Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) has not yet ventured into the Multiverse of Madness, but the Marvel Cinematic Universe is already teasing its next theatrical release with a surprise trailer for Thor: Love and Thunder. While the new teaser is short, it already gives fans a lot to chew on, giving us a peek at the cosmic adventure of Thor (Chris Hemsworth) and the (As)Guardians of the Galaxy. So, since we are still months away from the release of Thor: Love and Thunder, it’s time to feed our addiction by breaking down the movie’s first trailer.
If anyone wondered if director Taika Waititi would keep the hard rock aesthetics that helped Thor: Ragnarok become a huge success, the trailer’s use of Guns N' Roses’ classic hymn “Sweet Child O' Mine” dismisses any doubt. Love and Thunder promise to be faithful to Ragnarok, by offering a crazy cosmic adventure that doesn’t shy away from personal growth. And Thor, more than ever, needs some time to think about his place in the vast universe. At the end of Avengers: Endgame, the God of Thunder gave up his throne and left New Asgard in the competent hands of Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson). Now, he’s traveling the cosmos with the Guardians of the Galaxy, while trying to become something more than a warrior.
The trailer opens with a sequence of Thor running in the woods, first as a child, then as a teenager, and finally, as the bulky wonder man that we love so much. The God of Thunder costume in his teenage age is a direct reference to Thor’s classic comic book appearance, complete with the winged helmet.
In the trailer, Thor reflects on how he always used his hands for war. But now, the God of Thunder wants to leave his Asgardian legacy behind and work for peace. It’s no wonder Thor decides to abandon Stormbreaker, the ax he used to fight Thanos (Josh Brolin) in Avengers: Infinity War. Love and Thunder promise to show us a more mature version of Thor, as the God of Thunder finally overcomes his lust for battle and decides to work on himself.
And speaking of working on himself, the God of Thunder is ready to get back into shape with a heavy workout regime. Fans with sharp eyes will also notice Thor is wearing a cap that says “Strongest Avenger,” a direct nod to Ragnarok. In the previous film, Thor tries to access an aircraft built by Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) by reference to himself as the strongest Avenger, only to find out the title belongs to Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo). The joke left a scar on Thor’s ego, and the God of Thunder will push himself to claim the title for himself.
While trying to figure out who he really is, Thor will try to copy Peter Quill’s (Chris Pratt) theatrical way of meeting his enemies. In the trailer, Thor is seen wearing a jacket that looks just like Quill’s, as Star-Lord rolls his eyes. While Thor is a new member of the Guardians of the Galaxy, the trailer teases the God of Thunder will split from the team to find his own path. It’s hard to say what will motivate this decision, but it looks like Thor will give Stormbreaker away after quitting the Guardians.
The trailer also welcomes back Korg, the rock man voiced by Waititi, who steals the spotlight every time he shows up. We also get another comic book reference with a boat pulled by two flying goats. In Marvel Comics and Norse mythology, Thor uses two flying goats to cross the skies, and it looks like Love and Thunder found a way to bring this weird detail into the MCU. Korg is also sporting a new gladiator costume, complete with a belt shaped like a goat, which could be another nod to Thor’s animal companions.
During his journey of self-discovery, Thor will go to beautiful new corners of the cosmos. The God of Thunder will also meet new people, including a mysterious woman with blue hair. It’s not for nothing that the sequel has “Love” in its title.
In one of the most surprising moments of the trailer, we get a first look at Russell Crowe as Marvel’s version of Zeus. While questioning the role of a god in the vast universe, Thor will most likely visit other pantheons. And Crowe is set to debut in the MCU as the Greek mythology equivalent of the God of Thunder. Of course, it’s still too early to know if Zeus will be a friend or a foe, but it’s exciting to see the MCU expanding in new directions.
Next, we get a look at Valkyrie, looking very bored as the ruler of New Asgard. Valkyrie’s new role as the queen of an Earth region apparently demands her to be involved with a lot of bureaucracy, and that’s probably a bleak destiny for the fierce warrior. In the same frame, we also get a glimpse of what seems to be Miek, Korg’s old partner, who seemingly stayed on Earth to help run the Asgardian kingdom.
Peter Quill is not the only Guardian of the Galaxy in the new teaser, as Star-Lord is joined by Groot (voiced by Vin Diesel), Rocket (voiced by Bradley Cooper), Drax the Destroyer (Dave Bautista), Mantis (Pom Klementieff), and Nebula (Karen Gillan). Unfortunately, Gamora is still missing from the picture. The heroine died during the events of Infinity War, but a variant from a different timeline jumped to the MCU in Endgame. This new variant doesn’t have the same memories as the original Gamora, so we still need to learn what happened between her and the Guardians.
The trailer ends with Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) in full Thor costume. Jane is wielding a restored version of Mjölnir, Thor’s magic hammer destroyed by Hela (Cate Blanchett) in Ragnarok. Somehow, Mjölnir got reforged in Love and Thunder, and now belongs to a new master. We’ve known for a while that the movie is inspired by Jason Aaron's run on The Mighty Thor comics. Even so, it’s thrilling to see Jane taking the place of Thor in the MCU.
While the first teaser for Thor: Love and Thunder is packed with secrets and Easter eggs, there’s still a lot of mystery surrounding the film. For example, we still didn’t see Christian Bale as Gorr the God Butcher, a new villain who hates gods so much he decides to destroy every pantheon in the universe. We’ll surely learn more about Thor: Love and Thunder as the marketing campaign picks up and Disney reveals more details about the God of Thunder’s upcoming adventure.