When you hear someone mention the Asgardian god of thunder, does the name “Thor Odinson” ring a bell? I am pretty sure it does for most of the people out there. The Marvel Comics and its subsequent movie adaptations did a fantastic job in popularizing that said character worldwide. The Marvel films especially play a huge role in the explosive exposure of Thor’s fictional character. Considering the integral factor that it has not only become one of the most prominent characters in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but it has also been emerging as one of the child’s favorite superheroes over the years. As with every Thor movie in the said franchise, the depiction of the fantastical Asgardian life and their battles, Thor and Loki sibling dynamics and the great sense of humour have more or less swoop the viewers’ hearts in just a little time. Thus, it does not come as a surprise that after the film Thor: Ragnarok (2017), the announcement of its 2022 sequel “Thor: Love and Thunder” brought immense joy to the fandom.
From a Norse mythological god of the same name to become the fictional character in Marvel Cinematic Universe, Thor Odinson or simply “Thor,” has gathered Love from fans globally. Seeing the said character in question’s attention, Disney Plus has thought it better to release this new film on their streaming platform.
Curious to know more? Here are all the details you need to know about the fictional character Thor and its new movie – Thor: Love and Thunder. Check them out now.
Who is Thor – The God of Thunder?
Before delving into information concerning the recent movie, we also need to talk about where the actual origin of the said character lies. Would it not hurt to have some extra information on our hands? So, here it goes.
What was the Inspiration?
Did you know that the character of “Thor” is inspired by a prominent god in Germanic paganism? As per the Norse mythology:
- Thor happens to be a hammer-wielding god.
Who, more or less, is associated with:
- Lightning.
- Thunder
- Storms.
- Sacred groves and trees.
- Strength.
- The protection of humanity.
- Hallowing, and
- Fertility.
Besides that, did you also know that in Old Norse Þórr, the said deity occurs in:
- Old English as Þunor.
- Old Frisian as Thuner
- Old Saxon as Thunar
- Old High German as Donar.
All of them more or less stem from the Proto-Germanic theonym *Þun(a)Raz, which means ‘Thunder.’
Historical Record:
Surprisingly enough, Thor is also prominently mentioned throughout the recorded history of the Germanic people:
- Ranging from the Roman occupation of regions of Germany to the Germanic expansions of the Migration Period.
- Ultimately led to his high popularity during the Viking Age.
- Seeing that during the Christianization of Scandinavia, the emblems of Mjölnir (his hammer) and pagan personal names contain the name of the god.
However, the narrative featuring his tale can only be found in Old Norse because of the nature of the Germanic Corpus, primarily recorded in Iceland.
While on the other hand,
- He is still, to this day, acknowledged in rural folklore throughout Germanic-speaking Europe.
Love-life and Personal Details:
Besides that, we also happen to find out some interesting details about him from his original tale:
- The deity has at least fifteen names in total.
- His general description includes his fierce eyes, red hair, and red beard.
- In the tale, it is told that he rides in a cart or chariot pulled by two goats, Tanngrisnir and Tanngnjóstr (that he eats and resurrects).
- He also has numerous brothers.
Moreover,
- He is the husband of the golden-haired goddess Sif.
- As well as the lover of the jötunn Járnsaxa.
- With his wife, he has fathered the goddess (and possibly valkyrie) Þrúðr.
- With Járnsaxa, he has generated Magni.
- He is also the father of Móði, although his mother’s name is unknown.
Furthermore,
- He also is the stepfather of the god Ullr.
Arsenal of Weapons:
Thor has a collection of weapons that aid him in battles. For instance:
- He wields the hammer Mjölnir.
- He wears the belt Megingjörð and the iron gloves Járngreipr.
- He also owns the staff Gríðarvölr.
Marvel’s Fictional Character “Thor”
Basic Details:
However, when we talk about Marvel character that is based on the Norse mythological god:
- Thor Odinson, or “Thor,” is a fictional character in American comic books published under Marvel Comics.
- It made its debut in the Silver Age of Comic Books.
- Making its first appearance in the science fiction/fantasy anthology title Journey into Mystery #83 – August 1962.
- The said character was the result of the creative expertise of the artist Jack Kirby, writer Stan Lee, and scripter Larry Lieber.
Stan Lee, in 2002, shares insight about the creation of Thor, where he highlights that he wanted to make “someone stronger than the strongest person,” but the question was “how” to achieve all of that in a single human being.
Thus, “it finally came to [him]” that “Don’t make him human — make him a god” instead.
Henceforth, the rest is said to be history!
Powers and Abilities:
The god of thunder possesses the following powers and abilities:
- Superhuman
- Strength
- Speed
- Stamina
- Durability and longevity
Besides those, he also happens to have an enchanted hammer, Mjolnir, that more or less enables him abilities like
- Inter-dimensional teleportation
- Electricity manipulation
- Weather manipulation
- Flight
Team Affiliations:
He is the affiliate member of the following teams:
- Asgard
- Avengers
- Warriors Three
- Thor Corps
- God Squad
- Avengers Unity Squad
Notable Aliases Throughout His Marvel Journey:
After revisiting Norse mythology, he knows that the said god has many names. However, like its original tale, the fictionalized character also had notable aliases over the years. Some of them are:
- Siegmund
- Siegfried
- Dr. Donald Blake
- Jake Olson
- Sigurd Jarlson
- Eric Masterson
- Odinson
- Herald of Thunder
Appearing in Several Marvel Cinematic Universe films?
Chris Hemsworth portrays the character of “Thor” in numerous Marvel Cinematic Universe movies. For instance:
- Thor (2011)
- The Avengers (2012)
- Thor: The Dark World (2013)
- Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)
- Doctor Strange (2016, cameo)
- Thor: Ragnarok (2017)
- Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
- Avengers: Endgame (2019)
And, of course, the most recent one:
- Thor: Love and Thunder (2022).
