169-705: Thor: Love and Thunder is a 2022 American superhero film based on Marvel Comics featuring the character Thor . Produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures , it is the sequel to Thor: Ragnarok (2017) and the 29th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). The film was directed by Taika Waititi , who co-wrote the screenplay with Jennifer Kaytin Robinson , and stars Chris Hemsworth as Thor alongside Christian Bale , Tessa Thompson , Jaimie Alexander , Waititi, Russell Crowe , and Natalie Portman . In
338-710: A mid-credits scene , back in Omnipotence City, a recuperating Zeus sends his son Hercules to kill Thor. In a post-credits scene, Foster arrives at the gates of Valhalla , where Heimdall welcomes her. Additionally, the Guardians of the Galaxy are featured in the film, with Chris Pratt , Karen Gillan , Dave Bautista , Pom Klementieff , Sean Gunn , Vin Diesel , and Bradley Cooper reprising their respective MCU roles as Peter Quill / Star-Lord , Nebula , Drax
507-461: A romance film and 1980s-inspired adventure. He adapted elements from Jason Aaron 's run on Thor comic books during the 2010s, which similarly debuted Gorr and saw Foster take on the mantle and powers of Thor whilst under treatment for cancer. Robinson joined to contribute to the script in February 2020, and further casting was revealed later that year including the appearance of the Guardians of
676-477: A sequel , Barb Wire (1996), The Phantom (1996), Black Mask (1996), Chouriki Sentai Ohranger: Ole vs. Kakuranger (1996), Revive! Ultraman (1996), Gekisou Sentai Carranger vs. Ohranger (1997) and Steel (1997). Marvel Comics ' Captain America (1991) did not have a theatrical release , and Roger Corman 's The Fantastic Four (1994) was produced solely for the legal maintenance of
845-524: A "more awkward" first act with the Guardians of the Galaxy. He also praised Gorr's characterization–a "power[ful introduction]"–and concluded the review by saying he felt "moved" by the end. David Ehrlich of IndieWire praised the film for its light tone and humorous moments, writing that "[Taika] Waititi continues to brighten up the Thor movies with his own flavor of wackiness, which is as welcome here as it
1014-465: A "run of the mill, very safe film" by doubling down on its crazier aspects. He wanted to up the ante and make the film as if "10-year-olds told us what should be in a movie and we said yes to every single thing." Waititi added that the film would explore more of Korg's Kronan culture and indicated that it would include the Space Sharks alien race from the comics. He expressed interest in featuring
1183-468: A battle between Wanda and the witch Agatha Harkness , Wanda dissolves the Westview anomaly, erasing the imaginary existence of Vision, Billy, and Tommy. Billy reincarnates upon his "death" in the body of William Kaplan , a 13-year-old from Westview's neighboring town of Eastview, who was killed in a car accident after leaving his bar mitzvah early; Billy then assumes William's identity. After acquiring
1352-533: A breastplate for Zeus ' costume using gold leaf . Principal photography began on January 26, 2021, at Fox Studios Australia in Sydney, under the working title The Big Salad . Barry "Baz" Idoine serves as the cinematographer, after previously working with Waititi on the Disney+ Star Wars series The Mandalorian (2019–present). Filming was delayed from an initial August 2020 start date due to
1521-562: A cameo appearance as part of a cutaway gag in the Omnipotence City sequence, after Valkyrie mentioned a "God of Carpentry". The character Cyttorak was considered to appear in the film as one of the deities seen in Omnipotent City, but the idea was scrapped. Storyboards by artist Anthony Lee Winn for Love and Thunder suggest that the characters Galactus , Fin Fang Foom , and Shuma-Gorath were also considered for inclusion in
1690-553: A consultant on the film. A. C. Bradley , the creator and head writer of the animated series What If...? (2021–present), pitched an episode of that series in which Foster would have become Thor, but the idea was rejected because the storyline was already being used for Love and Thunder . In August, Waititi was reported to have completed a script for the film, but he denied this later that month. While promoting his film Jojo Rabbit (2019) in October, Waititi said he had completed
1859-413: A decade ago, as the franchise has transformed into a full-blown space comedy". Butcher felt the trailer's introspection was not surprising due to the film being set after Endgame , and said the trailer was brief but exciting. The trailer had 209 million global views in its first 24 hours, becoming the seventh most viewed trailer in that time period. A second trailer was released on May 23, during Game 4 of
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#17327829725752028-478: A fourth Thor film, with Hemsworth expected to reprise his role. Waititi was not interested in repeating what they did with Ragnarok , instead wanting to do "something more interesting for myself to keep the whole thing ignited and to make sure that I'm feeling creatively stimulated". Later that month, at San Diego Comic-Con , Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige announced the film as Thor: Love and Thunder , with
2197-563: A hero called the Mighty Thor. Feige said that the film would include a lot of elements from Marvel comics and that the story line of Foster becoming the Mighty Thor would be an important part, explaining that Marvel considered the Mighty Thor run to be one of the best recent comic books. Waititi read the comic while working on Ragnarok , and when he agreed to direct another Thor film, he told Marvel that he wanted to include Foster as
2366-460: A huge success", while Parker called it a "bright, stylish, fun trailer [that] sets a tone for the film in true Taika Waititi form". Justin Harp of Digital Spy felt the humor from Ragnarok was "clearly back in this film too", while Tom Power of TechRadar felt the trailer was a "superhero, intergalactic glam rock feast for the senses" and contained intriguing footage that did a good job of teasing
2535-451: A low-budget road trip film with no fight scenes, similar to Nebraska (2013). Hemsworth hoped that a future installment would have a "drastically different tone" that would "close the book" on the character. In June 2023, Hemsworth said informal conversations had discussed potential ideas for future appearances for the character. He also explained that he would want to return to Thor if all creatives were able to find another way to reinvent
2704-663: A particular superhero character, often focuses on the hero's origin story and typically introduces the hero's nemesis. Many superhero films are adaptations of existing works. Superhero comics from publishers such as Marvel , DC , and Dark Horse ( The Umbrella Academy universe) have frequently been adapted into film. Others are based on television properties, such as films from the Japanese Ultraman , Kamen Rider , and Super Sentai franchises. Both Underdog and The Powerpuff Girls are based on their respective animated television series. The Green Hornet
2873-562: A release date of November 5, 2021. Hemsworth and Thompson were confirmed to be returning along with Natalie Portman , reprising her role of Jane Foster from Thor (2011) and Thor: The Dark World (2013). Hemsworth, who would also serve as an executive producer, was paid $ 20 million upfront for the film, an increase from the $ 15 million upfront salary he earned for each of his appearances in Ragnarok , Avengers: Infinity War (2018), and Endgame . Portman agreed to return to
3042-497: A romantic relationship between the pair because he would rather surprise fans than do something by popular demand. Jennifer Kaytin Robinson was hired to work on the film's screenplay with Waititi in February 2020. Waititi received sole screenplay credit on the film's theatrical poster, with Robinson credited with him for the story, before the final credits from the Writers Guild of America credited both Waititi and Robinson as
3211-711: A second attempt at the Mind Stone, Proxima fights Romanoff and Okoye , but is ultimately killed by Maximoff. A past version of Midnight from 2014 travels through time with Thanos's forces to stop the Avengers from foiling his plans. However, they are all disintegrated when Tony Stark uses the Infinity Gauntlet. As of 2024, the character has appeared in the film Avengers: Infinity War . Alternate variants of Midnight appeared in Avengers: Endgame and
3380-531: A security precaution, Zeus orders the group's capture to prevent them from exposing the city's location to Gorr. When Zeus injures Korg, Thor impales Zeus with his own thunderbolt, which Valkyrie steals before they escape to confront Gorr in the Shadow Realm. On the way, Thor learns of Foster's cancer diagnosis. The group arrives at the Shadow Realm but are unable to locate the children. Foster sees ancient drawings that depict Thor's battle-axe Stormbreaker as
3549-467: A source of inspiration for his outfit during the draping process. For a "great contrast to vibrant colors" used by other characters, Rubeo applied white to his costume rather than black, reflecting his supernatural nature. Rubeo bought 50 yards (46 m) of linen to hide the costume's wire rigger and the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system; this prevented Bale from overheating. Leather masters Augusto and Giampaolo Grassi were hired to make
