THOR LOVE AND THUNDER

In Marvel Studios’ “Thor: Love and Thunder,” the God of Thunder embarks on a journey unlike anything he’s ever faced — one of self-discovery. But his efforts are interrupted by a galactic killer known as Gorr the God Butcher, who seeks the extinction of the gods. To combat the threat, Thor enlists the help of King Valkyrie, Korg and ex-girlfriend Jane Foster, who — to Thor’s surprise — inexplicably wields his magical hammer, Mjolnir, as the Mighty Thor. Together, they venture out on a harrowing cosmic adventure to uncover the mystery of the God Butcher’s vengeance and stop him before it’s too late. 

“Thor: Love and Thunder” is directed by Taika Waititi from a screenplay by Waititi and Jennifer Kaytin Robinson. Kevin Feige and Brad Winderbaum produce, joined by executive producers Louis D’Esposito, Victoria Alonso, Brian Chapek, Todd Hallowell and Chris Hemsworth.

Waititi made his Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) directorial debut with 2017’s “Thor: Ragnarok,” a comedic, cosmic adventure, which was a departure for the God of Thunder, portrayed by Hemsworth. 

“I don’t think it’s far-fetched to expect change in a character like Thor,” says Waititi. “He’s been around for a long time, so there’s time for him to go through different phases. I was relieved when I knew how high he was testing in the ‘Ragnarok’ screenings, but it was also a sense of pride that we’d managed to reinvent this character in a way that made the film do well but also made people want to see more of him.”

Since 2011, Thor has appeared in seven MCU features as well as Marvel Studios’ “What If …?” animated series, becoming the first character to lead four franchise films. To fans around the world, Chris Hemsworth simply is Thor and, yet, he still feels compelled to explore and evolve his role. “There was a huge amount of pressure coming into this,” admits Hemsworth. “Thor is the only character to make a fourth film so far, so I wanted to do something different. I want to always do better with this character.”

“One of the cool things about Marvel films is this ability to embrace various genres within a single film,” says Waititi. “It keeps audiences guessing, and the characters within these different genres then feel different all the time. When we came up with ‘Thor: Love and Thunder,’ we knew the fans would really freak out about it, and it really does suggest a lot of what the film is about.”

“What sets this movie apart is that, at its heart, it’s a love story,” says Chapek. “We’ve seen Thor grow so much over the years. After the events of ‘Avengers: Endgame,’ we started to see cracks in his armor. He started to feel some ownership over all the people he’s lost in his life.”

Love is a resounding theme that carries throughout the film, but Waititi and team most definitely bring the thunder. “‘Thor: Love and Thunder’ feels similar to Ragnarok in terms of tone and style, but we wanted to double down on how vibrant and crazy the worlds are and the situations we put Thor in,” says Waititi. “Because when you’re dealing with outer space and a Viking, if you run and embrace that incredible combination as the thing that powers the story, you’re only really limited by your imagination.”

“If Ragnarok was a 1980s synth-pop album, ‘Love and Thunder’ is a metal album,” says Winderbaum. “We knew we wanted a title that would evoke a 1980s rock ‘n’ roll feeling. And ‘Love and Thunder’ just seemed to do that.”

THUNDERSTRUCK

When Thor first appears in “Avengers: Endgame,” he’s clearly experiencing an existential crisis, having recently suffered a series of brutal blows. He’s lost family and friends, his home of Asgard, Mjolnir and his battle with Thanos — not to mention his god-like physique.

He’s also lost his will to lead, as King of New Asgard, and after Iron Man’s snap restores the Universe, Thor bestows his title upon Valkyrie and hitches a ride with the Guardians of the Galaxy. “Thor travels off with the Guardians and — much to their discomfort and irritation — plants himself firmly in the center of their posse and tries to dictate how things should be run,” says Hemsworth.

Waititi says he takes inspiration from the film’s main character. “I really feel like Thor, more than any other character in the MCU, lends himself towards big, inventive, colorful creatures from different worlds,” says Waititi. “He has a casualness and a sort of swagger about him when he encounters these aliens. I really feel like we’re making it a funnier, bigger adventure with even cooler characters and a really kickass soundtrack.” 

But no matter the size of his conquests, Thor’s internal void is even bigger. He declares his Super Hero days over and sets out to discover the man he’s truly meant to be. “Most people who are trying to find themselves are running away from something,” says Winderbaum. “What he’s running from is love because, in his experience, everyone he loves dies. Whether or not he can articulate it, he believes he’s cursed.”

