Anticipation is at a fever pitch for Thor 4, even though we still have quite a long while to go before it hits theaters. But if you thought Chris Hemsworth stretched his comedic chops in Thor: Ragnarok, the actor is apparently even funnier in Thor: Love and Thunder. This according to Karen Gillan, who reprises her role as Nebula in the Thor sequel along with the rest of the Guardians of the Galaxy.
When we last saw these characters at the end of Avengers: Endgame, Thor was hitching a ride with the Guardians to parts unknown as they set off into outer space having finally defeated Thanos. The Guardians are certainly appearing in Thor: Love and Thunder in some capacity, but are likely relegated to the first act as Love and Thunder sets Hemsworth’s character off on a new journey that finds him crossing paths once again with Natalie Portman’s Jane Foster, who picks up the Thor mantle in a nod to a popular comics arc.
Collider’s own Steve Weintraub spoke with Gillan recently during the press day for her new film Gunpowder Milkshake, and in describing her reaction to first reading the script by Taika Waititi (who also returns to direct), she revealed that Thor: Love and Thunder pushes the comedy even further:
“My reaction reading the script was excitement. It was like this is gonna be a hell of a ride. It’s Taika at his best and his most Taika. The Guardians in it I think are just hilarious, and also Thor is even more hilarious than he was the last time.”
Thor: Ragnarok was a turning point for the Thor character, as Hemsworth and Waititi worked together to reinvent the God of Thunder a bit and portray him in a more comedic light. That continued in the Avengers sequels, and everything we’ve heard about Love and Thunder is that Taika is taking what he did on Thor: Ragnarok and just pushing the tone even further. Indeed, Waititi – whose credits range from Hunt for the Wilderpeople to the Oscar-winning Jojo Rabbit – recently called Thor: Love and Thunder “the craziest film I’ve ever done.”
Post-production is underway after wrapping filming in Australia earlier this year, and the film – which also stars Tessa Thompson, Christian Bale, and Russell Crowe – is now barreling towards its May 6, 2022 release date. We can’t wait.