list of chores to finish before he could fly off into the heavens that included building a case for Mjølnir, or maybe the broken pieces don’t carry the same weight as the full hammer? Or is there someone else worthy enough to carry that weight?
Where Were The Guardians Of The Galaxy Going Following Thor’s Departure?
I know, I know, we’re going to be picking back up with the Guardians of the Galaxy their Holiday Special this December, and then for Vol. 3 in May 2023. Still, not a lot is known about the next adventures for the outfit besides the seemingly ever-growing cast of characters (both new and returning) in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. While watching Thor: Love and Thunder, which features the Guardians quite heavily in the opening minutes, I started to think about what’s next for close-knit group moving forward, and where were they going once Thor left to help Sif (Jaimie Alexander).
This is one thing I have spent way too much time thinking about as I fall deeper down this rabbit-hole of questions. Will the events of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 pick up immediately after the events of Thor: Love and Thunder, or will James Gunn’s return to the MCU take place long after the Asgardians of the Galaxy ended their run? I’m stoked to see the movie either way, even if it is the end of the franchise, as Gunn told Deadline’s Hero Nation podcast in January 2022.
When And How Did New Asgard Become A Major Tourist Attraction?
The last time New Asgard was shown in Avengers: Endgame, the Asgardians' new home was a small Norwegian village. However, New Asgard is anything but small in Thor: Love and Thunder, and instead is a popular tourist attraction with rides, exhibits and a gift shop full of merchandise. But the question remains: when and how did this transformation take place?
Maybe it also has something to do with supporting Thor’s drinking habits in the five years following The Blip and the defeat of Thanos. Was this the result of the “political turmoil in New Asgard” teaser in Spider-Man: No Way Home? I don’t remember it being explicitly stated how this transformation came to be or how New Asgard became the MCU’s version of Disney World.
Are Zeus And Hercules Going To Be Major Villains In The MCU Moving Forward?
During the first of two Thor: Love and Thunder end credits sequences, an injured and pissed off Zeus (Russell Crowe) vows revenge against the God of Thunder for trying to kill him, while also announcing his plan to make the world pay for turning to superheroes instead of gods. At the receiving end of this little monologue is his son Hercules, played by none other than Brett Goldstein, aka Ted Lasso’s Roy Kent.
Does this mean that Zeus and Hercules are going to be part of the bigger picture in the Marvel Cinematic Universe going forward? Both characters have extensive histories on the pages of Marvel Comics, and they have abilities similar to those of Thor. I guess the bigger question should be about the MCU’s version of Hercules and if he’ll have as foul of a mouth and bad of a temper as the actor’s most famous character.
Will We Be Seeing More Of Valhalla?
Oftentimes the second end credits sequence in MCU movies is typically some kind of joke, whether it’s something like Captain America talking about the virtues of patience or Bruce Campbell’s pizza-popper vender being freed from his spell. However, that isn’t the case in Thor: Love and Thunder, which sees Jane Foster being welcomed to Valhalla by Heimdall (Idris Elba). This got me wondering if this is the first and last we’ll see of the Asgardian afterlife, or if we’ll be going back at some point in the future.
I mean, it wouldn’t be all that surprising if this was just a send-off for the Mighty Thor and Natalie Portman’s role in the MCU, but maybe the realm will serve some kind of purpose in Thor 5 whenever that comes out. Or Marvel could just give the world a Disney+ series that’s essentially The Good Place, but with Odin (Anthony Hopkins) at the helm.
Which Thor Is Returning To The MCU?
Not only will Thor be the first Marvel superhero to get a fourth solo movie, it also appears the God of Thunder has a fifth movie in the works. At the very end of Thor: Love and Thunder, a title card appears on the screen saying “Thor Will Return.” I know I should be asking “when will Thor return?” but all I can think about is “which Thor will return?” for the next adventure.
Prior to the release of Thor: Love and Thunder, Chris Hemsworth said he might be done with the “wild and fun and wacky experience” of the Marvel movies, but you never really know when it comes to the actors appearing in the MCU. If Hemsworth does bow out after his fourth Thor movie then would that mean Natalie Portman’s Mighty Thor is able to escape Valhalla and return to the living once more? Will there be a new Thor?
These are just some of the questions that have been floating around my head since I first watched Thor: Love and Thunder. And who knows, maybe I’ll think of something else when I’m eventually able to watch it again with my Disney+ subscription, whenever that may be.