AN ACT OF GORR

Unfortunately, Thor’s seclusion is short-lived, as a terrifying new foe threatens to upend the galaxy. Gorr the God Butcher has waged a war on the gods, killing them one by one with a weapon of immense, dark power.

Thor has faced off against countless enemies — from Laufey, King of the Frost Giants, to his sister Hela, the Goddess of Death, to Thanos, the Mad Titan — but filmmakers chose to raise the stakes even higher in “Thor: Love and Thunder.” “We needed to step up from Hela and find a villain who was somehow even more formidable,” says Waititi, “and we found that in Gorr, who is played by the remarkable Christian Bale.”

Once a peaceful, pious man, a crushing loss propels Gorr on a mission fueled by his desperate need for revenge. “Gorr played by the rules, and so when he realizes he’s been betrayed by the gods, he’s overtaken by a rage that hits such a fever pitch that he gains an evil, ancient power and sets out to rid the universe of these gods, who don’t take care of their humans,” says Winderbaum. 

“There’s so much drama and insanity around Gorr, but Christian Bale managed to pull the focus right into each moment,” says Hemsworth. “You can’t take your eyes off him. The character is fascinating, because like all good villains, Gorr has a point. He may not be going about it the right way, but there’s empathy in the script and Christian brought so many more layers and so much more depth to Gorr.”

Hemsworth’s costars were also taken aback by Bale’s performance, with Portman confessing, “All of us were actually a little scared in Gorr’s presence,” and Thompson revealing, “Christian as Gorr was mesmerizing. He does that thing that Marvel villains do so well, which is that you see their villainy comes from pain, from some unprocessed trauma.” 

SCI AND MIGHTY

On his search for meaning, Thor makes a stunning discovery: Jane Foster, his ex-girlfriend and a world-renowned astrophysicist, has proven herself worthy of wielding his magical hammer, Mjolnir, as the Mighty Thor — a transformation that masks a very personal battle. 

Natalie Portman, who portrayed Jane Foster in 2011’s “Thor” and 2013’s “Thor: The Dark World,” was thrilled about her return to the MCU. “Taika came over to my house to talk because I’d been out of the Marvel world for a while,” says Portman. “When he explained how Jane would become the Mighty Thor, it was fascinating to consider what that experience could be like. Working on the film was a really exciting challenge because it was so improvisatory, and Taika really keeps you on your toes.” 

“To bring her back in this new iteration, in this storyline from ‘The Mighty Thor’ in which Jane Foster becomes a Super Hero, is exciting,” says Waititi. “It’s brilliant to see Natalie in a way that we don’t expect. She’s such a great actor, and in keeping with reinventing this franchise again and again, we didn’t want to go back to seeing her in the same role. We don’t want to see her just being a scientist on Earth waiting for Thor.”

“Jane is a really interesting character because she’s human, but she gets this amazing power,” says Chapek. “How is she going to deal with having that power? I think audiences are going to be able to relate to Jane and her journey in a really meaningful way because she is a mortal who is dealing with very human issues.”

“Thor: Love and Thunder” also reveals more about Jane and Thor’s relationship and eventual breakup, allowing both Hemsworth and Portman to showcase their comedic chops. “Natalie was hugely enthusiastic and up for anything collaborative, with a great sense of humor,” says Hemsworth. “This is a very different direction for the character, so it was like a rebirth. She was down for it. It was so much fun.”

IT TAKES A VILLAGE

In the village of New Asgard, King Valkyrie, portrayed by Tessa Thompson, tires of her leadership role. As the last surviving Valkyrie, Asgard’s elite force of female warriors, she misses the old days, fighting alongside her sisters. So, when Gorr brings the battle to New Asgard, she doesn’t hesitate to reunite with Thor and take on the God Butcher. 

“Playing a Super Hero who bucks convention, who is so strong and resilient, is amazing,” says Thompson. “The truly exciting thing about the Marvel Cinematic Universe is the idea that your superpower derives from the things that have happened to you, the traumas, the things that make you ostracized. But the things that make you different are also what make you spectacular.”

Waititi says the character has evolved, but maintains the qualities that won fans over. “Although she’s King of New Asgard, we still see that lightheartedness and that really fun anger that comes with the character as well.”

Joining the effort to halt Gorr is Thor’s faithful sidekick — and everyone’s favorite rock-like humanoid — Korg, voiced and motion-captured by Waititi himself. “He’s still loyal to Thor,” says Waititi. “He’s still got that innocence about him, where he always sees the positive in people. He’s a very uplifting presence to have in the film, and I think that every film needs that.”