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#17327829725753718-466: A villain more powerful than Hela , who is featured in Ragnarok . In November 2023, Waititi confirmed that he would not be involved with a fifth Thor film. Superhero film A superhero film is a genre centered on superheroes and their adventures, with characters often possessing superhuman abilities or exceptional skills. Superhero films typically blend elements of action , adventure , fantasy , or science fiction . The first film about
3887-473: A way to summon the Bifrost to enter Eternity, and deduces the trap laid out by Gorr. She throws away Stormbreaker to prevent Gorr from accessing it. However, Gorr overpowers the group and threatens to kill Foster, forcing Thor to summon it back. Gorr successfully steals Stormbreaker and injures Valkyrie before a weakened Foster collapses. Upon traveling back to New Asgard, Thor discovers that Foster's Thor form
4056-456: A worthy addition to the MCU." On Metacritic , the film has a weighted average score of 57 out of 100, based on 64 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B+" on an A+ to F scale, and PostTrak reported 77% of audience members gave it a positive score, with 63% saying they would definitely recommend it. In early reactions to
4225-573: Is Thanos' adopted daughter. She joined her father in his quest for the six Infinity Stones , initially attacked the Statesman with her brothers, helping to kill the Asgardians aboard to retrieve the Space Stone . While attempting to claim the Mind Stone, she and Corvus Glaive attack Wanda Maximoff and Vision , but are repelled by Steve Rogers , Sam Wilson , and Natasha Romanoff. During
4394-464: Is a social media influencer with incredible strength who is obsessed with She-Hulk, ultimately becoming her rival. As of 2024, the character has appeared in the Disney+ series She-Hulk: Attorney at Law . Makkari (portrayed by Lauren Ridloff ) is an Eternal who can move at superhuman speeds. She is implied to harbor romantic feelings for Druig . The character is the first deaf superhero in
4563-710: Is a sorcerer and a former member of the Masters of the Mystic Arts . A close ally to the Ancient One , he assists in recruiting and training their future sorcerers. In this role, he trains Stephen Strange , using the Staff of the Living Tribunal as his weapon. He also helps Strange fight against Kaecilius . The Ancient One notes that Mordo's strength must be balanced by Strange since Mordo is unable to recognize
4732-600: Is a special rig designed to capture multiple lighting set-ups simultaneously within a single shot at a high frame rate, allowing Waititi to select which lighting set up he would like in post-production. Waititi believed he was able to shoot Love and Thunder more efficiently than Ragnarok due to already having experience working on a Marvel Studios film. Filming occurred at Centennial Park in Sydney in early February, with Klementieff, Gillan, Bautista, and Pratt completing their scenes shortly afterward. In early March, set photos revealed Damon and Neill were reprising their roles as
4901-462: Is a wealthy antiquities collector living in Egypt and an old acquaintance of Layla El-Faouly . Marc Spector, Steven Grant , and El-Faouly meet with him to find the map to Ammit 's tomb. He betrays them when Arthur Harrow arrives and is speared through the chest by Spector. As of 2024, the character has appeared in the Disney+ series Moon Knight . Karl Mordo (portrayed by Chiwetel Ejiofor )
5070-612: Is a weapons maker and part of a salvage company alongside Adrian Toomes , Herman Schultz , and Jackson Brice . When the salvaging company goes out of business due to the Department of Damage Control , Mason helps Toomes steal leftover technology from the Avengers ' battles and build advanced weapons out of the technology, such as Toomes's flight suit and modified versions of Brock Rumlow 's vibro-blast emitting gauntlets. While his assistants were defeated by Spider-Man and arrested by
5239-577: Is an agent of the Time Variance Authority specialized in the investigation of particularly dangerous "time variant" criminals. He befriends a 2012 variant of Loki . He travels through time and realities with Loki to find the variant Sylvie. While helping Loki to handle the time slipping, it's revealed that Mobius has been with the TVA for at least four hundred years, although he has undergone multiple memory wipes. In " Science/Fiction ," Mobius
Thor: Love and Thunder - Misplaced Pages Continue
5408-511: Is awakened when the Aether is released, and he merges with it, plotting to submerge Earth in darkness during the convergence. He is killed when his own ship crushes him on Svartalfheim. As of 2024, the character has appeared in the film Thor: The Dark World . Mar-Vell (portrayed by Annette Bening ) is a Kree scientist who rejected her species' war with the Skrulls . She fled to Earth in
5577-549: Is based primarily on the original radio series and its 1960s television adaptation . Anime superhero films are often based on manga and television shows . Some superhero films, like the RoboCop series, The Meteor Man , the Unbreakable film series , Hancock , Darkman and They Call Me Jeeg , were developed as original projects for the screen. According to box office income figures from Box Office Mojo ,
5746-615: Is granted the ability to manipulate shadows and produce monsters but is cursed with impending death and corruption under the sword's influence. Thor has joined the Guardians of the Galaxy after the Avengers ' battle against Thanos . He learns of a distress signal from Sif , so he parts ways with the team. He finds an injured Sif, who warns that Gorr's next target is New Asgard . Meanwhile, Dr. Jane Foster , Thor's ex-girlfriend, has been diagnosed with stage four terminal cancer . With medical treatment proving ineffective, she travels to New Asgard hoping that Thor's hammer Mjolnir , which
5915-572: Is in exile for breaking the Ravagers' code. After Yondu sacrifices himself to save Peter Quill , Martinex and Stakar are moved by his sacrifice, and he and the other Ravagers attend his funeral. The two of them decide to bring the rest of the team back together to honor him. As of 2024, the character has appeared in two films: Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 . Phineas Mason (portrayed by Michael Chernus )
6084-588: Is not allowing her body to naturally fight the cancer. Due to this, Thor travels to Eternity's altar alone and using Zeus's thunderbolt, imbues the children with his power to fight Gorr's monsters while he battles Gorr. When Foster senses that Gorr is about to kill Thor, she joins the battle with Mjolnir to save him. They destroy the Necrosword, freeing Gorr from its influence, but the three are brought into Eternity's realm. With Gorr poised to make his wish, Thor implores Gorr to revive his daughter instead of destroying
6253-511: Is one of Waititi's favorite bands, and helped "reflect the sort of crazy adventure that we're [visually] presenting"; the song was also used in the film's marketing. The film features the song " Rainbow in the Dark " by Dio , according to Wendy Dio, widow of band member Ronnie James Dio . Lego sets and Hasbro figures based on the film were revealed in February 2022, with additional Lego sets and Funko Pops revealed that April. The teaser trailer
6422-536: Is revealed to be a temporal variant of Don , a jet ski salesman from 2022 Cleveland who is also the single father of two sons, Kevin and Sean. In the season finale, Mobius enters Earth-616, the main universe, and observes his main counterpart at his house. As of 2024, the character has appeared in the film Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (post-credits cameo); as well as in the Disney+ series Loki . Anton Mogart (portrayed by Gaspard Ulliel )
6591-544: Is still a force for good, with enough visual ambition and heart in front of and behind the camera to stand on its own." He praised Natalie Portman's performance that "conveys why it's great to see Jane again" and Christian Bale's "striking" role that he considered as the "closest we'll get to seeing him play Pennywise the Clown , with a dash of Voldemort , but tethered to the same humility [he] brings to his most human, humbled characters." Todd Gilchrist at The A.V. Club graded
6760-572: Is still carrying the extra weight he is depicted with in Endgame , which earned him the nicknames "Fat Thor" and "Bro Thor". Waititi did note that he wanted to "keep changing it up with Thor. He's so interesting when he's changing all the time." The film is set eight years after Thor and Foster broke up, around 2024. Waititi also acknowledged fans " shipping " Valkyrie with Brie Larson 's Carol Danvers / Captain Marvel but said he did not intend to include
6929-470: Is the leader of the renegade Jabari Tribe, who shun Wakanda 's technological society and have a religious reverence for gorillas, such as decorating their armor with white gorilla pelts and worshiping the ape god, Hanuman , as a part of a complex Indo-African religion rather than the Panther god Bast . In Black Panther , M'Baku challenges T'Challa for control of Wakanda. When he is defeated in combat,
Thor: Love and Thunder - Misplaced Pages Continue
7098-408: Is voiced by Stephen Murdoch, while Carly Rees provides the motion capture performance for the character. Also returning from previous MCU media are Kat Dennings and Stellan Skarsgård as Foster's colleagues Darcy Lewis and Erik Selvig , respectively, and Idris Elba as Heimdall in the post-credits scene . Daley Pearson appears as New Asgard tour guide Darryl Jacobson, after first portraying
7267-652: The Chicago Sun-Times gave the film 2 out of 4 stars, calling it "one of the goofiest and least consequential sagas in MCU history—an allegedly wild and wacky but ultimately disappointing and disjointed chapter in the ongoing story of the God of Thunder, who seems to get more clueless with each passing movie." At the London premiere Q&A, in response to the question "How gay will the film be?" Waititi exclaimed that it would be "super gay"; critics and moviegoers who saw
