Thor: Love and Thunder is primed to be an exciting, sweet and hilarious installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The Taika Waititi-helmed sequel will see Chris Hemsworth return as the God of Thunder, who must contend with the Voldemort-esque Gorr the God Butcher, as he plans to eradicate all gods. All the while, the Avenger will have to process the fact that his former lover, Jane Foster, can now wield Mjolnir herself. There’s certainly plenty of story to tell, but it’s fair to assume that the film may also have tie-ins to the larger MCU.
If there’s one thing Marvel Studios’ mega-franchise is known for, it’s intricate interconnectivity. The directors and writers are always finding subtle (and sometimes not-so-subtle) ways to reference events that have occured in other movies and TV shows. And in some cases, they even tease what’s to come. Considering the pieces that Love and Thunder has on its board, there are plenty of ways that it can form links to the greater cinematic universe. So let’s not waste any more time and talk out some of the possibilities:
Khonshu And The Events Of The Moon Knight Finale Can Be Referenced
MCU fans have already gotten more than their fair share of gods this year through Moon Knight (streamable with a Disney+ subscription). The Oscar Isaac-headed show not only introduced the Moon God Khonshu but also the Ennead Council, which consisted of the gods’ human avatars. Said avatars were killed by Arthur Harrow with help from Ammit, who then rampaged across Cairo. Because the extinction of gods plays so heavily into Love and Thunder, it would make sense for these events to be mentioned at some point. Thor’s been in space with the Guardians, but it wouldn’t be out of the question for Valkyrie or even the Olympians to be aware of The Battle of Cairo.
Thor: Love And Thunder Can Establish A Connection Between The Olympians, Asgardians And Celestials
Speaking of the Olympians, this will mark their first appearance in the cinematic universe, and they’re just one of the latest ancient races to be introduced into the franchise. Last fall, the Celestials were formally ushered into the MCU via Eternals, and die-hard fans undoubtedly know that the groups have a shared history. In the comics, the Olympians teamed up with the Asgardians to prevent the Third Host, one of several visits the Celestials made to Earth to monitor its evolutionary progress. This could also be a part of MCU lore as well, and it’s possible that Thor or Russell Crowe’s Zeus could bring up such a thing when they meet. All three races have been around for a while, so it would make sense that they crossed paths at some point.
A Darcy Lewis Shoutout Can Shed Light On Her Whereabouts And Future
When Jane Foster returns, she’ll be without her former intern, Darcy Lewis. The witty astrophysicist, played by Kat Dennings, has been busy in other corners of the fictional world, as WandaVision showed us last year. Foster is sure to miss her colleague, and it wouldn’t be surprising if she mentions her at some point during Thor: Love and Thunder. Such a nod could reference Lewis’ adventure with Wanda Maximoff and Vision or even tease what might lie ahead for her. But honestly, any acknowledgement of the sarcastic scientist would be a much-appreciated nod for fans, many of which truly fell in love with her through the Disney+ show.
The Relationship Between The Grandmaster And The Collector Can Be Formally Addressed
One MCU vet who has yet to be officially confirmed for Thor: Love and Thunder at this point is Jeff Goldblum, who famously played The Grandmaster in Ragnarok. The beloved star was spotted alongside the cast in Australia last year but, more recently, he played coy when asked about returning. If he does though, this could be the perfect opportunity for the franchise to officially acknowledge the sibling relationship between his character and Benicio del Toro’s The Collector. It may not seem like a big detail to some, and Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige has confirmed the connection. However, it would be great to have an explicit, on-screen mention of it.
The Presence Of Bast Could Explain More Of The Mythology Introduced In Black Panther
In May, Marvel Studios released a still from Love and Thunder, which highlighted Valkyrie and Jane. The image, however, also featured a glimpse of another intriguing character, Bast, the Wakandan goddess first mentioned in Black Panther. The character remained unseen up until now, but her shadow has loomed large. Though her exact role in the Thor movie is unknown, her presence could shed light on some of the themes touched on in Ryan Coogler’s critically acclaimed film. And maybe, if we’re lucky, it could tease what’s to come in Coogler’s sequel, which is set to hit theaters in November. Only time will tell, but this would definitely be a great world-building opportunity.
Thor: Love And Thunder Could Set Up Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3
At this point, it’s no secret that the Guardians of the Galaxy are set to return in the fourth Thor movie. The God of Thunder left with James Gunn’s lovable bunch of a-holes at the end of Avengers: Endgame and appears to still be with them early on in the movie. Based on what we know, the cosmic heroes aren’t expected to be in the movie that much. That may be disappointing, but the consolation could be that the film will set up their future adventures. The group will next appear in a holiday special later this year before closing out their trilogy with a third big-screen outing next year. It would make all the sense in the world for Love and Thunder to set things up in a post-credits scene or even during a moment in the main movie. Regardless of how it’s done, I’m sure audiences would appreciate it.
There’s certainly a lot to consider when it comes to Thor: Love and Thunder’s links to the MCU. Of course, the points we’ve covered are not sure things, but they do have a fair shot of making the final cut. Let’s hope these Easter eggs and more are present when we finally feast our eyes on the highly anticipated superhero movie.
Thor: Love and Thunder soars into theaters on July 8th Be sure to stay up to date on upcoming Marvel movies and more by checking out CinemaBlend’s schedule of new movie releases.
