It's taken its time but, finally, the first Thor: Love and Thunder teaser trailer has arrived. And yes, it looks as wonderfully funny, emotional, and 80s glam rock as Taika Waititi's Thor: Ragnarok did.
The Marvel Phase 4 project arrives exclusively in theaters in just under three months but, until recently, a trailer had been conspicuous by its absence. Now, though, a 90-second teaser has landed online and offers us our first (and best) looks yet at Jane Foster's Mighty Thor, the God of Thunder's new threads, key story beats, and much more. Suffice to say, then, we're extremely excited for Thor: Love and Thunder to take its place among its Marvel movie brethren.
But that's not all we know about Thor 4. There have been other updates surrounding the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) flick, including internal test screenings taking place, the release of images for the superhero movie 's official merchandise, specific plot points, and other intriguing tidbits.
Below, you'll find out more information on those details and more, including the film's release date, sizeable cast, this Marvel film's villain , and Thor's future in Marvel's juggernaut franchise. Spoilers follow for Thor's MCU journey so far, as well as potential spoilers for his upcoming fourth solo adventure.
Thor: Love and Thunder release date: July 8, 2022
Thor: Love and Thunder is set to be released in theaters on July 8, 2022 . It was originally due out on November 5, 2021 but was pushed back due to the ongoing pandemic.
Thor 4 was subsequently pencilled in for a May 2022 release but, after Marvel Studios confirmed that it was delaying all of its upcoming films back in October 2021 , its release date was moved again. Thankfully, its launch date hasn't been rescheduled, so you can start to get hyped for its arrival this summer.
Thor: Love and Thunder trailer: check out the teaser
After months of waiting, fans were delighted to see the first teaser for Thor: Love and Thunder storm online on Monday, April 18.
The 90-second teaser is just that – i a teaser. However, it gives us a proper glimpse at what the movie will entail, including a number of returning characters, its plot (more on this later), new locations, and much more.
The trailer opens with a montage of a young Thor running through an Asgardian forest, the God of Thunder growing up as he passes a number of trees positioned close to the camera. "These hands were once used for battle," Thor says over the top of the footage that follows. "Now they're but humble tools for peace," he continues as he plants Stormbreaker, his latest weapon, in the ground before adding: "I need to figure out exactly who I am". Expect Thor to go on a journey of self-discovery in what's sure to be something of a coming-of-age tale for him.
The rest of the trailer – set to Guns 'n' Roses' Sweet Child of Mine – contains plenty of important shots. We catch a glimpse of Russell Crowe's Zeus playing to a crowd of Greek gods and other individuals, Thor and best bud Korg embarking on a buddy cop-style cosmic adventure, King Valkyrie looking suitably bored during a New Asgard meeting, and some funny moments with the Guardians of the Galaxy, who have a supporting role to play in the movie.
Of course, Thor's desire to become a changed man (or should that be god?) won't go entirely to plan. The teaser's final moments are reserved for the return of Natalie Portman's Jane Foster, who is now wielding Thor's formally destroyed hammer Mjolnir – much to the Norse God's shock – as the Mighty Thor. Expect their reunion to be awkward and poignant as the film's plot plays out.
Disappointingly, there's no sign of Christian Bale's Gorr the God Butcher, but we suspect we see him in the film's official trailer in the (hopefully) near future. Even so, given that MCU fans grew increasingly frustrated over a lack of a trailer reveal until recently, let's just be grateful that a teaser was released at all,
While we've had to wait for our first look at Thor: Love and Thunder, it sounds like Marvel's executive team is delighted with what they've seen in-house. According to prominent insider BigScreenLeaks , the film was tested internally earlier this year, and those in attendance loved what they saw. If that doesn't get more excited, we're not sure what will.
Thor: Love and Thunder cast: who's playing who?
Here's every actor (and the character they'll play) in Thor: Love and Thunder:
Unsurprisingly, Chris Hemsworth returns as Thor. Some of his New Asgardian friends will be joining Odinson, with Tessa Thompson reprises her role as Valkyrie, and director Taika Waititi climbing back into his performance capture suit to play wannabe revolutionary Korg.