7436-509: The Darkhold from Harkness, Wanda becomes corrupted by its dark magic and seeks to find a parallel universe within the multiverse where her children exist in reality. After a murderous rampage in Earth-838 , in which she clashes with Doctor Strange and America Chavez , she becomes disillusioned when Earth-838's Billy and Tommy recoil from her and cry for their real mother. Realizing
7605-634: The Ultraman Tiga TV series led to several films based on it and later installments, including Ultraman Tiga & Ultraman Dyna: Warriors of the Star of Light (1998), Ultraman Gaia: The Battle in Hyperspace (1999) and Ultraman Tiga: The Final Odyssey (2000). Adam Sternbergh of Vulture.com has stated that The Matrix (1999) was influenced by comic books, cyberpunk fiction, Japanese anime , and Hong Kong action films , reinvented
7774-459: The 2022 NBA Eastern Conference finals . Many commentators highlighted Bale's appearance as Gorr the God Butcher in the trailer. Eric Francisco of Inverse noted the similar comedic tone from Ragnarok while adding "some darker shades" with the inclusion of Gorr. He said Bale brought an "absolutely terrifying vision of Gorr the God Butcher to the screen", adding that it appears Hemsworth
7943-595: The COVID-19 pandemic , moving Thor: Love and Thunder 's release date to February 18, 2022. Pre-production on the film was delayed due to the pandemic, with Waititi unsure when production would continue. At the end of the month, Disney moved the release date up to February 11, 2022. By July, filming was set to start in early 2021. When announcing the film in July 2019, Waititi said it would adapt elements from Jason Aaron 's Mighty Thor comic books by having Foster become
8112-706: The Egyptian mythological deity Bastet ; Kuni Hashimoto as the Japanese god Jademurai; Carmen Foon as the Roman goddess Minerva ; and Stephen Hunter as the Fur God. Also appearing in the film are Kieron L. Dyer as Axl, Heimdall's son, Chris Hemsworth's daughter India as Love, Gorr's daughter, and Stephen Curry as Yakan, the ruler of the planet Indigarr. Cameos in the film include Bale, Portman, and Waititi's children as New Asgard children; Hemsworth's wife, Elsa Pataky , as
8281-562: The French political satire film Mr. Freedom (1969), the Polish parody Hydrozagadka (1970), and the American B movies Rat Pfink a Boo Boo (1966) and The Wild World of Batwoman (1966). Following the success of Star Wars which increased interest in fantasy and science fiction films, Richard Donner 's Superman (1978), the first major big-budget DC feature film,
8450-528: The Infinity Gauntlet . As of 2024, the character has appeared in the film Avengers: Infinity War . An alternate version of Maw appeared in Avengers: Endgame . An alternate version of Maw appeared in the Disney+ animated series What If...? . Billy Maximoff (portrayed by Joe Locke , Julian Hilliard , and Baylen Bielitz) and Tommy Maximoff (portrayed by Jett Klyne and Gavin Borders) are
8619-511: The MCU films , believed in April 2019 that a pitch had been made for a Ragnarok sequel that involved Waititi returning. Hemsworth said then that he would continue to play Thor for as long as possible, crediting Waititi with revitalizing his interest in the role after he became exhausted and underwhelmed with it prior to making Ragnarok . In July 2019, Waititi officially signed on to write and direct
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#17327829725758788-564: The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), and the DC Extended Universe (DCEU). The MCU alone has earned over $ 31 billion. The MCU film Avengers: Endgame (2019) is the highest-grossing superhero film to date, grossing $ 2,797,501,328 worldwide. It briefly held the record for highest-grossing film of all time before being surpassed by Avatar . Superhero stories gained popularity through comic books and were later adapted into film serials . Early examples include Mandrake
8957-588: The eighth-highest-grossing film of 2022 , as well as the second-highest-grossing film in the Thor franchise. Gorr and his daughter, Love, the last of their race, struggle in a barren desert. Despite their prayers to their god, Rapu, Love dies. The god-killing Necrosword calls to Gorr, leading him to Rapu's lush realm. After Rapu cruelly mocks and dismisses Gorr's plight, he renounces the god, causing Rapu to start strangling him. The Necrosword offers itself to Gorr, who kills Rapu with it and vows to kill all gods . Gorr
9126-497: The works of Jack Kirby and the cover of "old" Mills & Boon romance novels also serving as "visual touchstones" for the film. He said it was not serious or dramatic, but it did explore themes such as love, loss, and "our place in the world" while making the characters ask themselves the questions: "What is your purpose? What is the reason that you're a hero, and what do you do when you have these powers?" The film's ending involving Love underwent multiple revisions. James Gunn ,
9295-514: The "interplay" between Foster and Valkyrie. Footage from the film was also featured in the 2022 CineEurope presentation. Ulta Beauty partnered with Marvel Studios to create a makeup collection based on the film. On July 9, 2022, Waititi and Thompson appeared on Vanity Fair 's Notes on a Scene series, analysing the "Taste the Rainbow" scene. The video was met with criticism for what some viewers perceived as Waititi and Thompson "mocking"
9464-654: The 1980s and adopted the alias of Dr. Wendy Lawson , a physicist at Project Pegasus. Using the Tesseract , she sought to develop an experimental engine that would have allowed the Skrulls to settle beyond the reach of the Kree Empire. She is killed by Yon-Rogg , though she is able to instruct Carol Danvers to destroy the engine before Yon-Rogg is able to seize the device. The Supreme Intelligence later takes on her appearance while conversing with Danvers. As of 2024,
9633-845: The 1980s include Denshi Sentai Denziman: The Movie (1980), Flash Gordon (1980), Taiyo Sentai Sun Vulcan: The Movie (1981), Dai Sentai Goggle V: The Movie (1982), Swamp Thing (1982), Kagaku Sentai Dynaman: The Movie (1983), its sequel , Superman III (1983), Choudenshi Bioman: The Movie (1984), Supergirl (1984), Ultraman Zoffy: Ultra Warriors vs. the Giant Monster Army (1984), Ultraman Story (1984), Dengeki Sentai Changeman: The Movie and Dengeki Sentai Changeman: Shuttle Base! The Critical Moment! (1985), The Toxic Avenger (1985), Choushinsei Flashman: The Movie (1986), Choushinsei Flashman: Big Rally! Titan Boy! (1987), Hikari Sentai Maskman: The Movie (1987), Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987), Masters of
9802-451: The 2012 summer film market, with three films occupying the top three positions of the box office chart. These were Marvel's The Avengers (May 2012), which broke box office records as the highest-grossing superhero film of all time, The Dark Knight Rises (July 20, 2012), and The Amazing Spider-Man (July 12, 2012). Sif (Marvel Cinematic Universe) Mary MacPherran (portrayed by Jameela Jamil ), also known as Titania ,
9971-475: The Asgardian actors playing Loki and Odin, along with Luke Hemsworth in his Ragnarok role as the actor playing Thor. Melissa McCarthy was also revealed to be portraying an actress playing Hela alongside her husband Ben Falcone in an undisclosed role; these cameos were for a sequence where actors reenact scenes from Ragnarok . Damon filmed his part over two days. Alexander completed filming her scenes by
10140-420: The Avengers before later switching sides. In the final conflict with Ultron, Pietro dies a hero's death, saving the lives of Clint Barton and a Sokovian boy. In 2023, the witch Agatha Harkness forces Westview resident Ralph Bohner (portrayed by Evan Peters ) to impersonate Pietro to get close to Wanda within her created alternate reality. The character's reception has been lukewarm with complaints that
10309-539: The COVID-19 pandemic. Industrial Light & Magic provided the same StageCraft virtual production technology used on The Mandalorian which Waititi directed an episode of, creating a custom volume space at Fox Studios Australia. It featured more LED panels and offered a higher resolution than the original volume created for The Mandalorian . Waititi also used Satellite Lab's PlateLight technology (after previously using their Dynamiclight technology on Ragnarok ), which
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#173278297257510478-584: The COVID-19 pandemic. It surpassed Ragnarok 's opening by 19%. IMAX contributed $ 9.2 million to the weekend, becoming the third-largest July debut ever overseas. It also set several pandemic box office milestones in its opening weekend, marking the second-highest pandemic opening in Australia, New Zealand and the Philippines, while earning the third-highest in numerous territories, including Brazil, Italy, Thailand, Singapore and Argentina. As of July 24, 2022,
10647-562: The Destroyer , Mantis , Kraglin Obfonteri , Groot , and Rocket . Matt Damon , Sam Neill , and Luke Hemsworth reprise their roles as Asgardian actors respectively playing Loki , Odin , and Thor from Ragnarok , with Melissa McCarthy joining them as an Asgardian actress playing Hela , and McCarthy's husband Ben Falcone as the stage manager . Miek , who previously appeared in Ragnarok and Avengers: Endgame (2019) via CGI ,
