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Chris Hemsworth did enough triceps Pulldowns to work his way into his fourth Thor film, director Taika Waititi’s Thor: Love and Thunder. That’s a feat no live-action Avenger movie has matched.
But when the trailer for the new film went online on Monday, all eyes were on the masked Thor, who ended up wielding the mystical hammer Mjolnir. Not a god, but a goddess.
That would be Jane Foster, played by Natalie Portman. The Oscar-winner starred alongside Hemsworth as a love interest in the first two Thor films. She was noticeably absent from the third Thor movie (Waititi’s first in the director’s chair), which appeared to be done with the franchise until it was announced at San Diego Comic-Con 2019 that she would be back for Thor 4 — and not only than the object of Thor’s affections, but as the possessor of the most powerful hammer in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
The Foster version of Thor first appeared in the 2014 Thor comic by Jason Aaron and Russell Dauterman. Thor himself became unworthy to wield Mjolnir, unable to lift the magical hammer off the ground, paving the way for the new female Thor. Her true identity was kept from him for months during her first comics run, and it’s likely to be a big secret since she’s also introduced in the MCU, adding even more comedic fodder to one of Marvel Studios’ funniest franchises as the old Thor tries Find out who the new Thor is.
Judging by the trailer, the Guardians of the Galaxy are nearby in this movie too, at least for a moment. The crew of misfits led by Star-Lord (Chris Pratt) made an unequal pact with Thor at the end of Avengers: Endgame, and they remain together at least until Thor sets out to uncover the secret of the new Thor and the Solve this movie’s big villain: Batman!
Well, not the one streaming on HBO Max, but Christian Bale, star of Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy, who plays Gorr the God Butcher, the villain who will likely bring the two Thors together on screen.
Bale isn’t featured in this brief preview, but a first look should appear in the next full trailer for Love and Thunder before it hits theaters on July 8.