Marvel’s Thor character never did much for me since I’m not a big fantasy guy. I enjoyed the first “Thor” film due to Kenneth Branagh’s grand, Shakespearean style direction. The second entry, “Thor: The Dark World,” is one of the worst Marvel films, in my opinion. But I was utterly unprepared for the quirky, left turn that acclaimed director Taika Waititi brought to “Thor: Ragnarok.” The bold and wacky movie deconstructed the god of thunder (complete with a sexy as hell haircut) and introduced the fan-favorite characters of Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson) and Korg (voiced by the director himself.) The movie played like a buddy comedy with Mark Ruffalo’s Hulk and took some big swings like destroying Thor’s beloved hammer and the mystical realm of Asgard.
After releasing a teaser a few months back, this is the second trailer for “Thor Love and Thunder.” In the two-minute clip, we get our first glimpse of Christian Bale’s baddie Gorr, the self-proclaimed god butcher. Decked out in ghostly white makeup and draped in a hood, Bale is a menacing presence and looks like he’ll be a good foil for the mighty Thor. There’s more of Natalie Portman’s Jane Foster, and she seems to be having fun with her new, super-powered incarnation. The Guardians of the Galaxy are featured, but we’ll see if they are just guest stars or a more significant part of the film. And it’s nice to see Thompson’s Valkyrie, who looks to be rebuilding Asgard and still ruling as King (or Queen?)
We still don’t get much of a plot other than Gorr is on a quest to kill all the gods, and Thor is trying to get his mojo back after the events of “Avengers: Endgame” (but not his hammer, apparently.) Waititi’s colorful visuals and quirky humor are all over the trailer. It’s genuinely funny, and the lighthearted tone is welcome. But I hope there is a compelling plot to keep us engaged. “Ragnarok” had several dramatic beats that grounded the heightened, stylized tone.
“Thor Love and Thunder” drops on July 8, 2022. Check out the trailer below:
That hammer gets passed around more than a cheap bottle of wine!