10816-508: The Disney+ animated series What If...? . Miek (voiced by Stephen Murdoch) is a Sakaaran insectoid warrior. This version of the character is a larva-like creature as opposed to a humanoid roach like in the comic books , and initially uses an exoskeleton equipped with blades in combat. Having been freed from the Grandmaster 's prison, Miek fights alongside Thor and Korg and joins the Asgardian people in their journey to Earth after
10985-567: The Disney+ animated series What If...? . Nico Minoru (portrayed by Lyrica Okano ) is a Wiccan and a member of the Runaways who isolates herself with her gothic appearance. As of 2024, the character has appeared in the TV series Runaways . An alternate variant of the character (voiced by Grace Song) will be introduced in the upcoming animated series Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man . Mobius M. Mobius (portrayed by Owen Wilson )
11154-489: The Disney+ series Secret Invasion . Ebony Maw (voiced and portrayed via motion capture by Tom Vaughan-Lawlor ) is an adopted son of Thanos and member of the Black Order who is killed in space after being defeated by Tony Stark and Peter Parker. A past version of Maw from 2014 travels through time with Thanos's forces to stop the Avengers from foiling his plans. However, they are all disintegrated when Stark uses
11323-684: The Galaxy . Production was expected to begin in late 2020 but was delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic . Filming ultimately began in January 2021 in Sydney, Australia with Barry Idoine as the director of photography, and concluded at the beginning of June. Thor: Love and Thunder premiered at the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles , on June 23, 2022, and was released in the United States on July 8, as part of Phase Four of
11492-467: The Guardians were "in great hands" with Waititi, and he later praised Waititi's work on the script. Chris Pratt said Love and Thunder would continue the rivalry between Guardians leader Peter Quill / Star-Lord and Thor that was established in Infinity War and Endgame , while Karen Gillan said Waititi brought out the "bonkers side" of Nebula through her "pure aggression". Pre-production began in Australia by October 2020. A month later, Chris Pratt
11661-413: The Jabari join the battle against Thanos's Outriders ; M'Baku survives the Blip . In 2023, he joins the final battle against a past version of Thanos. In 2025, following T'Challa's and Ramonda's deaths, and respecting M'Baku's advice during the Talokan—Wakanda War, Shuri allows M'Baku to issue a challenge for the throne of Wakanda, which she forfeits by not showing up to, indicating that M'Baku will become
11830-455: The July 2022 date in October 2021. It is part of Phase Four of the MCU. The El Capitan Theatre hosted two sensory inclusive screenings of the film in July 2022, featuring expedited check in, a "calming" lobby, reduced capacity, and gift bags for guests with items to aid with anxiety. The film was not released in Malaysia, Brunei, Kuwait, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Oman, Qatar, and Jordan due to containing LGBT elements. Variety reported that
11999-498: The Legend of the Ten Rings (2021), with work set to begin on Love and Thunder there in March 2020 ahead of an August 2020 filming start. The production was set to receive over AU$ 24 million (US$ 18 million) of subsidies from the Australian and New South Wales governments. Marvel Studios vice president David Grant said shooting the two films back-to-back would provide continuous employment for local crews, with Love and Thunder expected to generate over AU$ 178 million (US$ 134 million) for
12168-548: The MCU. Actress Lauren Ridloff stated that she started running and muscle-building to have "the symmetry of somebody who looks like a sprinter". As of 2024, the character has appeared in the film Eternals . Malekith the Accursed (portrayed by Christopher Eccleston ) is the king of the Dark Elves who faces Thor in 2013. Eons ago, he faces Odin's father Bor and is defeated, being exiled to an alternate reality. He
12337-406: The MCU. The film received mixed reviews from critics, who praised the film for its light-heartedness, action sequences, and the performances of Hemsworth, Bale and Portman, but criticized the screenplay and tonal inconsistencies; while its humor and visual effects were met with polarized responses, many critics deemed the film inferior to Ragnarok . The film grossed $ 760.9 million worldwide, making it
12506-519: The Magician (1939), The Shadow (1940), Adventures of Captain Marvel (1941), Batman (1943), The Phantom (1943), Captain America (1944), and Superman (1948). Between 1941 and 1943, Fleischer Studios produced a series of animated short films based on the Superman comic book . In the following decades, the decline of Saturday matinee showings of serials along with turmoil in
12675-557: The Malaysian release did not happen because Disney refused to make cuts to the film requested by the Film Censorship Board of Malaysia . The Malaysian government confirmed that this was due to LGBT elements not being cut from the film. Thor: Love and Thunder was released on Disney+ on September 8, 2022, part of Disney+ Day , with the option to view the theatrical version of the film or an IMAX Enhanced version. It
12844-576: The Mighty Thor. The studio agreed to adapt Aaron's storyline and include Portman following discussions with Waititi about where the story could lead. Waititi said they stuck close to Foster's storyline from those comics and tried to adapt its best parts. He also explained that Thor having his axe Stormbreaker and then seeing his hammer Mjolnir return "in the hands of someone else" and "no longer [being] his hammer" would explore "the idea that someone's taking his place", which he felt some fans assumed would occur, but did not believe this as such. Aaron served as
13013-692: The Multiverse of Madness . Karli Morgenthau (portrayed by Erin Kellyman ) is the teenage leader of the anti-nationalist terrorist group the Flag Smashers , who were made Super Soldiers with the help of the Power Broker ( Sharon Carter ) and use violent tactics such as bombings to achieve open borders for refugees in the Baltic states . She is killed by Carter (to hide Carter's identity as
13182-703: The Power Broker) after she attempts to kill Carter and an oblivious Sam Wilson. As of 2024, the character has appeared in the Disney+ series The Falcon and the Winter Soldier . Najma (portrayed by Nimra Bucha ) is Kamran's mother, and the leader of the Clandestines , who want to return to their home dimension at any cost necessary. In 1942, Najma discovered one of the bangles at a Ten Rings temple in India, and gave it to Aisha for safekeeping when
13351-418: The Shadow Realm. The group travels to Omnipotence City to warn the other gods and ask for their help in creating an army. The leader of the gods, Zeus , is unwilling to help, thinking they can remain safe and hidden from Gorr in the city; he also believes that Gorr will not be able to achieve his stated goal of visiting the realm of Eternity , where he will be granted one wish, presumably to destroy all gods. As
13520-480: The Technicolor lunacy of writer-director [Waititi] and a cast that seems inordinately game to follow his lead." David Rooney of The Hollywood Reporter stated, "The movie feels weightless, flippant, instantly forgettable, sparking neither love nor thunder." David Sims of The Atlantic felt the film delivered a "usual lightning-streaked action and tossed-off gags, but this time, there's not enough heft behind
13689-591: The Three-Headed Monster (1964). By the 1970s, Godzilla came to be viewed as a superhero, with the magazine King of the Monsters in 1977 describing Godzilla as "Superhero of the '70s". Donald F. Glut wrote that Godzilla was "the most universally popular superhero of 1977." The year 1966 saw the debut of the Ultra Series with the kaiju TV show Ultra Q . However, with the release of
13858-626: The United States and Canada, and $ 417.7 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $ 760.9 million. It is the eighth-highest-grossing film of 2022 . The film's opening weekend earned $ 303.3 million globally, of which IMAX contributed $ 23 million, making it the third-largest July debut of all-time for the format. Deadline Hollywood calculated the film's net profit as $ 103 million, accounting for production budgets, marketing, talent participations, and other costs; box office grosses and home media revenues placed it ninth on their list of 2022's "Most Valuable Blockbusters". In
14027-426: The United States and Canada, the film was projected to gross $ 140–167 million from 4,375 theatres in its opening weekend, along with a total gross of $ 345–420 million. The film earned $ 69.5 million on its first day, which included $ 29 million from Thursday night previews. This marked the second-highest opening day and preview night of 2022, behind fellow MCU film Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness , as well as
14196-496: The United States on July 8, 2022, in 4DX , RealD 3D , IMAX , ScreenX , and Dolby Cinema . It was previously set for release on November 5, 2021, but was delayed to February 18, 2022, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It was then moved up a week to February 11 once Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness was rescheduled from November 2021 to March 2022, and delayed once again to May 6, 2022, in December 2020, before shifting to
14365-788: The Universe (1987), Bollywood 's Mr. India (1987), Ultraman: The Adventure Begins (1987), Kousoku Sentai Turboranger: The Movie (1989), and The Punisher (1989). The success of Tim Burton 's Batman (1989) and its direct follow-up, Batman Returns (1992), spawned the DC Animated Universe . Superhero movies from the 1990s include Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990) and its two sequels , RoboCop 2 (1990), Darkman (1990), Sgt. Kabukiman N.Y.P.D. (1990), The Rocketeer (1991), Shin Kamen Rider: Prologue (1992), RoboCop 3 (1993),