The Guardians of the Galaxy will also show up in Thor: Love and Thunder, which isn't a complete shock. Avengers: Endgame, well, ended with Thor in the company of Marvel’s most beloved bunch of a-holes. So Star-Lord, Drax, Nebula, Mantis, Groot, and Kraglin are all slated to feature. There hadn't been any word on Rocket Raccoon returning, but we know he will now. You can see him alongside his fellow Guardians at the 1:04 mark in the teaser trailer.
Natalie Portman also returns as Doctor Jane Foster, with the actress agreed to reprise her role after a single meeting with Waititi (per Variety ) as long as he reinvented her character.
Having appeared in Thor and its maligned sequel Thor: The Dark World , Portman was nowhere to be seen in Ragnarok, with Thor spending most of that movie on the alien world of Sakaar. Now, Porter will be back in a thoroughly beefed up role in Thor: Love and Thunder, with Foster wielding Mjolnir and taking on the Goddess of Thunder mantle.
A piece of apparent Marvel Studios concept art leaked online in January (thanks for the catch, Reddit !), which gives us a taste of what Jane's Mighty Thor costume will look like. There's also a high-res image of her get-up in this Love and Thunder Twitter fan account post . Not only that, but it seems Thor is getting some new threads, too, with box art for a new Marvel Legends Thor action figure (and the teaser trailer above) revealing as much (thanks to Reddit for the find again). Valkyrie has also received a costume upgrade, according to this image that Thompson posted before deleting it (thanks to Infos Series for the screengrab).
Another Ragnarok absentee making a comeback is Jaimie Alexander, who returns (per Deadline ) as Asgardian warrior Sif. She was absent when her usual sidekicks – the Warriors Three – were bumped off in Ragnarok, though she did cameo in Loki's fourth episode .
Meanwhile, former Batman star Christian Bale becomes the latest actor to score roles as both DC and Marvel characters as he takes on villain duties as Gorr the God Butcher.
In the comics, Gorr gains divine powers thanks to a series of unfortunate events, and then takes it upon himself to rid the universe of gods wherever he finds them. It'll be intriguing to see how this character looks on the big screen, especially given Bale's love of transforming himself for his roles. We have already glimpsed what he'll look like in some leaked on-set images , while some new promo art (thanks again, Reddit ) gives us a more up-close look at Bale's Gorr.
Russell Crowe also joins the exclusive DC and Marvel actors club. According to Entertainment Weekly , he’s playing Zeus, so we'll see Greek and Norse mythology existing side-by-side in the MCU for the first time. Jeff Goldblum is expected to return as The Grandmaster from Ragnarok, although he exclusively told TechRadar (in November 2021) that he "couldn't say anything about anything" regarding his possible return. Fingers crossed he reprises his role from Thor's threequel.
There’ll also be cameos for Luke Hemsworth, Matt Damon and Sam Neill , returning as the actors playing Thor, Loki and Odin, in an in-movie play retelling the story of Asgard. Melissa McCarthy is also rumored to be portraying Hela (per Entertainment Tonight Canada ) in that theatrical play recreation. Finally, McCarthy's husband Ben Falcone, singer Jenny Morris, and Sir Simon Beale (Mary Queen of Scots, Penny Dreadful) have reportedly been cast in undisclosed roles (per ET Canada and Comicbookom ).
One Thor regular who won’t be back to cause mischief is Loki. The trickster god died in Avengers: Infinity War but, as we saw in Endgame and Loki's own TV show , he's technically back in the MCU. Or, rather, the Marvel Cinematic Multiverse. That said, don't expect him to feature, with actor Tom Hiddleston stating that he won't turn up in a June 2021 interview .
As for characters who may (or may not) appear, prominent Marvel leaker MyTimeToShineHello has claimed that Brie Larson's Captain Marvel was supposed to make an appearance , but this doesn't seem to be the case any longer.
Meanwhile, The Cosmic Circus claims that Bast, a Wakanda goddess who helped Bashenga become the first Black Panther in Wakanda's history, will appear in Thor 4. Akosia Sabet (Clickbait) is rumored to be portraying Bast.
If that's true, it seems that Thor's next cosmic adventure may tie into Black Panther 2 . She's also related to the Egyptian god of the moon, aka Khonshu, who plays a major role in Moon Knight , so the supposed unlinked Marvel show may actually tie closely to other MCU projects after all.
