Recently released Thor: Love and Thunder images teased the God of Thunder's new relationship with Mantis.
The stills were first published in Total Film magazine. The first photo spotlights the return of Chris Hemsworth's shredded figure, as Thor relaxes with a drink aboard the Guardians of the Galaxy's starship, The Benatar. The second offers fans a closer look at Jane Foster's Mighty Thor costume, while also highlighting actor Natalie Portman's own impressive physique. The third depicts a scene between Thor and his Guardians of the Galaxy teammates Peter Quill/Star-Lord (Chris Pratt) and Mantis (Pom Klementieff). Mantis' stern expression suggests she's midway through lecturing the Odinson, which indicates their friendship has developed since Avengers: Endgame.
The images arrive hot on the heels of a new Thor: Love and Thunder trailer that places more emphasis on the upcoming Marvel Cinematic Universe blockbuster's supporting cast. Not only do the Guardians of the Galaxy feature prominently, but Thor's long-time allies Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson), Korg (Taika Waititi) and Miek are all present and accounted for. The new trailer also hypes the arrival of the MCU's newest villain, Gorr the God Butcher, played by Oscar-winning actor Christian Bale.
With Thor: Love and Thunder's premiere inching ever closer, Hemsworth recently reflected on his MCU career to date. The Aussie actor described signing on for the first Thor film as a "leap of faith," while also admitting that he was just happy to have a job. "When I got the film, there was a number of things that went through my head," he said. "First, was it was great to be employed, it was great that I was going to get my visa extended, I was going to be a part of something that sounded big and exciting, but I didn’t have a whole lot of details beyond that."
Hemsworth also confessed that he was disappointed with his performance in Thor: The Dark World, which directly impacted how he approached its sequels, Thor: Ragnarok and Thor: Love and Thunder. The star explained that the Asgardian superhero's lack of growth in The Dark World left him feeling bored with the character. Then-incoming franchise director Taika Waititi agreed, and the pair made a pact to continually change things up in future Thor installments.
More recently, Hemsworth hinted that his time as Thor may be drawing to a close. "Well the last [Marvel movie] I shot was Thor: Love and Thunder and it might be my last Marvel movie, I don't know. It was a wild and fun and wacky experience, as all Taika Waititi movies are," he said.
Thor: Love and Thunder arrives in theaters on July 8.
Source: Total Film, via Games Radar+