14534-560: The animated Batman: Mask of the Phantasm (1993), Kamen Rider ZO (1993), Kamen Rider J (1994), Gosei Sentai Dairanger: The Movie , The Shadow (1994), The Mask (1994), Ninja Sentai Kakuranger: The Movie (1994), Blankman (1994), Chouriki Sentai Ohranger: The Movie (1995), Batman Forever (1995), Judge Dredd (1995), Tank Girl (1995), Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie (1995) and
14703-401: The authorities, Mason's fate is left unknown. As of 2024, the character has appeared in the film Spider-Man: Homecoming . Rick Mason (portrayed by O-T Fagbenle ) is an old friend of Natasha Romanoff 's S.H.I.E.L.D. past. In 2016, he helps her while she is a fugitive. In 2026, he assists Nick Fury . As of 2024, the character has appeared in the film Black Widow ; as well as in
14872-455: The body of a drowning boy. After discovering that the Witches' Road was a myth created by Harkness and that he had willed it into existence, he accepts the mentorship of Harkness, who dies and returns as a ghost, and set out to search for Tommy. As of 2024, Billy and Tommy have appeared in the Disney+ series WandaVision and Agatha All Along . Alternate variants of the characters appear in
15041-410: The cast in January 2020, with pre-production expected to begin in April. Thompson confirmed a month later that Bale would star as the villain in the film, while Vin Diesel , who voices Groot in the MCU films, said he had discussed the film with Waititi and had been told the Guardians of the Galaxy would be appearing in it. In early April, Disney shifted much of their Phase Four slate of films due to
15210-424: The character Beta Ray Bill , but was unsure at that point if he would. At the end of July, Waititi said they had been writing the script off and on for over a year and he was taking another pass on it that week. He said it was very romantic, and explained that he wanted to make a romance film because he wanted to make something that he had not done before, and, as such, wrote the film as a love story. He later said
15379-533: The character again to keep the experience "a little unpredictable" in order to not become stale with audiences. Waititi noted in Titan Books ' Thor: Love and Thunder – The Official Movie Special Book , which was published in August 2023, that any additional Thor film would need to continue the character's evolution "but still in a very fun way and still giving him things to come up against" and would need to have
15548-483: The character does not appear in the film. At the beginning of May, Waititi said there were four weeks left of shooting, while Idoine said he would continue work on the film through the end of 2021. Filming wrapped on June 1, 2021, by which point Neill had revealed that singer Jenny Morris would appear in the film, making a cameo as a New Asgard citizen. Goldblum and Peter Dinklage , who was set to reprise his role as Eitri from Infinity War , had their scenes cut from
15717-505: The character has appeared in the film Captain Marvel . An alternate variant of Mar-Vell (voiced by Keri Tombazian) appeared in the Disney+ animated series What If...? . Flint Marko (motion-captured by Jon Watts , voiced by Thomas Haden Church ), also known as the Sandman , is a small-time thief from an alternate reality who received an ability to transform into sand. He is one of the villains imprisoned by Doctor Strange, and rejects
15886-500: The character or his power was not developed enough compared to the comic book version or 20th Century Fox 's X-Men film series version . As of 2024, the character has appeared in two films: Captain America: The Winter Soldier ( mid-credits cameo) and Avengers: Age of Ultron ; as well as in flashbacks and recaps in the Disney+ series WandaVision . M'Baku (portrayed by Winston Duke )
16055-552: The comic book industry slowed superhero motion picture production, with the exception of Superman and the Mole Men (1951) starring George Reeves , and Batman (1966), a big-screen extension of the Batman television series starring Adam West . Superman and the Mole Men served as a pilot for the TV series Adventures of Superman . Compilations of the series were later released theatrically. In 1957, Shintoho produced
16224-567: The concept of " faster than a speeding bullet " on-screen. Inspector Gadget and Mystery Men would then follow to close out the decade for the sub-genre. Following the success of the Kamen Rider Kuuga television series, a new era of the Kamen Rider franchise began. This led to the production of annual Kamen Rider movies, starting with Kamen Rider Agito: Project G4 in 2001. The release of Iron Man in 2008 laid
16393-420: The country's strict travel restrictions during the pandemic , since Love and Thunder was providing jobs for Australians. This prompted criticism as it was perceived that Damon, who traveled with his family, received preferential treatment to enter when many Australian nationals abroad were unable to return to the country. Sam Neill —who appeared alongside Damon in Ragnarok as an actor playing Odin —said there
16562-553: The craziest film he had ever made and explained that each element was intended to not make sense. He said it would have its own "distinct flavour" from Ragnarok , which he called a 1970s space opera with a festive, party-like tone. He saw this film as a 1980s adventure, taking inspiration from posters for films such as Conan the Barbarian (1982) and The Beastmaster (1982) as well as art seen on vans in Venice Beach , with
16731-433: The cure that Spider-Man (Peter-1) attempts to give him. He is eventually cured and safely sent to his own dimension. As of 2024, the character has appeared in the film Spider-Man: No Way Home . Church reprises his role from Spider-Man 3 (2007). Martinex (portrayed by Michael Rosenbaum ) is a member of Stakar Ogord's team of Ravagers. He visits Yondu Udonta on Contraxia along with Stakar to remind him that he
16900-765: The destruction of Asgard. Along with Korg, he survives Thanos's attack on the Asgardian starship and the Blip. He finds a new home with the Asgardians in New Asgard in Norway. Miek participates in the final battle at the destroyed Avengers Headquarters against Thanos and his army. Sometime later, Miek metamorphoses to a female form, and she organises tourism in New Asgard. As of 2024, the character has appeared in three films: Thor: Ragnarok , Avengers: Endgame and Thor: Love and Thunder . Alternate variants of Miek appeared in
17069-463: The documentary series Marvel Studios: Assembled was announced. The special on this film, " The Making of Thor: Love and Thunder ", was released on Disney+ on September 8, 2022, part of Disney+ Day. Waititi was unaware that the tagline "Thor will return" was added to the end of the film. Waititi was open to directing another Thor film if Hemsworth was also involved, stating the story would need to be "something surprising and unexpected", suggesting
17238-549: The end of the month, while Goldblum was confirmed to appear as the Grandmaster, and Russell Crowe was revealed to be appearing in the film in what was described as a "fun cameo ". Crowe finished filming his scenes in late April, around which time it was confirmed that he would play Zeus in the film. Crowe was originally set to play Satan in the film before his character was changed to Zeus. Septimus Caton would later be cast as Satan and had makeup and prosthetic tests done, but
17407-595: The energy that he uses to walk, stating that the world has "too many sorcerers". In an alternate universe designated as Earth-838, Baron Karl Mordo is the Sorcerer Supreme and a member of the Illuminati , following the betrayal of his universe's Stephen Strange. As of 2024, the character has appeared in the film Doctor Strange . The Earth-838 variant of Mordo appeared in Doctor Strange in
17576-523: The error of her ways, Wanda relents and destroys all copies of the Darkhold in the multiverse, sacrificing herself in the process. Following Wanda's death, Billy frees Harkness from a spell placed by Wanda and asks that she take him on the Witches' Road , a magical pathway where one's desires are granted after completing a series of "trials". In the final trial, Billy locates Tommy's soul and places it in
17745-586: The exaggerated aesthetic of the film." Thor's 1980s costume was influenced by Kurt Russell 's character Jack Burton in Big Trouble in Little China (1986), and his other costumes made more "flashier" compared to Foster's. Gorr's costume—unlike those of most of the characters in Love and Thunder , which were taken directly from the comics—was redesigned for the film, with Rubeo using classical sculptures as
17914-428: The fifth-highest opening day ever for an MCU film. Its opening weekend earned $ 144.2 million, which was the largest debut of the Thor franchise, the twelfth-largest for the MCU, and the third-largest for 2022, behind Multiverse of Madness ($ 187.4 million) and Jurassic World Dominion ($ 145 million). Of the $ 144.2 million figure, over $ 13.8 million came from IMAX, making it the fifth-highest July debut of all-time for
18083-521: The film Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness . Pietro Maximoff (portrayed by Aaron Taylor-Johnson ) is Wanda Maximoff's twin brother. They are introduced as Hydra assets, both acquiring superhuman powers after volunteering to be experimented upon by the Mind Stone , with Pietro gaining superhuman speed . Harboring a lifelong hatred for American arms manufacturer Tony Stark , whose bombs killed their parents, they side with Ultron against