Additionally, Marvel leaker KC Walsh has played down suggestions that Knull, another prominent Marvel comic book villain, will appear in Thor: Love and Thunder. Finally, Peter Dinklage has teased his possible appearance after his MCU character – Eitri – helped Thor forge Stormbreaker in Avengers: Infinity War. Speaking to Empire , Dinklage said: "Well, there’s another Thor movie there, isn’t there? Coming out that Taika’s directed. But, I didn’t say anything. I didn’t say anything." Watch this space, then.
Thor: Love and Thunder story: what's it about?
Here's the official plot synopsis, courtesy of Marvel Studios: "Thor: Love and Thunder finds Thor (Chris Hemsworth) on a journey unlike anything he’s ever faced – a quest for inner peace. But his retirement is interrupted by a galactic killer known as Gorr the God Butcher (Christian Bale), who seeks the extinction of the gods.
"To combat the threat, Thor enlists the help of King Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson), Korg (Taika Waititi) and ex-girlfriend Jane Foster (Natalie Portman), who – to Thor’s surprise – inexplicably wields his magical hammer, Mjolnir, as the Mighty Thor. Together, they embark upon a harrowing cosmic adventure to uncover the mystery of the God Butcher’s vengeance and stop him before it’s too late."
Unsurprisingly, Thor: Love and Thunder picks up sometime after Avengers: Endgame, with Thor being overweight and teaming up with the Guardians of the Galaxy. As we see in the teaser trailer, though, he's putting in the hard yards (with some seriously heavy chain battle ropes) to get back into shape. Expect a training montage, in the style of the Rocky movies, to feature in the film's first act.
Plot synopsis and teaser trailer aside, though, Marvel is understandably (and rightly) playing its cards close to its chest when it comes to Thor 4's overarching narrative.
That won't stop us from speculating about what will play out in Thor: Love and Thunder, though. We know it's been inspired by the Mighty Thor comics, which were penned by writer Jason Aaron. In that series run, Thor loses the ability to lift Mjolnir, and Jane Foster assumes his mantle while simultaneously battling cancer in her human form.
"When we were shooting Ragnarok, I was reading one storyline by Jason Aaron, The Mighty Thor," Taika Waititi said at San Diego Comic Con 2020 (per Deadline ). "And for those of you who know that storyline, it's incredible, it's full of emotion, love and thunder, and it introduces, for the first time, female Thor."
Just as Thor: Ragnarok only superficially referenced the Planet Hulk storyline from Marvel's comics, we'd be surprised if Love and Thunder is a literal adaptation of the Mighty Thor series. That said, Portman did confirm in a 2020 Yahoo interview that "[Jane]’s going through cancer treatment and is a superhero on the side," hinting that the movie will take significant inspiration from the comics.
Foster will also be able to control Mjolnir's multiple parts – you know, after Thor's half-sister Hela destroyed it in Ragnarok – based on what the trailer (and rumors) have suggested. Expect Thor to be equally intrigued and annoyed at that prospect.
Meanwhile, Waititi has previously told Collider that Thor 4 is "so over the top now in the very best way. It makes Ragnarok seem like a really run of the mill, very safe film…this new film feels like we asked a bunch of 10-year-olds what should be in a movie and just said yes to everything."
He's since emphasized Thor: Love and Thunder's over-the-top nature in an interview with Empire , saying: "I've done some crazy s**t in my life. I've lived, like, ten lifetimes, but it's the craziest thing I've ever done. If you wrote down all the elements of this film, it shouldn't make sense. It's almost like it shouldn't be made. If you walked into a room and said, 'I want this and this and this.’ Who's in it? These people. What are you going to call it? Love and Thunder. I mean, you'd never work again. Maybe I won't after this..."
It also looks like he's not holding back on the central love story, which suggests Thor 4 could be the MCU's first bona fide romance movie. "What I wanted to do from the beginning was to ask, 'What are people expecting the least from this franchise?'" Waititi told Wired . "Oh, I know – full blown love story!" He also told BBC News the script is "very romantic".
