Thor: Love & Thunder is being teased as a crazy and wild adventure for the God of Thunder and company, and while some worry it might go “too far”, that’s exactly what the Marvel Cinematic Universe needs right now. The MCU has been bringing characters from Marvel Comics to the big screen for over a decade, and a big part of its success relies on its very specific formula. However, the MCU is in need of a change, and its current Phase 4 has the perfect opportunities to do so, and one of those is Taika Waititi’s Thor: Love & Thunder.

The God of Thunder made his MCU debut in 2011 in Kenneth Branagh’s Thor, introducing Chris Hemsworth as the title hero, and he has since appeared in a total of seven movies – three solo adventures and four with the original Avengers team. Thor’s history in the MCU has been rough, as his second solo movie, Thor: The Dark World, is widely considered the worst MCU movie, but when Taika Waititi took over in Thor: Ragnarok, his future in the franchise changed for the better. Ragnarok was a major shift in tone and style for Thor and the MCU, seizing Hemsworth’s comedic talents and adding a lot of humor to the God of Thunder, allowing him to stay for one more solo adventure.

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Thor’s fourth “solo” movie, Thor: Love & Thunder, is reuniting Hemsworth with Waititi and bringing back characters that will have a much bigger role in the future of the MCU, as is the case of Jane Foster (Natalie Portman), who is set to take the mantle of The Mighty Thor. Thor: Love & Thunder will also introduce Gorr the God Butcher (Christian Bale) and will bring the Guardians of the Galaxy back after Thor was seen leaving with them at the end of Avengers: Endgame. All these details already point at Thor 4 taking a completely new direction in comparison to its predecessors, and according to Andy Park, Director of Visual Development for Marvel, the movie is so different he wondered if they were “going too far” as it’s “crazy wild”, but that’s what the MCU needs right now.

With three phases now over, the MCU continues following the same formula that made it so successful in the first place, but it’s also risking becoming tedious and predictable, which fans and critics have already pointed out multiple times. Park mentioned that Waititi “shook up the whole franchise” with Thor: Love & Thunder, meaning that it will offer something different and exciting, even more than what Thor: Ragnarok brought. The MCU has been criticized for not being too open to new styles and different types of humor, but after the success of Thor: Ragnarok, it seems to be more welcoming of changes to the formula. Thanks to what Waititi did with Thor, having him as the lead of a movie that is “going too far” and is wild and crazy seems fitting – plus, with big personalities like Gorr and Jane’s transformation into the Mighty Thor, it makes sense that Thor 4 is taking a different, wilder route from what the MCU is used to.

Expectations are high when it comes to Thor: Love & Thunder and with good reason, as it’s to be seen what will happen with Jane Foster, Gorr’s role and purpose, the Guardians of the Galaxy’s dynamics with the rest of the characters, how Thor got Mjolnir back, and what the God of Thunder’s MCU future will be like after this – add Waititi’s vision and the teased wildness of the movie and Thor: Love & Thunder has the potential of changing the MCU for the better.

Key Release Dates
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  • Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)Release date: Dec 17, 2021
  • Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022)Release date: May 06, 2022
  • Thor: Love and Thunder (2022)Release date: Jul 08, 2022
  • Black Panther: Wakanda Forever/Black Panther 2 (2022)Release date: Nov 11, 2022
  • The Marvels/Captain Marvel 2 (2023)Release date: Feb 17, 2023
  • Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023)Release date: Jul 28, 2023
  • Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023)Release date: May 05, 2023
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About The Author


Adrienne Tyler
(3303 Articles Published)

Adrienne Tyler is a features writer for Screen Rant. She is an Audiovisual Communication graduate who wanted to be a filmmaker, but life had other plans (and it turned out great). Prior to Screen Rant, she wrote for Pop Wrapped, 4 Your Excitement (4YE), and D20Crit, where she was also a regular guest at Netfreaks podcast. She was also a contributor for FanSided’s BamSmackPow and 1428 Elm. Adrienne is very into films and she enjoys a bit of everything: from superhero films to heartbreaking dramas, to low-budget horror films. Every time she manages to commit to a TV show without getting bored, an angel gets its wings.

When she’s not writing, you can find her trying to learn a new language, watching hockey (go Avs!), or wondering what life would have been like had Pushing Daisies, Firefly, and Limitless not been cancelled. Breakfast food is life and coffee is what makes the world go round.

Guillermo del Toro said “hi” to her once. It was great.

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