18252-589: The film 'B', feeling that it did "[revisit] the cheeky, sentimental tone of the nearly universally beloved Thor: Ragnarok , and propels its eponymous hero into new adventures that bring full circle a journey that started with the very first, much-less-beloved Thor back in 2011." He praised Portman and Bale's performances, with the latter's character being considered "the most interesting and sympathetic Marvel adversary since Michael B. Jordan 's Killmonger in Black Panther ", and Waititi's "distinctive imagery [in
18421-426: The film becoming "meandering, left in the purgatory of a roundabout tale that makes some sense on paper but in execution fails to maintain viscosity", feeling that Marvel "doesn't know what to do with [the character] anymore." He felt that despite "striv[ing] for an emotional story about loss and love, the movie gets in its own way with tiresome relentless comedy, distracted plotting, and uneven tone." Richard Roeper of
18590-667: The film expressed disappointment that this statement was false and that Marvel queerbaited the audience. Jade King of TheGamer felt expectations from queer audiences for prominent "LGBTQ+ characters and themes" in Thor: Love and Thunder were not met, writing that "the film's creators have been out there talking up the LGBTQ+ representation when it isn't really a massive part of the experience. [...] it's time to temper your expectations and stop letting Marvel continue to queerbait us into disappointment." In June 2023, Hemsworth commented on
18759-584: The film include: Falligar the Behemoth , one of the gods slain by Gorr; the cosmic wish-granting entity Eternity ; Thor's magical goats Toothgnasher and Toothgrinder , based on the Norse mythological animals Tanngrisnir and Tanngnjóstr ; and Warsong, Valkyrie's winged steed. The latter was renamed from Aragorn as in the comics to Warsong for Love and Thunder , after previously appearing unnamed in Ragnarok and Endgame . Waititi had planned to have Jesus make
18928-690: The film include: Simon Russell Beale as the Olympian god Dionysus , based on the Greek mythological deity of the same name ; Jonathan Brugh (who appeared as Deacon Brucke in Waititi's 2014 film What We Do in the Shadows ) as Rapu, a god from Gorr's home planet who becomes his first victim; Akosia Sabet as Bast , a goddess who is a member of both the Heliopolitan and Wakandan pantheons, based on
19097-428: The film made $ 22.6 million, finishing second behind newcomer Nope . Outside of North America, Love and Thunder grossed $ 15.7 million from 17 markets on its opening day, surpassing the first-day overall results of Thor: Ragnarok (2017) by 39%. Its weekend gross was $ 159.2 million from 47 markets, making it the MCU's ninth-largest overseas debut ever and the third-largest for any Hollywood film released in
19266-420: The film rights to the property and was therefore not released theatrically or on home video . Alex Proyas ' The Crow (1994) became the first independent comic superhero film to establish a franchise. The film introduced a level of violence not seen in previous superhero films targeted at younger audiences and bridged a gap to the more modern action film . The success of The Crow may have influenced
19435-463: The film was "about love, with superheroes and outer space", and that he wanted to "embrace this thing that I was always a bit dismissive of, and explore this idea of love, and show characters who do believe in love". That October, Hemsworth said Waititi was still writing the script and expressed his excitement for doing something drastically different with his character, as he did in his previous three MCU films. Waititi later described Love and Thunder as
19604-633: The film's editors, while Jake Morrison served as the visual effects supervisor. Perception designed the film's main-on-end title sequence, drawing inspiration from 1980s rock band logos and designing approximately 250 custom fonts for the sequence. In December 2021, Michael Giacchino revealed that he would be scoring the film; he previously scored Doctor Strange (2016) and the MCU Spider-Man trilogy for Marvel Studios, as well as Waititi's previous film Jojo Rabbit (2019). A soundtrack album, featuring Giacchino's original themes along with
19773-548: The film's largest markets are the United Kingdom ($ 31.5 million), Australia ($ 25.5 million), Mexico ($ 23.2 million), South Korea ($ 22.3 million), and Brazil ($ 17.2 million). The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported an approval rating of 63%, with an average rating of 6.4/10, based on 449 reviews. The site's critics consensus reads: "In some ways, Thor: Love and Thunder feels like Ragnarok redux – but overall, it offers enough fast-paced fun to make this
19942-421: The film's response, stating: "I think we just had too much fun. It just became too silly. It's always hard being in the center of it and having any real perspective [...] you just don't know how people are going to respond." He later reflected on his own performance, believing he had become "a parody of [himself]" with the improv and "wackiness" of the film, and that he "didn’t stick the landing". In February 2021,
20111-406: The film's writers. Thor: Love and Thunder follows Thor as he attempts to find inner peace, but must return to action and recruit Valkyrie, Korg, and Foster to stop Gorr the God Butcher from eliminating all gods. Four or five drafts of the screenplay had been completed by mid-April 2020, when Waititi said the sequel was "so over the top now in the very best way" and would make Ragnarok look like
20280-402: The film, Screen Rant noted that the performances from Christian Bale and Natalie Portman were praised. Owen Gleiberman of Variety said there are "many words to describe [ Thor: Love and Thunder ]", stating "comedy is all part of the package" that made Ragnarok "such a genuine Marvel wildflower." Gleiberman wrote that the film "sustains its freshness" to the end, although it started with
20449-626: The film, Thor tries to find inner peace, but must return to action and recruit Valkyrie (Thompson), Korg (Waititi), and Jane Foster (Portman)—who is now the Mighty Thor—to stop Gorr the God Butcher (Bale) from eliminating all gods. Hemsworth and Waititi had discussed plans for a sequel to Ragnarok by January 2018. Love and Thunder was announced in July 2019, with Hemsworth, Waititi, and Thompson all set to return, as well as Portman who did not appear in Ragnarok . Waititi wanted to differentiate Love and Thunder from Ragnarok , seeking to make
20618-426: The film. Both The Ringer 's Daniel Chin and Empire 's Sophie Butcher highlighted the trailer's focus on Thor's journey of self-discovery as well as the lack of footage of Bale's Gorr. Chin remarked that the trailer was "dedicated to catching up with Thor as he rediscovers himself", and was excited for Portman's performance as Foster. He thought the trailer was a "far cry from the Thor we witnessed over
20787-546: The film; Shuma-Gorath previously appeared in the MCU film Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022) under the name Gargantos . Visual effects for the film were created by Wētā FX , Rising Sun Pictures , Framestore , Industrial Light & Magic , Method Studios , Luma Pictures , Raynault VFX, Base FX , EDI Effetti Digitali Italiani, Mammal Studios, Fin Design + Effects, and Cinesite . Matthew Schmidt , Peter S. Elliot, Tim Roche, and Jennifer Vecchiarello served as
20956-418: The film] that may disturb and upset some viewers", outpacing Sam Raimi 's accomplishments in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022). Leah Greenblatt at Entertainment Weekly also gave a similar grade, feeling that although "its cheerful melee of starry cameos, in-jokes, and Cliffs-Notes mythology, feels a lot like franchise fatigue, it also has frequent moments of gonzo charm, thanks largely to
21125-574: The first film serial featuring the tokusatsu superhero character, Super Giant , signaling a shift in Japanese popular culture toward masked superheroes in tokusatsu . Along with Astro Boy , the Super Giant film series greatly influenced later Japanese tokusatsu superhero films. Moonlight Mask also became popular around that time, with six films retelling the story of the TV series were made. Another early Japanese superhero film
21294-494: The first draft of the screenplay, but the story would change throughout filming and editing. He was unsure if the film would include the storyline from Aaron's run in which Foster suffers from breast cancer , which he said was a powerful part of the comics. Portman later said Foster's treatment from cancer would be explored in the film. Waititi added that Marvel was still discussing how much time would pass between Endgame and Love and Thunder , and that this would affect whether Thor
21463-426: The first trailer in April", citing scenes featuring Portman's the Mighty Thor, Thor "living up to his 'Space Viking' title", and Gorr's footage. Similarly, The A.V. Club 's Sam Barsanti and William Hughes also highlighted Portman and Hemsworth's Thor, Gorr's appearance, and other comedic moments in the trailer, such as when Thor is nude after Crowe's Zeus exposes his disguise. Scott Mendelson of Forbes called
21632-582: The first two Thor films after not appearing in Ragnarok , alongside other members and allies of the Guardians of the Galaxy: Pom Klementieff as Mantis , Dave Bautista as Drax the Destroyer , Karen Gillan as Nebula, and Sean Gunn as Kraglin Obfonteri ; Gunn also provides on set reference for Guardians member Rocket . Matt Damon was set to appear, after making a cameo appearance in Ragnarok as an Asgardian actor playing Loki . He received special permission to enter Australia, despite