Winderbaum adds, “Korg is such a wonderful, innocent soul stuck inside this tough, rocky exterior, so he’s a character you instantly fall in love with. And he’s so pure, but he is powerful and strong at the same time.”

As Gorr blazes a deadly trail through the galaxy, Thor appeals to his allies, and his own ego, to put aside any differences and take up arms. The team even attempts to enlist the support of the legendary king of the gods, Zeus, played by Russell Crowe. Zeus spends his days living in excess and seems oblivious to the growing number of gods gone missing. 

“I never thought I’d see the day where Russell would appear on screen with hints at ‘Gladiator’ imagery, yet with a wink, totally self-deprecating,” says Hemsworth. “He didn’t hold back. I’m such a fan. I have been since I first started acting. There’s such a weight and a seriousness to his performances and to him, as an individual, from afar. But meeting him, he has a great sense of humor and did whatever Taika asked on set, which was mind-blowing.”  

Portman also recalls her reaction to Crowe’s embracive portrayal, “It was so much fun to see Russell Crowe play Zeus and have such a great sense of humor with the character. It was fun to see him be silly. I think we’re so used to him in these very strong, heroic roles, so it was fun to see him be able to let loose.”

Thor will need all the help he can get to contend with the God Butcher. “Gorr is on a scorched-earth policy, and so what we have in ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’ are our heroes trying to stop a killer before he strikes again, traveling the cosmos, deducing where he’s going to strike next and racing to protect his next victim,” says Winderbaum.

A LABOR OF LOVE

“At Marvel Studios, every film is a new frontier,” says Winderbaum. “We want to make something exciting and new, and we want to delve even deeper into these characters. Thor is a very existential character, and one of the things audiences will see in ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’ is not just a hero who’s funny, who gets out of situations using his wit and charisma, but a guy who feels very deeply.” 

Love is featured in the title, felt throughout the story and soaked into every frame of “Thor: Love and Thunder” owing to a stellar cast and crew who devoted 89 days to the Australia-based production beginning January 2021. 

Chris Hemsworth (“Thor: Ragnarok,” “Extraction”) returns to the title role of Thor, God of Thunder, joined by Oscar® winner Natalie Portman (“Black Swan,” “Jackie”) as Jane Foster/the Mighty Thor;  Oscar® winner Christian Bale (“The Fighter,” “The Dark Knight”) as the villainous Gorr the God Butcher; Tessa Thompson (“Creed,” “Selma”) as Valkyrie/King of New Asgard; Oscar® winner Russell Crowe (“Gladiator,” “The Insider”) as Zeus, king of the gods; Taika Waititi (“Thor: Ragnarok,” “Jojo Rabbit”) as Korg; and featuring the Guardians of the Galaxy — Chris Pratt as Peter Quill, Karen Gillan as Nebula, Pom Klementieff as Mantis, Dave Bautista as Drax, Bradley Cooper as the voice of Rocket, and Vin Diesel as the voice of Groot.

“Thor: Love and Thunder” is the record-breaking fourth installment featuring Marvel’s popular Norse Super Hero. The creative team includes Emmy®-winning director of photography Baz Idoine (“The Mandalorian,” “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story”); creature and prosthetic designer Adam Johansen (“Mad Max: Fury Road,” “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales”); Oscar®-nominated costume designer Mayes C. Rubeo (“Avatar,” “Apocalypto”); BAFTA-nominated 2nd unit director/VFX supervisor Jake Morrison (Marvel Studios’ “Ant-Man,” “Thor: The Dark World”); hair department head Luca Vannella (“Thor: Ragnarok,” “Avengers: Endgame”); makeup department head Matteo Silvi (“The Last Duel,” “Avengers: Endgame”); and stunt coordinator Kyle Gardiner (“Thor: Ragnarok,” “Alien: Covenant”). 

Marvel Studios’ “Thor: Love and Thunder” opens in U.S. theaters on July 8, 2022.

A CAST WORTHY OF THUNDEROUS APPLAUSE

Thor was once an arrogant and impulsive prince banished from Asgard by his father Odin. Since then, he’s experienced tremendous growth and loss — haunted by the belief that anyone he loves will meet certain death. After the Battle of Earth, he relinquishes the throne of New Asgard and embarks on a journey of self-discovery. But when a new enemy emerges who’s intent on eliminating all gods, the God of Thunder must uncover the mystery of the God Butcher’s vengeance and stop him. MCU veteran Chris Hemsworth once again portrays Thor. 

