It is no secret that Thor: Love and Thunder is going to introduce Jane Foster’s The Mighty Thor into the MCU, but the trailer may have teased the presence of more Gods of Thunder. Seemingly utilizing many of the narrative beats from Jason Aaron’s comic book series, Thor 4 looks set to send the titular hero on a journey of self-discovery as he is forced to come face to face with Gorr the God Butcher. The film will mark the return of many key cast including Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Tessa Thompson, and Taika Waititi, but it will also introduce MCU first-timers Christian Bale and Russell Crowe as Gorr and Zeus respectively.
The trailer provided a first look at Natalie Portman’s The Mighty Thor, wielding a re-forged Mjolnir as she and Thor Odinson meet in battle. This concept of Jane becoming Thor appears in Aaron’s Thor: God of Thunder series alongside the first appearance of Gorr the God Butcher. With the trailer citing Aaron’s work in such a way, it seems apparent that the film will contain more references to the comics than are immediately obvious. One such reveal could have already been teased regarding the number of Thors that the film will introduce.
Appearing in Thor 4’s teaser trailer, one shot of the God running through a field could hint that Thor will be appearing at different ages throughout the film. Borrowing a narrative device from Aaron’s comics in which the story takes place across multiple timelines, the seemingly time-ing shot could hint at how Thor will take down the MCU’s Gorr the God Butcher. If this is the case, then Thor: Love and Thunder may introduce not two, but four versions of the God of Thunder.
The teaser shows a child dressed in Thor clothing running through a forest. As the child runs behind a tree, he seems to transform into a teenage version of the character wearing the winged cap to align with Thor’s comic book appearance. One final transformation takes place as the teen runs behind a tree only to be replaced by Hemsworth’s Thor. This sequence is a clever way to show the ing of time–the God continues in his movement forward no matter his age–but a comparison to Aaron’s series could suggest that there is more to this shot than is initially apparent.
The central narrative construction of Aaron’s Thor: God of Thunder follows Thor across three generations (young God, Avenger, old king of Asgard) in his pursuit of Gorr the God Butcher. The comic’s finale sees these timelines overlap, with the three generations of Thor teaming up in an attempt to defeat their shared foe. Considering how much the Thor 4 trailer appears to be borrowing from Aaron’s comics it could be the case that the running shot hints that Waititi may be moving in the same direction.
If this is the case, Thor 4’s final battle could see three generations of Thor coming together with Jane Foster’s The Mighty Thor and using their collective strength in the fight against Gorr. Much like trailer hinted at Thor’s death. It may well be the case that Thor: Love and Thunder is the largest solo-superhero team in the MCU to date.
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