Finally, Waititi has revealed that he doesn't consider Thor: Love and Thunder to be a sizable upgrade on Ragnarok, telling The Playlist : "I don’t think there has been any difference [between directing Ragnarok and Love and Thunder]. I mean, really, the size and everything is the same just with a few different actors, but the energy and the intention is all still the same."
The set photos below, tweeted by Thor: Love and Thunder News, play up the love story angle. It's also widely assumed that the couple's hairstyles suggest these are flashbacks to The Dark World era, so expect some flashback scenes in the film.
In Thor: Ragnarok, a fan tells Thor she's "sorry to hear that Jane dumped you." He counters that, "I dumped her. It was a mutual dumping." Whatever really happened between the couple, it's clear there's plenty about their relationship in the intervening years we don't yet know – expect these details to form an integral part of this film's plot.
Additionally, Valkyrie is the ruler of New Asgard, a seaside village on earth. And, based on the snippets of footage in the teaser, the Asgardians' new home is both a tourist attraction and a potential source of consternation for energy corporations. We see Valkyrie doing business with a bunch of companies – including the villainous Roxxon corporation, who we saw in 2008's Iron Man. Is it possible that some companies see New Asgard as an illegal settlement that's siphoning electricity off from them without paying? If it is, it would explain why Roxxon and company have rocked up to cause problems.
That won't be the only issue that Valkyrie has on her plate. According to a leaked LEGO set (thanks to the Marvel News Twitter fan account for the screenshot), Gorr will attack the Asgardians' new earth-bound settlement. That's been backed up by The Cosmic Circus , with Lizzie Hill suggesting that the goofy-looking monster in the LEGO set may actually appear in the film. Considering LEGO sets don't always tease what will happen in upcoming Marvel movies, though, we're taking this with a pinch of salt for now. Regardless, we suspect Gorr will come in search of Thor as part of his 'god extinction' mission, with Thor – and Jane Foster – showing up to help stave off Gorr's attack.
More Thor: Love and Thunder merchandise has recently been revealed on Good Morning America and on Marvelom . Another LEGO set – The Goat Boat – shows Thor, Jane, Valkyrie, and Korg taking a goat-pulled boat to, well, somewhere. We see this vessel in the teaser leaving New Asgard and traveling to a distant world, so it'll be an important means of transportation of Thor and the gang.
For her part, Valkyrie actor Tessa Thompson isn't giving any plot details away, telling ET Canada : “I will not be a house for spoilers, so I can’t say much. I think everything that we need to know has already been said. Valkyrie is, you know, the King of New Asgard, and she’s reunited with her friend Thor and we got the gang back together. Taika Waititi has done a brilliant job.”
Thompson has also opened up on wanting to explore the character's sexual orientation in more detail. In an interview with The Wrap , Thompson said it "totally exciting" that Valkyrie was the first openly LGBTQ+ MCU character, before hinting that we may see her bisexuality examined in Thor: Love and Thunder.
"If you look at the comics in the canon, there are so many queer characters! It’s hard because Taika Waititi and I would’ve even liked to go further," Thompson said. "But, in the context of the movies, there’s only so much we can do. Unfortunately, there’s not a lot of time invested in love stories in Marvel movies in general. I think that will be a little different on the new Thor, which is exciting."
Finally, with the Guardians' inclusion in the movie, Waititi tapped that movie series' director James Gunn for his thoughts on how best to use them in Thor 4's plot. Asked by a fan how much input he'd had on Love and Thunder , Gunn replied: "Not much, and Taiki is doing a great job – the script is amazing. We talked before he started writing it about where the characters are & where they're going & he read the script for Vol 3 & then I read his script & shared my thoughts."
Will Thor: Love and Thunder be the Norse god's final MCU outing?
That's unclear right now. Before Ragnarok's release in 2018, Hemsworth had become tired with portraying the same, slightly one-dimensional take on the character.
Waititi's revitalization of the superhero in Ragnarok, then, breathed new life into the god of thunder, with Hemsworth later telling UK TV program This Morning that he'd "play this character for as long as anyone would let me".
Those comments were made all the way back in April 2019, so nobody – Hemsworth aside – knows if he'll return as Thor in future MCU projects. You know, assuming he survives the events of Thor: Love and Thunder. In truth, we wouldn't begrudge Hemsworth if he hangs up Mjolnir for the last time post-Thor 4 – after all, he's done an increasingly great job of portraying the character for over a decade by this point.
