Chris Hemsworth’s Thor stands amidst the ruins of a familiar MCU setting in a new shot from Thor: Love and Thunder. In the fourth Thor film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Hemsworth will reprise his role as the God of Thunder. Taika Waititi, who directed Thor: Ragnarok, will return to film this highly anticipated sequel, which will also see Natalie Portman reprise her role as Jane Foster, but this time as The Mighty Thor. Following the events of Avengers: Endgame, which saw Thor decide to accompany them on their galactic journey, Tessa Thompson will reprise her role as Valkyrie, as will the Guardians of the Galaxy.
The fearsome Gorr the God Butcher, a major hitter in the comics who is going to be brought to the big screen by Christian Bale, will be introduced to moviegoers in Love and Thunder. While the new Love and Thunder video chose to keep Gorr under wraps for the time being, the teaser did show some of the potential consequences of his demise. Following the recent release of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Marvel has now focused all of their advertising efforts on this upcoming film, and despite the fact that it will hit theatres in just over two months, nothing is known about how the events of Love and Thunder will occur.
The Ancient Thor vs Gorr battle theory is supported by the Love & Thunder trailer.
Now, an exclusive new still from Love and Thunder provides fans a closer look at Hemsworth’s return as Thor carrying Stormbreaker, his formidable weapon. The image, which was revealed as part of EW’s summer preview, shows Thor in his full battle costume standing in the midst of disaster, with a burning building in the background. The crumbling metropolis around him appears to be New Asgard, which has been assaulted in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Take a look at the image below.
Thor’s decision to join the Guardians of the Galaxy at the end of Avengers: Endgame meant that New Asgard needed a new leader. Valkyrie was chosen by Hemsworth’s hero for the role, and she became the new “King of Asgard.” The status of the city has been unknown since the end of the Infinity Saga, yet the first Love & Thunder teaser suggested Valkyrie’s return, with the hero sitting at the top of a table full of Asgardian bureaucrats. Given the mystery surrounding Love & Thunder’s plot, it’s unclear how New Asgard came to be in the awful state represented in this new image, but it’s very likely the result of Gorr’s God-destroying expedition being attacked.
As the theatrical release of Love and Thunder approaches, fans are eager for more official content to be published in the following weeks. This interesting new look of Thor appears to show another angle of a scene that revealed Portman’s return as Mighty Thor, in addition to providing another sight at New Asgard. In classic Marvel fashion, the image doesn’t reveal much about the scene’s context, but possibly Jane Foster has arrived to assist the New Asgardians in their defence against this attack. Thor: Love and Thunder opens in theatres on July 8, so fans won’t have to wait long to find out.