Thor is doing something not even Iron Man and Steve Rogers have accomplished - getting a fourth movie. We last saw Thor save the universe from destruction in Avengers: Endgame and later blasting off into space with the Guardians of the Galaxy. His next film, Thor: Love and Thunder, is the latest installment in the Thor franchise and will feature a host of Marvel characters, old and new. But how much do we know about Thor 4? Well, let’s find out!

Editor's Note: This piece was updated on May 25, to add the latest trailer.

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Is There a Trailer for Thor: Love and Thunder?

Marvel Studios unveiled the long-awaited first trailer for Thor: Love and Thunder on April 18, 2022. With only 81 days until Taika Waititi's colorful blockbuster hits theaters, the first trailer now holds the record in the MCU for the shortest gap in time between the release of the first trailer and the film's actual release date, beating out The Incredible Hulk, which had a 93-day gap. While this may raise some eye-brows, it may because Marvel Studios already has their hands full at the moment in the marketing department with Moon Knight currently airing and the forthcoming releases of both Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and Ms. Marvel.

A second trailer for the superhero sequel debuted on May 23, 2022, giving fans their best look yet at the film's plot, the dynamic shared between Thor, Jane, Valkyrie, and Korg as well as the first official look at Christian Bale as the menacing and frightening Gorr the God Butcher and a full look at Russell Crowe as Zeus, after getting a brief glimpse in the first trailer.

When Is Thor: Love and Thunder’s Release Date?

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Image via Marvel

During the project’s announcement at San-Diego Comic-Con in 2019, the film was slated for release on November 5th, 2021. Of course, the pandemic caused Marvel to shift its entire schedule, so the current Thor 4 release date is now July 8, 2022. It was previously set for May, but Disney decided to push all their Marvel movies back, so the May date is now held by Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, and we'll get Thor: Love and Thunder a couple of months later.

Who Is (and Is Not) in Thor: Love and Thunder?

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Image via Disney

Russell Crowe is set to make his MCU debut as the god Zeus! Crowe’s character would mark the first appearance of Greek mythology in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. We also know that Christian Bale is playing the film’s villain, Gorr The God Butcher. A character who, like his name implies, is on a mission to fight the gods. Will Thor, Zeus, and other gods have to team up to stop Gorr? We’ll just have to wait and see. This isn't even Crowe's only forthcoming Marvel role as he'll also be playing an entirely different character in Sony's Kraven the Hunter.

We also learned that Tom Hiddleston would not be returning as Loki. The character was killed off in Avengers: Infinity War by the Mad Titan Thanos. So while Hiddleston is playing a different version of Loki in his own Disney+ series, he’ll likely never cross paths with this version of Thor again, which is a little disappointing. But if Hiddleston isn’t returning, who is?

Who Is Returning for Thor 4?

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Image via Disney

The Thor 4 cast is stacked with tons of talented actors. We, of course, have Chris Hemsworth returning as Thor Odinson and Tessa Thompson (Valkyrie) and Taika Waititi (Korg) reprising their roles from Thor: Ragnarok. Jaime Alexander (Lady Sif) and Chris Pratt (Star-Lord) are also returning to the film. Karen Gillan (Nebula) and Dave Bautista (Drax) will also be appearing in the film as the rest of Guardians of the Galaxy making appearances. It makes sense, considering Thor is with them at the end of Avengers: Endgame, but it has not been confirmed.

Matt Damon will be making an appearance in this film as well. He had a brief cameo in Thor: Ragnarok where he played an Asgardian actor portraying Loki in a stageplay. As of now, we don’t know if he is reprising the same role or playing a different character entirely.

Lastly, we have Natalie Portman making her return to the MCU. She hasn’t been featured in the MCU since Thor: The Dark World, and this time she is wielding Mjolnir. Director Taika Waititi confirmed that Portman would become the Mighty Thor in the upcoming film. How is this possible, and what does it mean for the film’s story?

RELATED: How the MCU Was Made: ‘Thor: Ragnarok’ and How Marvel Rebooted Its Own Franchise

What Is the Plot of Thor: Love and Thunder?

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Image via Disney

Thor 4 will pick up where we last saw our favorite Asgardian. He’s traveling the cosmos with the Guardians of the Galaxy and left Valkyrie as the King of Asgard. We don’t know much about the actual story of Thor: Love and Thunder, but we know that Natalie Portman is returning to the franchise as the Mighty Thor. In the comics, Jane Foster is battling cancer while also being a superhero with the help of Thor’s hammer, Mjolnir.

Portman has confirmed that the film will tackle this storyline in the movie and that she will indeed receive the power of the gods. Like most Marvel films, this likely won’t be a direct adaptation but will definitely draw inspiration from Jason Aaron’s comic book run on Thor.

Waititi said during Comic-Con: “When we were shooting Ragnarok, I was reading one storyline by Jason Aaron, The Mighty Thor… And for those of you who know that storyline, it's incredible, it's full of emotion, love, and thunder, and it introduces, for the first time, female Thor. So, for us, there's only one person who could play that role. Only one.”

Alongside the film's first trailer, Marvel Studios released the official synopsis for the fourth entry in the Thor series:

The film finds Thor (Chris Hemsworth) on a journey unlike anything he’s ever faced – a quest for inner peace. But his retirement is interrupted by a galactic killer known as Gorr the God Butcher (Christian Bale), who seeks the extinction of the gods. To combat the threat, Thor enlists the help of King Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson), Korg (Taika Waititi) and ex-girlfriend Jane Foster (Natalie Portman), who – to Thor’s surprise – inexplicably wields his magical hammer, Mjolnir, as the Mighty Thor. Together, they embark upon a harrowing cosmic adventure to uncover the mystery of the God Butcher’s vengeance and stop him before it’s too late. Directed by Waititi (“Thor: Ragnarok,” “Jojo Rabbit”) and produced by Kevin Feige and Brad Winderbaum, “Thor: Love and Thunder” opens in theaters July 8, 2022.