21801-532: The flashiness." He found it a "hasty-feeling mess of a movie" and "disappointing given that it's directed by [Waititi]", although he praised Bale's and Russell Crowe's performances. David Fear of Rolling Stone felt the film was "oddly unengaging; even the love and death aspects often feel like cold transmissions from distant sources." He saw it as a mess due to the "collision of competing tones, subplots, conceptual big swings and chaos masquerading as pathos". Eric Francisco at Inverse found Chris Hemsworth's Thor in
21970-434: The format domestically. Love and Thunder was also the sixth film in the COVID-19 pandemic to earn over 10 million theater admissions in its opening weekend. Its second weekend grossed $ 46.6 million, a decline of nearly 68%, representing one of the MCU's largest sophomore weekend drops. Deadline Hollywood attributed this to its CinemaScore grade and generally mixed reception from critics and audiences. In its third weekend
22139-402: The franchise, after her character had not been included in Ragnarok , following a single meeting with Waititi, who was given creative freedom from Marvel Studios to reimagine her role in the film, in which he offered to portray the character in a different and fresh way, with a "license to be adventurous and fun and funny". Thompson and Feige added that Valkyrie's bisexuality would be addressed in
22308-593: The gods. Thor then leaves Gorr to make his decision and attends to Foster, who succumbs to her illness and dies in his arms. Moved by their display, Gorr wishes for Eternity to revive Love, which it grants. As Gorr dies from the curse, he requests Thor to take care of Love. In the aftermath, the children return to New Asgard, where Valkyrie and Sif commence their training, and a monument is erected in Foster's memory. Thor adopts Love, who accompanies him in his heroics, with Thor wielding Mjolnir and Love wielding Stormbreaker. In
22477-405: The groundwork for the Marvel Cinematic Universe . A few months later, The Dark Knight released to widespread critical acclaim and became the first superhero movie to make over $ 1 billion at the worldwide box office. 2009 saw the release of Watchmen and X-Men Origins: Wolverine . The 2010s saw a continuation and expansion of the box-office success of superhero films from the 2000s, taking
22646-495: The highest-grossing superhero film franchises since 1967 include Tsuburaya Productions ' Ultra Series , Toei Company 's Kamen Rider and Super Sentai , New Line Cinema 's Blade , 20th Century Fox 's X-Men , Sony Pictures ' Spider-Man trilogy directed by Sam Raimi , the Amazing Spider-Man duology directed by Marc Webb , Pixar 's The Incredibles , Christopher Nolan 's Dark Knight Trilogy ,
22815-576: The latter convinces him to yield. M'Baku returns the favor by looking after the wounded T'Challa following the latter's fight with N'Jadaka and agreeing to look after Ramonda . He initially declines T'Challa's request to help fight N'Jadaka, but ultimately reconsiders and leads the Jabari into battle against him. Following N'Jadaka's death, M'Baku is granted a place on Wakanda's national council. Later, in Avengers: Infinity War , he and
22984-416: The local economy. He added that the studio would work with "local educational institutions in creating internship opportunities". Jeff Goldblum said in August 2019 that there was a chance he could reprise his Ragnarok role of the Grandmaster in the sequel, and Waititi confirmed in October that he would be reprising his own role of Korg from Ragnarok and Endgame . Christian Bale entered talks to join
23153-632: The need for moral flexibility and compromise. In 2017, disillusioned with the teachings of the Ancient One after learning that the latter's immortality has been the result of her drawing on the energy of the Dark Dimension and Strange further breaking nature's laws, he decides to leave his fellow sorcerers. He comes to believe that all magic perverts and disrupts the natural order, thus causing him to set out to stop others from using it. Mordo later visits former Master Jonathan Pangborn and steals
23322-645: The new King of Wakanda. As of 2024, the character has appeared in four films: Black Panther , Avengers: Infinity War , Avengers: Endgame and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever . Dr. Henry Philip "Hank" McCoy (portrayed by Kelsey Grammer ), also known as Beast , is a mutant and a member of the X-Men . As of 2024, the character has appeared in the film The Marvels . Grammer reprises his role from X-Men: The Last Stand (2006) and X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014). Proxima Midnight (voiced and faced by Carrie Coon , motion-captured by Monique Ganderton )
23491-630: The old comics" while maintaining her heroic attributes, with advanced technology that was "flexible and versatile". As Portman was vegan , it was important to Rubeo that she make Foster's costume out of non- animal materials such as plastic and other synthetic materials. To differentiate Foster from Thor, Rubeo added "silver metallic and deeper red hues" to Foster's costume since Thor's one used "new colors", as well as her winged helmet. Rubeo created 25 costumes for Hemsworth. These included many types of Thor's typical uniform which Rubeo integrated "more vibrant colors, like reds, blues and metallic golds to match
23660-614: The original Ultraman , the franchise started focusing on superheroes. The series was met with a 36.8% average audience rate, a success. In 1967, Ultraman started expanding to films. Early films, such as Ultraman: Monster Movie Feature , were compilations or theatrical releases of TV shows' episodes. The first original Ultraman film was The 6 Ultra Brothers vs. the Monster Army , a co-production with Thailand . This rise in popularity of television superheroes in Japan led to
23829-570: The release of a film version of Spawn (1997), Image Comics ' leading character. After Marvel bought Malibu Comics (the company that owned The Men in Black comic series), Marvel and Columbia Pictures released the Men in Black film in 1997. This film was the first Marvel property to win an Academy Award and, at the time, was the highest-grossing comic book adaptation. While commercially successful, Joel Schumacher 's Batman & Robin (1997)
23998-475: The role in Marvel Studios' Team Thor short film series. Archive footage from previous MCU films of Tom Hiddleston as Loki, Anthony Hopkins as Odin, Rene Russo as Frigga , Ray Stevenson as Volstagg , Tadanobu Asano as Hogun , and Zachary Levi as Fandral is featured at the beginning of the film. Chanique Greyling portrays a young Frigga during a flashback sequence. Deities introduced in
24167-410: The score composed by him and Nami Melumad , was released by Hollywood Records and Marvel Music on July 6, 2022. The single "Mama's Got a Brand New Hammer", the film's main suite, was released on June 30. Waititi wanted the music to reflect the same aesthetic of the film with its "bombastic, loud, colorful palette". " Sweet Child o' Mine " by Guns N' Roses is featured in the film, given Guns N' Roses
24336-439: The sequel titled Ultraman Zearth 2: Superhuman Big Battle - Light and Shadow premiered. In 1998, Marvel released Blade , a darker superhero film blended with traditional action elements, featuring a title character with the powers of a vampire and an arsenal of weaponry. The success of Blade is considered the beginning of Marvel's film success, and a catalyst for further comic book film adaptations. The popularity of
24505-580: The sequel, retroactively making her Marvel Studios' first LGBTQ superhero. Marvel Studios executive Brad Winderbaum was producing the film alongside Feige. Don Harwin , the Minister for the Arts for the Australian state of New South Wales , announced at the end of July that Thor: Love and Thunder would be filmed at Fox Studios Australia in Sydney back-to-back with Marvel Studios' Shang-Chi and
24674-523: The start of the Kamen Rider and Super Sentai franchises by famous manga artist Shotaro Ishinomori in 1971 and 1975, respectively. Similarly to Ultraman , many early Kamen Rider and Super Sentai episodes were released as films. Original Kamen Rider films released before 1978 include Kamen Rider vs. Shocker , Kamen Rider vs. Ambassador Hell , Kamen Rider V3 vs. Destron Mutants, and Five Riders vs. King Dark . Original superhero characters emerged in other, more comedy-oriented films , such as
24843-721: The sub-genre's success and ubiquity to new heights. Matthew Vaughn 's adaptation of Kick-Ass was released in 2010, followed by Iron Man 2 a month later. 2011 releases included The Green Hornet , Green Lantern , and X-Men: First Class . After referencing the " Avengers Initiative " in the Iron Man films and The Incredible Hulk , Marvel released Thor on May 6, 2011, followed by Captain America: The First Avenger on July 22, 2011. While Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance (February 17, 2012) had little audience interest, superhero films dominated
25012-556: The superhero film, setting the template for modern superhero blockbusters and inspiring the superhero renaissance in the early 21st century. John Kenneth Muir , in The Encyclopedia of Superheroes on Film and Television , describes The Matrix as a revolutionary re-imagination of movie visuals, paving the way for the visuals of later superhero films. He credits it with helping to "make comic-book superheroes hip", and notes that its bullet-time effect effectively demonstrated
