Source – YouTube
The trailer for ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’ has dropped, and I have to say, without a doubt, it looks…zzzz. Granted this is the first trailer, and you can only deduce so much, but this looks like a comedy aimed at making Thor a goof in his own movie, while everyone else around him plays the serious part to save the day. The scenes with Chris Hemsworth, are comedy gold, but is that what comic book fans are looking for in their Thor movies…a self deprecating god, that seems to have reverted to his ignorant childish self from the first Thor movie? Thor is a very serious character in the comic books, but has been taken very lightly, and even made fun of at times, in the last three times we saw him. It would seem that the director,Taika Waititi, wanted to go the route James Gunn did in his Guardians of the Galaxy movies. That’s the problem though…we already have a Marvel comic book relief franchise in Guardians of the Galaxy, and Thor should not be a part of that. The real question, however, is…do we need another Thor movie?
Another Movie Where Thor Finds Himself Again
This teaser trailer for ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’, mind you this trailer should have been out 3 months ago, and we should be seeing a trailer with actual plot points by now, is just crap. According to the trailer, which is layered with the song ‘Sweet Child O’ Mine’ by Guns and Roses, and has nothing to do with the story, we’re getting another movie where Thor is finding himself again. We’ve been there and done that. The MCU and Kevin Feige, are so stuck in their formulaic, cookie cutter way of telling a story, that all semblance of originality or deference to Thor’s wealth of stories, is lost on them. Instead, we’re subjected to a Thor that is starting over yet again, claiming his super heroing days are over, and that his weapons are now tools for peace. The Thor I grew up with exuded confidence and focus. This Thor is nothing more than a man-child looking for someone to steer him in the right direction. Enter Natalie Portman’s ‘The Mighty Thor’ to save the day. It’s a shame, because all Marvel is doing is under utilizing Chris Hemsworth’s talent to play Thor. The trailer also subjects us to “King Valkryie” lording over New Asgard, breaking all kinds of stereotypes that is now the Marvel way.
Related: Jane Foster…The Mighty Thor?
New and Improved (Gender Appropriate) Thor
‘Thor: Love and Thunder’, in my opinion, is going to cement Kevin Feige’s mission to change the once and powerful MCU into the M-She-U. Since the first Avengers movie, he has been obsessed with making it his long term goal to rid the MCU of all white male leads, and either race or gender swap them for characters that failed in the comic books. Captain America has been race swapped with Sam Wilson, AKA The Falcon, Hawkeye has been gender swapped for Kate Bishop, Iron Man will be gender swapped for a character named Iron Heart, Hulk has been emasculated, Ant-Man has been made second string to the Wasp in his own movies, and Dr. Strange might be killed off in ‘Dr. Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’. Thor is no different, as he is mitigated to the comic relief, next to the serious new female Thor portrayed by Natalie Portman. The last scene in the trailer, is the big reveal of Portman as female Thor coming to save the day from a feckless Thor. It’s worth noting that the director and new Marvel Legends action figure lines, refer to female Thor as The Mighty Thor. The powers at be will say this is in accordance with the comic book featuring female Thor, but more likely is a slight to the real Thor, who is The Mighty Thor in the comic books. Meaning, the idea is to portray Natalie Portman’s Thor, as the real, new and improved Thor.
The Road to the M-She-U is Complete
The question is, however, do we really need another Thor movie? ‘Thor: Ragnarok’, albeit a subpar movie that relegated itself as a James Gunn wannabe Guardians of the Galaxy movie, saw Thor as a character, come full circle on his purpose and who he was as a character. ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’, at least according to the trailer, sees Thor as a character revert back to his immature ways we saw at the beginning of the first Thor movie. I would think that all the loss Thor experienced from the first Thor movie, to ‘Avengers: Endgame’, would have matured Thor into an older, wiser version of himself. But that’s the result of Taika Waititi, apparently given free reign to make the movie he wanted to make, showing no apparent knowledge of who Thor as a character really is. ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’ has been shoe horned in, to help Kevin Feige push an agenda of having the MCU become the all female M-She-U, that will complete his excise of all the main white male Avengers.
Thor Love and Thunder Will be a Shadow of the MCU’s Former Self
‘Thor: Love and Thunder’, in my opinion, will only be a success because of Chris Hemsworth’s star power and that is it. Chris Hemsworth is a great actor that can do it all from playing it serious, to being comedic. But in the ned, ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’ will be a one and done, that everyone will quickly forget about, and reminisce for the good old days when Marvel movies were good, had a stated goal, but didn’t have an agenda. Kevin Feige is on a big losing streak with MCU movies, and although ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’ might be a moderate success, it won’t be because of the story, it will be because fans are thirsting for a hero they remembered from the comic books. It will be a success because fans are clinging to a past when Marvel stuck to great storytelling. All Marvel is doing now is waving identity politics as their mantra, and making it the foundation of their franchises gong forward. ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’ might give Kevin Feige the hit he needs to continue his destruction of the MCU, but it will be an empty shallow success, that bodes ill for the future state of the MCU.
