After weeks of anticipation, the first teaser trailer for Thor: Love & Thunder has just dropped. This film will be the first time MCU fans get to see Chris Hemsworth’s lovable Thor after the hero last appeared in Avengers: Endgame. The only difference is that this new adventure is poised to be Thor’s most personal and emotional yet.
Helmed again by Thor: Ragnarok writer and director Taika Waititi, Thor: Love & Thunder is bound to be one of Marvel’s most visually stunning films yet. The brief trailer, at only 1 minute and 30 seconds, already promises as much. However, only these things can be caught by the most eagle-eyed Marvel fans.
10 Thor’s Childhood In Flashback
The teaser trailer opens with a moment where viewers see child Thor running through trees. He passes one, then appears as a teenager. When he passes another, Thor appears even older, with hair and costume looking similar to his original appearances in Phase 1 movies like Thor and The Avengers.
Alongside Thor’s monologue about “[figuring] out exactly who I am,” fans can expect this movie to dive into Thor’s mental state more deeply than it has before. In the past, Thor’s trauma and emotion had been cast aside through gags. This time, however, it appears that Thor’s journey will be an intimate exploration of his inner demons.
9 Thor Gets A Workout Montage
One of the earliest shots in the trailer sees Thor, still appearing as out-of-shape as he did in Endgame, doing a rope workout with two ginormous chains. He dons an adorable “The Strongest Avenger” trucker hat and sweatpants in some mysterious cave. The giant skeleton on the other side of the wall also makes this seem ominous.
However, knowing Taika Waititi’s stylings, this is probably going to be from some hilarious workout montage. Thor: Ragnarok borrowed a lot from 80s comedy and action movies, and Thor: Love & Thunder will likely do the same. The only question is: which 80s hit will be the soundtrack to Thor’s workout routine?
8 Thor Teams Up With The Guardians Of The Galaxy
Peter Quill and the other members of the Guardians of the Galaxy appear in several moments. The return of characters like Rocket Raccoon, Mantis, and Drax will likely lead to some more James Gunn-esque antics from the space cadets. However, their role in the film may be smaller than the trailer seems to imply.
While it does seem like Thor gets a chance to fight alongside the Guardians, there’s also a moment where Peter Quill seems to be giving Thor advice. Another shot shows the Benatar flying into space as Thor and Korg watch from below. It’s possible that the Guardians make their exit early on in the film, allowing Thor to journey solo.
7 A Trip To Olympus
The Thor movies have often focused on Norse mythology, but that’s all about to change. At one point in the trailer, flying horses lead a ship liner with Greek designs. Fans can later spot Thor, Korg, Valkyrie, and Jane Foster walking through a city in the sky, again featuring lots of Greek architecture in its columns and gardens.
It seems obvious that these scenes will see Thor and his friends introducing Marvel fans to the world of Greek mythology. This floating city in the sky is likely Mount Olympus, the home of the Olympian gods. However, the real kicker comes only moments later in the trailer, in what looks like another part of Olympus.
6 Russell Crowe Debuts As Zeus
One moment of the trailer sees several lightning bolts flying around a fancy palace. One of the bolts lands in the hands of an unseen person. A second later, the figure appears with flowing brown hair and gold clothes, likely being the first appearance of the Greek god of thunder, Zeus, who is set to be played by Russell Crowe.
It should also be noted that Christian Bale’s villain, Gorr the God Butcher, does not appear in this trailer. Given the appearance of Zeus, however, it’s unlikely that the Greek god gets to live very long when a deranged god killer is on the loose. However, Zeus’s debut may lead to the future introduction of the demigod Hercules.
5 A Shot Stolen From The Comics
Some comic book fans have already made a key connection between this film and Thor’s comic origins. In one shot, Thor and Korg stare at a massive beat lying dead in a snowy tundra. However, readers of the comic series “Thor: God of Thunder” will recognize this shot as an exact replica of one iconic panel.
There, Thor describes this beast as Falligar the Behemoth, an old friend and a fellow god. Falligar is likely another victim of Gorr the God Butcher, perhaps one of the earlier ones Thor encounters in the film. Hopefully, this won’t be the only shot in the film that’s taken directly from a comic, especially Jason Aaron’s incredible run.
4 Valkyrie Rules In New Asgard
New Asgard’s existence was a surprise to fans watching Avengers: Endgame. This location in Norway served as a safe place for the surviving Asgardians following their genocide at the hands of Thanos. However, at the end of Endgame, Thor gives the crown of Asgard to Tessa Thompson’s Valkyrie while he travels with the Guardians.
In the trailer to Thor: Love & Thunder, New Asgard seems to be thriving. However, in one shot, Valkyrie looks bored during what looks like a United Nations meeting. Perhaps this boredom with the mundaneness of ruling will be what convinces Valkyrie to join Thor, Korg, and Jane Foster on their quest to catch Gorr.
3 Where, Who, And Why Is Gamora?
Guardians of the Galaxy fans may feel their hearts drop watching this trailer. When Peter Quill talks about looking at the people he loves, he glances at his Guardians crew, with Gamora missing after she was killed by her father, Thanos. This means the new Thor adventure likely takes place before Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.
However, there’s still room for the Guardians’ appearance in this movie to set up their future hunt for Gamora. Additionally, a holiday special featuring the Guardians crew is set to drop around the holidays in 2022. Hopefully, fans don’t have to wait too long to see the return of Zoe Saldana’s beautifully tragic daughter of the Mad Titan.
2 Mjolnir Is Fixed
A devastating moment in the trailer for Thor: Ragnarok showed Cate Blanchett’s Hela destroying Mjolnir, Thor’s trusted hammer. This shocked Thor fans around the world and proved just how consequential Hela was going to be. It wasn’t until Infinity War that Thor got a new weapon in Stormbreaker, which almost killed Thanos.
Surprisingly, Thor’s old weapon returns in the trailer to Thor: Love & Thunder. This is clearly no copycat stolen from another timeline either, like the one Steve Rogers wielded in Endgame. There are cracks in the weapon that make it appear as if it’s been reforged. Thankfully, fans don’t have to speculate over who could’ve done it.
1 Natalie Portman Returns As Jane Foster
In the trailer’s final moments, fans get their first look at Jane Foster as the new wielder of Mjolnir. That’s right, Natalie Portman returns to the MCU for the first time since Thor: The Dark World (not counting the archival footage from Endgame). This time, however, her role seems to be bigger and more action-packed.
Still, this raises a lot of questions for fans (and by the looks of it, Thor himself). How did Jane Foster find the remains of Mjolnir? How was she able to piece them back together? What kind of powers does she have as the Mighty Thor? All of these will hopefully be answered in the final film, but fans are nevertheless excited to see it.
Thor: Love & Thunder will release in theaters on July 8, 2022.
