Thor: Love and Thunder director Taika Waititi has revealed how much time has passed in the upcoming film since Avengers: Endgame's climatic battle.
"I think probably the number of years since we’ve seen [Endgame]. It’s probably four years. Is that right?" Waititi pondered. The director, who also co-wrote the film's script with Jennifer Kaytin Robinson and stars in the film as Korg, additionally opened up about Thor's state of mind in Love and Thunder. "He’s questioning his purpose in life and place in the world, and that’s where we find him. It makes sense to me, for that character. Because to make characters like that interesting, you’ve got to give them challenges. They can’t always be like, ‘Oh, my hammer’s broken.’ You’ve got to make a lot of their challenges internal, when they’re a god."
In a previous interview, Waititi had joked that Love and Thunder was set "just after the Death Star blew up," referencing the ending of the 1977 film Star Wars. Chris Hemsworth, who reprises his role as the God of Thunder from previous Marvel Cinematic Universe films, had stated that the film would pick up where Endgame left off, with Thor going "off on a journey of self-discovery with the Guardians of the Galaxy." Avengers: Endgame was released in 2019, but was set in 2023, meaning Thor: Love and Thunder takes the MCU into 2027. For reference, Marvel's recent Disney+ shows Moon Knight and Ms. Marvel are set between 2024 and 2025.
Love and Thunder will also touch on how Thor has grown disillusioned with his role as a superhero and how he sets off on a quest to discover who he really is. Unfortunately for Thor, his journey of self-discovery is cut short after crossing paths with Christian Bale's Gorr the God Butcher, who is on a crusade to eliminate all gods from the universe. Early reactions from critics who attended the movie's premiere described Love and Thunder as funny, emotional and bombastic.
In addition to Waititi, Hemsworth and Bale, Thor: Love and Thunder's ensemble cast includes Tessa Thompson as Valkyrie, Natalie Portman as Jane Foster/Mighty Thor, Jaimie Alexander as Lady Sif, Russell Crowe as Zeus, Chris Pratt as Star-Lord, Pom Klementieff as Mantis, Dave Bautista as Drax, Karen Gillan as Nebula, Bradley Cooper as Rocket and Vin Diesel as Groot.
Fans can now pre-order tickets for Thor: Love and Thunder, which opens in theaters on July 8.
Source: Total Film