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Thor: Love And Thunder Is The Most Exciting MCU Movie Of 2022
Of the three MCU films releasing in 2022, Thor: Love and Thunder is by far the most exciting. Previously slated for the traditional May MCU tentpole release date, Love and Thunder will now occupy Marvel Studios' summer blockbuster slot with its July 8th worldwide release. 2017's Thor: Ragnarok is widely regarded as one of Marvel's best works, as it reinvented the character of Thor (Chris Hemsworth) in a way that boosted his general appeal. This is one of the reasons why general audiences and MCU enthusiasts alike are counting down the days for Thor to set a new MCU record by being the only character to receive 4 solo films.
The last time audiences saw Thor was in the epic two-part Infinity Saga finale, Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame. Thor's character arc took a dark turn throughout those films as he dealt with the loss of his father, brother, best friend, and his people. Endgame introduced a new version of Thor, one crippled by fear and haunted by the memory of Thanos, developing a form of PTSD. The movie ended with Thor going off into space with the Guardians of the Galaxy, rejuvenated by Thanos' defeat and regaining some semblance of his former self. Endgame's ending is significant as it set Thor free from all his narrative limitations, especially since he passed on the throne of New Asgard to Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson).
There are many reasons to believe that Thor: Love and Thunder will indeed be the most exciting MCU release of 2022. The cast and crew, and the potential for world-building and character development that Thor's fourth outing could feature easily set this movie apart from other MCU projects releasing in 2022. Not to mention the great comic book arc the story of the film will draw from, and Jane Foster's transformation into the Mighty Thor, one of Marvel's most popular legacy heroes.
Taika Waititi Is The MCU's Best Comedy Director
The first and one of the most important reasons to be excited for Love and Thunder is Taika Waititi returning to direct. Following his massive success with Ragnarok, the New Zealand director proved that he understood Thor's character and what audiences love about him. Ragnarok reinvented Thor by making him more comedic, a stark contrast to the melodramatic tone of the 2011's Thor and its follow up, Thor: The Dark World. Waititi's creative vision for the character even made Chris Hemsworth want to continue playing the character after reports claimed that he will exit the MCU after Endgame rounds out his initial contract. Waititi's ingenious balance of comedy, drama and high stakes is perfect for a story like The God Butcher, which will be the main inspiration for the 2022 film.
Christian Bale As Gorr The God Butcher Can Set A New Standard For MCU Villains
Love and Thunder promises to introduce Gorr The God Butcher, one of Thor's most terrifying and powerful villains from the comics. Gorr's backstory in the source material is fascinating; Gorr was born on a planet with no name that battles starvation on a daily basis. Filled with grief due to the death of his parents, wife, and all of his children, Gorr abolished his planet's religion and was exiled for declaring his newfound belief: that gods don't exist. While in exile, Gorr witnessed two gods engaged in a battle against one another, one of which was Knull, the creator of the Symbiotes. When the other god started pleading for Gorr's help, Gorr used the Necrosword to kill him. Rage-filled and drunk with power, Gorr vowed to kill every god in the universe, beginning his journey as the God Butcher.
Beyond the character's riveting backstory, what is even more exciting is the fact that Gorr The God Butcher will be played by none other than 4 time Academy Award-winner Christian Bale. Bale is regarded by most as one of the best actors of this generation, and with him lending his acting skills to a multidimensional character like Gorr, he can bring even more depth to the character and help translate his twisted motivation onto the big screen. Christian Bale's Gorr The God Butcher could set a new standard for MCU villains; seeing that the franchise's biggest weakness is a large number of single-appearance, undeveloped antagonists, Gorr could stand out from the crowd as one of the MCU's best villains to date.
Jane Foster’s Thor In Love & Thunder Is A Perfect Legacy Hero
In tandem with the film's official announcement during Marvel Studios' Hall H panel at 2019's San Diego Comic-Con, Kevin Feige confirmed that Love and Thunder will feature Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) acquiring Mjolnir and becoming The Mighty Thor. This is in line with Marvel's plan to introduce legacy characters to all the original Avengers, evident by Sam Wilson becoming Captain America, Yelena Belova's introduction in Black Widow, and Hawkeye setting up Kate Bishop as the MCU's new archer. However, two key details elevate Jane Foster's Thor above the other Phase 4 legacy characters.
For starters, The Mighty Thor comic run that featured Jane as Thor was a huge success, which makes the character already popular with comic readers. The reason for this popularity was her brilliantly crafted origin story and the depth of her character. While Thor was worlds away fighting Gorr, Jane gets diagnosed with breast cancer, forcing her to begin chemotherapy. A series of events led to her acquiring Mjolnir and getting Thor's blessing to operate as Thor while he goes by the name Odinson. What's most interesting about the character is the dilemma Jane faces every time she chooses to transform to Thor; every time Jane picks up Mjolnir, all the progress she made during her chemotherapy sessions is lost. Eventually, she is told by Doctor Strange that transforming into Thor will kill her, which Jane was fully aware of when she sacrificed herself to save Asgardia, the new and improved Asgard. Moreover, Jane is one of the oldest characters in the MCU, making her debut in Thor. It would be interesting to see one of the MCU's Phase 1 supporting characters be given a main role in an upcoming project during Phase 4 or 5.
Thor: Love & Thunder's New Characters Can Add To The MCU's Mythology
Besides returning characters, Love and Thunder has the potential to introduce scores of new characters into the MCU. In the God Butcher storyline, Thor meets two other variants of himself: an older King Thor, and a younger boastful Thor. While audiences might be fatigued with the three variants stunt by the time Love and Thunder releases, it would still be exciting to see an older version of Thor with the All-Father's powers. Another character begging for his MCU debut is Beta Ray Bill, whose introduction has been highly requested by fans for years.
The real potential for new characters is embedded within Gorr's god-killing adventures. In the source material, Gorr lays waste to the gods of every pantheon of every planet. One of the most popular pantheons in marvel comics, besides the Norse, is the Greek pantheon of gods, home to characters like Zeus, Ares, and Hercules. Hercules is the most popular Marvel Character out of the three, as he is said to be as powerful as Thor. There have been rumors of Russell Crowe playing Zeus in Love and Thunder have that have been circulating for months, yet no official confirmation was made by Marvel.