Of course, we could see Hemsworth return as a Thor variant in future seasons of What If...? , Marvel's animated anthology series on Disney Plus. He also briefly voiced a different version of Thor known as Frog Thor in Loki season 1 , so there are still opportunities available for him to continue playing Thor even if he's done with live-action productions. Time will tell if he sticks around or not.
The Witcher 3 director wants to make 'the holy grail of computer RPGs'
Konrad Tomaszkiewicz, former game director on The Witcher 3 and second game director on Cyberpunk 2077 , has established a new game studio to develop what he hopes will be “the holy grail of computer RPGs”.
Tomaszkiewicz says he wants the new studio, Rebel Wolves, to experiment and think creatively to produce a debut title that is focused on narrative, but smaller than many other triple-A RPGs to maintain a coherent vision.
"We want to recreate the feeling of a pen-and-paper RPG session, where your options seem limitless, where the world reacts to your choices, where every decision matters," Tomaszkiewicz told GamesIndustry.biz about the studio’s debut game.
Although specific details about the game are sparse, GamesIndustry.biz does report it will be a “dark fantasy RPG” and Tomaszkiewicz emphasized the studio’s focus on experimentation.
"We're proud of our past achievements, but we're hungry for more," Tomaszkiewicz told GamesIndustry.biz. "We want to experiment, push the envelope, discover new ways for telling stories in the video game medium. We felt that starting a new company, where we call all the shots, will give us the freedom to take the necessary risks to fulfil these ambitions."
Although Rebel Wolves encompasses several industry veterans who share experience across The Witcher series, Cyberpunk 2077, Thronebreaker: The Witcher Tales, and Shadow Warrior 2, Tomaszkiewicz says he wanted to form a new studio outside of CD Projekt Red to create games that aren’t tied to existing IPs. He thinks that will allow the studio to better tailor the game to its needs and preferences.
Analysis: tough competition
Tomaszkiewicz and his team might boast an impressive portfolio of past work, but any new fantasy RPG will have a tough time carving out a space for itself. The Witcher 3 set a high bar for narratively-driven fantasy RPGs back in 2015, and Baldur’s Gate 3 has taken player choice to new levels through its impressive emergent gameplay.
Although details on Rebel Wolves’ upcoming debut remain sparse, contemporary competition in the RPG space, as well as the developers’ past credits, will add heaps of pressure on the team. Let’s hope Tomaszkiewicz doesn’t draw on his Cyberpunk 2077 experience too much to promise features that ultimately aren’t delivered upon.
Tomaszkiewicz left CD Projekt Red last year after 17 years at the developer following allegations against him of workplace bullying . He denied the allegations at the time, and an internal months-long investigation within CD Projekt Red also found he wasn’t guilty of the claims made against him.
Waste Management Phoenix Open live stream 2022: how to watch the PGA golf online
The TPC Scottsdale will be welcoming back the crowds as one of golf's most raucous events takes place this week. The Waste Management Phoenix Open PGA golf tournament tees off today with 15 of the world's top 20 golfers set to battle it out in Arizona. Read on as we explain how to watch a 2022 Waste Management Phoenix Open live stream online with or without cable.
Covid-19 restrictions forced a reduced gallery for last year's tournament, but with 132 players competing for a massive $8.2 million purse, expect to see the 16th hole's infamous “The Coliseum” stand to be packed with up to 20,000 fans for 2022.
Brooks Koepka is back to defend his title, and should face tough competition from Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas who will be going in search of their first wins of the year. European hopes look likely to rest with Jon Rahm. The Spanish world number one has previously impressed on this course.
Follow our guide as we explain how to watch a Waste Management Phoenix Open live stream online, so that you won't miss a moment.
Watch every Waste Management Phoenix Open session on ESPN+
US: Watch Waste Management Phoenix Open 2022 on cable TV
US: Watch Waste Management Phoenix Open 2022 without cable
How to watch Waste Management Phoenix Open live stream in the UK
2022 Waste Management Phoenix Open live stream: how to watch golf online in Australia
Canada: Waste Management Phoenix Open live stream