“In ‘Avengers: Endgame,’ we see a pretty confused, lost version of Thor,” says Hemsworth. “He’s certainly better at the end of the film than he was at the start, but he still doesn’t really know who he is or what his place is in the universe. And he decides he needs to search and take some time for himself.”

Jane Foster/The Mighty Thor is a world-renowned astrophysicist who discovered Thor when he fell to Earth after his banishment from Asgard. Through the pair’s undeniable connection, Thor gained newfound humility, respect for humanity, and the worthiness required to wield his magical hammer, Mjolnir, once again — not to mention a deep love for Jane. Their relationship ultimately ends and Jane was lost in the blip, but she reappears years later with a deeply troubling secret and newfound powers as the Mighty Thor. Natalie Portman tackles the dual role of Jane Foster and the Mighty Thor. 

“In previous films, Jane was a scientist who needs help being saved by Thor, but in this film, she’s seeking her own solutions and taking her own journey,” says Portman. “She’s fighting alongside Thor and they’re a team, but Jane is very much paving her own path, which has been really exciting.” 

Gorr the God Butcher was a pious man who prayed dutifully to the deities. But after witnessing far too much death and destruction without intervention from the gods, Gorr is consumed with rage and sets out on a quest to rid the Universe of every last immortal. Christian Bale joins the MCU as the terrifying antagonist.

“Christian Bale is a tremendous actor, who came to this with a sense of both reverence for the character and a sense of play,” says Thompson. “He’s terrifying. He’s funny. He is one of my favorite onscreen villains ever, and he was really lovely to work with.”

Valkyrie/King of New Asgard, the last of a group of female Asgardian warriors, escaped her painful past by becoming a scavenger on the chaotic waste planet of Sakaar. She reluctantly joined Thor to battle his sister, Hela, who ruthlessly claimed Asgard, and ultimately evacuated her fellow Asgardians to a seaside village dubbed New Asgard. Crowned King of New Asgard by Thor, she has led a quiet, rather dull life until Gorr the God Butcher threatens the safety of her people. Tessa Thompson returns to the MCU as Valkyrie.

“When we saw Valkyrie in “Thor: Ragnarok,” she was struggling with a lot of guilt and pain,” says Thompson. “She didn’t really have much that she wanted to live for, besides what was at the bottom of a bottle. I think, this time around, you get to see her rediscovering her sense of purpose.”

Zeus, the legendary king of the gods, fills his days with excess, basking in the easy admiration of the lesser gods in the Grand Pantheon in Omnipotence City. He’s too preoccupied to notice the growing number of empty seats in the Pantheon — those of Gorr’s victims — and appears to lack the motivation to track down the God Butcher. Russell Crowe was called on to fill Zeus’ shoes.

Chapek applauds the casting of Russell Crowe as Zeus. “If you’re going to introduce Zeus, you need someone who can walk in those shoes,” he says. “Every day that Russell Crowe walked onto the set, he completely embodied Zeus. He had such a confident and commanding presence, but also delivered such a surprising sense of humor that was so fitting for this world.”

Korg is an effortlessly charismatic Kronan warrior who was forced to participate in the Grandmaster’s contest of champions on the junk planet Sakaar. He led the rebellion against the Grandmaster, escaped Sakaar and helped Thor save the Asgardian people. Korg has remained Thor’s loyal companion through thick and thin, and now he’s at his side once again to help Thor confront his greatest threat yet. Director Taika Waititi voiced and performed motion-capture for Korg.

“I think the good thing about Korg, in relation to all these other characters who are evolving and changing and got different jobs, is that Korg has not changed at all,” says Waititi. “He’s a very grounding force.”

The Guardians of the Galaxy, the eccentric band of intergalactic misfits, led by half-human, half-celestial Peter Quill aka Star-Lord (Chris Pratt), joined forces with the Avengers to battle Thanos in “Avengers: Infinity War” and “Avengers” Endgame. Post-blip, this unlikely family, which includes assassin-turned-Avenger Nebula (Karen Gillan), insect-like empath Mantis (Pom Klementieff), taciturn warrior Drax (David Bautista), cybernetic raccoon Rocket (voiced by Bradley Cooper) and humanoid tree creature Groot (voiced by Vin Diesel), are instrumental in helping Thor confront the pain he’s been avoiding.