25181-476: The theatrical release, as did Lena Headey , who was approached by Waititi for a role in the film. Waititi said in early June 2021 that post-production would be completed by February 2022. Later in June, Diesel was confirmed to be reprising his voice role as Groot. In October 2021, the film's release date was delayed to July 8, 2022, while Simon Russell Beale was revealed to have been cast in an undisclosed role that
25350-489: The theatrical release. Lena Headey was also set to appear in the film, but her scenes were cut as well. Shortly after the release of the third Thor film, Thor: Ragnarok , in November 2017, that film's director Taika Waititi and executives from Marvel Studios met to discuss ideas for another film, which was green-lit following the positive responses to Ragnarok . Chris Hemsworth indicated in January 2018 that he
25519-472: The trailer "the real deal" compared to the teaser, and noted similarities with the Masters of the Universe franchise. He speculated that Thor and Foster would be "pining" for each other despite it being 11 years after their first encounter, and called it "a little depressing", as he hoped the two "A+ dating specimens would have moved on". He also highlighted how Gorr's scenes played with color and contrast, and
25688-631: The twin sons of Wanda Maximoff and Vision . They were created by Wanda using chaos magic within the Westview anomaly in Westview, New Jersey , a reality modeled after a fictional sitcom inspired by those Wanda watched as a child whose residents are mind-controlled by Wanda. After Wanda "gives birth" to Billy and Tommy, the twins age rapidly to five and ten years old, acquiring supernatural abilities: Billy harnesses chaos magic like his mother, while Tommy gains superhuman speed like his uncle " Pietro " (in reality, Ralph Bohner in disguise). Following
25857-413: The visual effects, on the same day that multiple VFX artists who worked for Marvel had spoken out against being "underpaid" and "overworked" by the studio's productions. Thor: Love and Thunder premiered at the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles , on June 23, 2022. The film was theatrically released in Australia on July 6, 2022, in the United Kingdom, Ireland, and New Zealand on July 7, and in
26026-466: The week of March 18. The teaser trailer released in April confirmed that Bradley Cooper would be reprising his MCU role as the voice of Rocket in the film, and Akosia Sabet was revealed to be appearing as the goddess Bast the following month. Following the appearance of Brett Goldstein in the film's mid-credits scene as Hercules , Waititi revealed in July 2022 that Feige "really wanted him" to be cast for that role. Additional characters appearing in
26195-632: The wolf woman who was one of Thor's past lovers; Indiana Evans as one of the Zeusettes; Jenny Morris as a New Asgard citizen; Chloé Gouneau as Foster's mother Elaine in a flashback sequence; Dave Cory as Dwayne, a Kronan who becomes Korg's partner in a romantic relationship; and Brett Goldstein as Zeus's son Hercules in the mid-credits scene. Jeff Goldblum and Peter Dinklage were both originally set to reprise their respective roles as Grandmaster from previous MCU media and Eitri from Avengers: Infinity War (2018), but their scenes were cut from
26364-482: The writer and director of the three Guardians of the Galaxy films, consulted on how the Guardians characters were used in Love and Thunder , with Gunn and Waititi discussing where the characters were going before Waititi began writing. Waititi read Gunn's script for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023), which is set after Love and Thunder , and then Gunn read Waititi's script and shared his thoughts, asking for some adjustments to be made. In January 2021, Gunn said
26533-420: Was Ōgon Bat (1966), starring Sonny Chiba and based on the 1931 Kamishibai superhero Ōgon Bat . The kaiju monster Godzilla , originally a villain, began to transition into a superhero role in subsequent films. He has been described as "the original radioactive superhero," due to his nuclear origin story predating Spider-Man's 1962 debut, although Godzilla did not become a hero until Ghidorah,
26702-670: Was a critical and commercial success. The same year, Toei Company 's Spider-Man reimagining and the first Super Sentai crossover film, JAKQ Dengekitai vs. Gorenger , were released. Other successful entries emerged throughout the 1980s, including Eight Riders vs. Galaxy King (1980), Kamen Rider Super-1: The Movie (1981), Richard Lester 's Superman II (1981), Spider-Man: The Dragon's Challenge (1981), and Paul Verhoeven 's RoboCop (1987). These were followed by Kamen Rider Black: Hurry to Onigashima and Kamen Rider Black: Terrifying! The Phantom House of Devil Pass , both released in 1988. Other superhero films released during
26871-438: Was a good chance he would be in the film as well, as long as he could travel from New Zealand to Australia during the pandemic. Mayes C. Rubeo served as the film's costume designer, after doing so for Ragnarok . For Love and Thunder , Rubeo focused on making clothes that reflect faithfully to the comics and fit Thor's mythology. Making of Foster's costume required 10 set constructions . Rubeo created Foster's costume "based on
27040-432: Was critically panned for its campiness and deviation from the darker style of the series' first two films directed by Tim Burton. Some have cited it as a factor in the temporary decline of the superhero film sub-genre. Starting with the 1990s, original Ultraman films became more common. In 1996, Tsuburaya released Ultraman Zearth , which parodied the original TV series and later installments. The following year,
27209-530: Was grating in Jojo Rabbit ." However, he noted that the film "is clouded by its uncertain place in the universe from the moment it starts". Nick Allen at RogerEbert.com gave the film 3 out of 4 stars, stating that it was "more or less a victory lap for all that [Waititi] achieved with his previous Marvel film, the often hilarious, rousing, and plainly refreshing Thor: Ragnarok . And while it has too many familiar flourishes and jokes, this entertaining sequel
27378-502: Was interested in continuing to play Thor in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), despite his contract with Marvel Studios being set to end with his role in Avengers: Endgame (2019). By then, Hemsworth and Waititi had discussed what they would want in a potential fourth Thor film, and Hemsworth said a month later that he would consider returning if there was "another great script". Tessa Thompson , who plays Valkyrie in
27547-451: Was previously fractured by Hela , might heal her. Due to an enchantment Thor unknowingly placed on it years earlier to protect Foster, Mjolnir reforges and bonds itself to her. Thor arrives in New Asgard just as Gorr's attack begins. Thor is surprised to find Foster wielding Mjolnir, but teams up with her, Valkyrie , and Korg to fight Gorr. The group thwarts Gorr, but he escapes, kidnapping several Asgardian children and imprisoning them in
27716-413: Was ready to pass the mantle of Thor to Portman. Jennifer Ouellette of Ars Technica noted that Gorr's scenes featured a different color palette, being shown in "primarily gray tones", which she felt made the contrast between other characters "more stark". Zach Seemayer from Entertainment Tonight felt that it "gives fans everything they've been hoping for from the brief flashes of important moments from
27885-427: Was released by Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment on Ultra HD Blu-ray , Blu-ray , and DVD on September 27. The home media includes audio commentary, deleted scenes, a gag reel, and various behind-the-scenes featurettes. According to the streaming aggregator JustWatch , Thor: Love and Thunder was the 3rd most streamed film in the United States in 2022. Thor: Love and Thunder grossed $ 343.3 million in
28054-413: Was released on April 18, and commentators discussed its ending, which debuted Portman's Foster in the Mighty Thor costume and wielding a restored version of Thor's hammer Mjolnir. Marco Vito Oddo of Collider and Ryan Parker from The Hollywood Reporter highlighted the use of "Sweet Child o' Mine", which Oddo felt indicated Waititi would "keep the hard rock aesthetics that helped Thor: Ragnarok become
28223-489: Was revealed to be reprising his role as Guardians of the Galaxy leader Peter Quill / Star-Lord. Given the ensemble nature of the cast, industry insiders described the film as feeling like " Avengers 5 ". In December, Feige revealed that the film's release was delayed again, this time to May 6, 2022, and he announced that Bale would portray Gorr the God Butcher in the film. Jaimie Alexander was also revealed to be reprising her MCU role in Love and Thunder , returning as Sif from
28392-458: Was subsequently confirmed to be the Olympian god Dionysus , though the scene Beale appeared in was ultimately cut from the final film and the actor was relegated to an extra role in Love and Thunder . Additional photography for the film took place in early 2022. At the start of March, further reshoots were revealed to be happening "in the coming weeks", and were said to have begun with Bale by
28561-572: Was then attacked by the British Armed Forces. She found Aisha in an Indian village five years later, during the Partition of India, and asked Aisha to return the bangle and come with her so they could return home. When she realized Aisha had no intention of relinquishing the bangle or going back home with them, Najma stabbed Aisha and left her to die. In 2025, Najma sensed that Kamala Khan had Aisha's bangle and realized Aisha had started
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