The working title for Taika Waititi's Thor: Love and Thunder is a hilarious callback to two things: Thor's formally overweight physique, and Seinfeld.This revelation came courtesy of DisInsider editor in chief Skyler Shuler, who wrote "THOR: LOVE AND THUNDER's working title is THE BIG SALAD..." On a Marvel-related level, this line is seemingly an homage to the Avengers: Endgame scene where Thor tearfully reunites with his mother Queen Frigga in the Thor: The Dark World timeline. Despite foreseeing the events that will lead to her death, Frigga helps gives her son closure and regain his lost confidence, but ends their reunion with a plea that he "eat a salad," noting Thor's extensive weight gain post-Thanos' snap.
At the same time, the wordplay also references a Seinfeld episode called "The Big Salad," whose title derives from a scenario where George buys Elaine the titular big salad. However, being George, he becomes obsessed with receiving credit for the deed after Elaine thanks his girlfriend, who physically handed her the salad, instead of himself. In traditional Seinfeld fashion, this leads to arguments and a breakup.
Thor's shocking obesity in Endgame -- dubbed "Lebowski Thor" due to his bathrobe-and-shades appearance resembling Jeff Bridges' The Dude -- was a byproduct of the Asgardian falling into depression over his guilt to properly kill Thanos in Infinity War before he could snap half the universe out of existence.
Though Chris Hemsworth will return to Love and Thunder with his trademark muscular physique, he may not necessarily be Thor. As a loose adaptation of 2016's The Mighty Thor, that title will be handed to Natalie Portman's Jane Foster, who becomes worthy to wield Mjolnir in the comics after Thor (temporarily dubbed Odinson) is rendered unworthy during Original Sin. While this granted Jane the Thunder god's abilities, strength and golden locks, it also unwittingly put her mortal life at risk due to the hammer expelling all forms of radiation from its wielder's body during transformations, including the chemotherapy Jane underwent to treat her breast cancer.
Directed by Taika Waititi, Thor: Love and Thunder stars Chris Hemsworth as Thor, Tessa Thompson as Valkyrie and Natalie Portman as Jane Foster. The film arrives in theaters Feb. 11, 2022.
Source: Twitter