“Thor: Love and Thunder” is the next release in the MCU, set to release on July 8th. While the first two Thor movies are among the franchises least critically acclaimed films, director Taika Watiti took the character in a new direction with 2017’s Thor: Ragnarok, resulting in one of the most beloved MCU movies. Watiti is taking the helm once again as the director of Love and Thunder, so it is not unreasonable to assume that the film will continue in the style of the Ragnarok, focusing more on humor and taking itself less seriously than previous entries. 

One new aspect of the Thor comics being explored in Love and Thunder is Jane Foster’s Thor. Jane Foster originally appeared as Thor’s love interest in the first two films, but did not appear in Ragnarok. However, in the Marvel comics, Foster plays a much more important role. In 2014’s “Thor: God of Thunder #25” Thor lost his ability to wield his hammer mjolnir, and the hammer is left on the moon, where it calls out to Foster, who eventually wields it and takes the mantle of Thor. A sneak peek at Jane Foster as Thor can be seen in Love and Thunder’s trailer, but it is unknown how closely, if at all, the film will follow the comic origins.  

One aspect of the Thor movies that in the past has been notoriously underwhelming is villains. Thor: The Dark World’s antagonist Malekith is often ranked as one of, if not the worst villain in the MCU’s 28 film run. However things are looking better for Love and Thunder with the intriguing character of Gorr The God Butcher. Gorr originated from a planet ridden with disease and famine, and watched his family succumb to hunger and illness. He prayed to the gods for a prosperous planet to no avail. Gorr was exiled when he expressed disbelief at the existence of gods, believing that if they existed, his prayers would have been answered. He holds on to this idea until one day, while wandering the planet, he finds two gods in battle. When one of the dark gods crashes to the ground, he calls out to Gorr for help, who upon the realization that gods did exist, was enraged at him for asking for his help. Then, the dark gods sword turned into a living dark mass and bonded to Gorr, granting him weapon “All-Black the Necrosword”, where he then killed both gods and vowed vengeance to all gods for not saving his people. This character has much potential and could be one of the MCU’s greatest villains to date.