Besides that, the alternative versions of the character also appear in the Disney Plus series What If…? (2021).
Thor: Love and Thunder – Disney Plus Release Date Announced?
Even though the new movie, Thor: Love and Thunder, already made its box debut in:
- June 23, 2022 (El Capitan Theatre)
- July 8, 2022 (United States)
And was a great success as well, seeing that it subsequently earned 747.7 million USD dollars from its release – which is much more than their 250 million USD budget for the film.
It is again back to making its television debut as we heard the great news that MCU film is arriving on the Disney Plus streaming platform. As per the official announcement:
- It is going to air on Thursday, September 8, 2022.
Thor: Love and Thunder – What is the Airing Time on Disney Plus?
Considering the main fact that the launch timing for Disney Plus new release is usually around:
- Midnight PT/3 A.M. ET in the US
- 8 A.M./ET in the UK.
Therefore, it is most likely that we can expect the same from the arrival of Thor: Love and Thunder on Disney Plus.
Thor: Love and Thunder – Plot Summary:
*** SPOILER ALERT FOR THOSE WHO HAVE NOT WATCHED THE MOVIE ***
Seeing that the recent film “Thor: Love and Thunder” is a sequel to “Thor: Ragnarok” and thus witnessing the course of events that follow both Ragnarok and Avengers: Endgame. It does not come as a surprise that:
- Soon after the events of Avengers: Endgame, Thor embarks on a journey to find inner peace – as we see him join the Guardian of the Galaxy after passing his Asgardian Throne to Valkyrie.
- However, his quest for a serene and tranquil life is short-lived as Gorr the God Butcher starts to create havoc.
- More or less, Gorr happens to be a galactic killer who wishes nothing but the extinction of the gods.
- However, there is more to his story, as he does not just wake up one morning and suddenly think he wants to wipe out the gods from the universe.
- It all began when Gorr’s daughter, Love, died a slow and painful death in a barren desert.
- Both father and daughter were struggling in that desert, and despite their consistent praying to god, they were not saved. Which ultimately led to Love’s death.
- Not only that, when he goes to Rapu’s (their god) realm to beg for mercy, Rapu cruelly dismisses Gorr’s plight.
- As a result, Rapu renounces the god that led to Rapu strangling him.
- Eventually, the god-killing Necrosword weapon calls upon Gorr and offers himself to him to kill Rapu, which he gladly does. Subsequently, vowing to kill all gods as well.
- Unfortunately, Asgard happens to be his next target as per the Sif.
- Thus, to protect Asgard and avoid this threat, Thor forms a team of King Valkyrie, Korg and ex-girlfriend Jane Foster (who surprisingly wields Mjolnir).
Thor: Love and Thunder: Who is Returning as Cast?
The names of the ensemble cast are given below:
Main Cast Members of Thor: Love and Thunder::
- Chris Hemsworth as Thor (Hemsworth’s twin sons Sasha and Tristan portray Thor as a child)
- Christian Bale as Gorr the God Butcher.
- Tessa Thompson as Valkyrie.
- Jaimie Alexander as Sif.
- Taika Waititi as Korg.
- Russell Crowe as Zeus.
- Natalie Portman as Jane Foster / Mighty Thor.
Thor: Love and Thunder: Recurring Cast Members:
Besides them, the Guardians of the Galaxy also appear in the film. For instance:
- Chris Pratt as Peter Quill / Star-Lord.
- Dave Bautista as Drax the Destroyer.
- Karen Gillan as Nebula.
- Pom Klementieff as Mantis.
- Sean Gunn as Kraglin Obfonteri.
- Vin Diesel as Groot.
- Bradley Cooper as Rocket.
While on the other hand, the following are reprising their roles as Asgardian actors:
- Matt Damon as Loki.
- Sam Neill as Odin.
- Luke Hemsworth as Thor.
- Melissa McCarthy as Hela (new addition).
- McCarthy’s husband, Ben Falcone as the stage manager (new addition).
Additionally, returning from previous “Thor” films are:
- Stephen Murdoch voices Miek.
- Kat Dennings as Darcy Lewis.
- Stellan Skarsgård as Erik Selvig,
- Idris Elba as Heimdall in the post-credits scene.
- Daley Pearson as Darryl Jacobson.
Archive Footage Used in Thor: Love and Thunder:
Moreover, archive footage from previous MCU films is also used:
- Tom Hiddleston as Loki
- Anthony Hopkins as Odin.
- Rene Russo as Frigga.
- Ray Stevenson as Volstagg.
- Tadanobu Asano as Hogun.
- Zachary Levi as Fandral
Other Cast Members:
- Chanique Greyling portrays a young Frigga during a flashback sequence.
- Simon Russell Beale as the Olympian god Dionysus
- Jonathan Brugh as the god Rapu.
- Akosia Sabet as the goddess Bast
- Kuni Hashimoto as the Japanese god Jademurai.
- Carmen Foon as the Roman goddess Minerva.
- Stephen Curry plays Yakan, the ruler of the planet Indigarr.
- Kieron L. Dyer portrays Axl, Heimdall’s son.
- Chris Hemsworth’s daughter India plays Love (Gorr’s daughter).
- Hemsworth’s wife Elsa Pataky cameos as the wolf woman (Thor’s past lovers)
- Actress and singer Indiana Evans appears as one of the Zeusette.
- Singer Jenny Morris appears as a New Asgard citizen.
- Brett Goldstein appears as Zeus’ son Hercules in the mid-credits scene.
