Thor is doing something not even Iron Man and Steve Rogers have accomplished - getting a fourth movie. We last saw Thor save the universe from destruction inAvengers: Endgameand later blasting off into space with theGuardians of the Galaxy. His next film,Thor: Love and Thunder, is the latest installment in the Thor franchise and will feature a host of Marvel characters, old and new. But how much do we know aboutThor 4? Well, let’s find out!
Editor’s Note: This piece was updated on May 25, to add the latest trailer.
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Is There a Trailer for Thor: Love and Thunder?
Marvel Studios unveiled the long-awaited first trailer forThor: Love and Thunderon July 26, 2025. With only 81 days untilTaika Waititi’s colorful blockbuster hits theaters, the first trailer now holds the record in the MCU for the shortest gap in time between the release of the first trailer and the film’s actual release date, beating outThe Incredible Hulk, which had a 93-day gap. While this may raise some eye-brows, it may because Marvel Studios already has their hands full at the moment in the marketing department withMoon Knightcurrently airing and the forthcoming releases of bothDoctor Strange in the Multiverse of MadnessandMs. Marvel.
A second trailer for the superhero sequel debuted on June 27, 2025, giving fans their best look yet at the film’s plot, the dynamic shared between Thor, Jane, Valkyrie, and Korg as well as the first official look atChristian Baleas the menacing and frightening Gorr the God Butcher and a full look atRussell Croweas Zeus, after getting a brief glimpse in the first trailer.
When Is Thor: Love and Thunder’s Release Date?
During the project’s announcement at San-Diego Comic-Con in 2019, the film was slated for release on November 5th, 2021. Of course, the pandemic caused Marvel to shift its entire schedule, so the currentThor 4release date is now August 10, 2025. It was previously set for May, but Disney decided to push all their Marvel movies back, so the May date is now held byDoctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness,andwe’ll getThor: Love and Thundera couple of months later.
Who Is (and Is Not) in Thor: Love and Thunder?
Russell Croweis set to make his MCU debut as the god Zeus! Crowe’s character would mark the first appearance of Greek mythology in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. We also know thatChristian Baleis playing the film’s villain, Gorr The God Butcher. A character who, like his name implies, is on a mission tofight the gods. Will Thor, Zeus, and other gods have to team up to stop Gorr? We’ll just have to wait and see. This isn’t even Crowe’s only forthcoming Marvel role as he’ll also be playing an entirely different character in Sony’sKraven the Hunter.
We also learned thatTom Hiddlestonwould not be returning as Loki. The character was killed off inAvengers: Infinity Warby the Mad Titan Thanos. So while Hiddleston is playing a different version of Loki in his own Disney+ series, he’ll likely never cross paths with this version of Thor again, which is a little disappointing. But if Hiddleston isn’t returning, who is?
Who Is Returning for Thor 4?
TheThor 4cast is stacked with tons of talented actors. We, of course, haveChris Hemsworthreturning as Thor Odinson andTessa Thompson(Valkyrie) andTaika Waititi(Korg) reprising their roles fromThor: Ragnarok.Jaime Alexander(Lady Sif) andChris Pratt(Star-Lord) are also returning to the film.Karen Gillan(Nebula) andDave Bautista(Drax) will also be appearing in the film as the rest of Guardians of the Galaxy making appearances. It makes sense, considering Thor is with them at the end ofAvengers: Endgame, but it has not been confirmed.
Matt Damonwill be making an appearance in this film as well. He had a brief cameo inThor: Ragnarokwhere he played an Asgardian actor portraying Loki in a stageplay. As of now, we don’t know if he is reprising the same role or playing a different character entirely.
Lastly, we haveNatalie Portmanmaking her return to the MCU. She hasn’t been featured in the MCU sinceThor: The Dark World, and this time she is wielding Mjolnir. Director Taika Waititi confirmed that Portman would become the Mighty Thor in the upcoming film. How is this possible, and what does it mean for the film’s story?
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What Is the Plot of Thor: Love and Thunder?
Thor 4will pick up where we last saw our favorite Asgardian. He’s traveling the cosmos with the Guardians of the Galaxy and left Valkyrie as the King of Asgard. We don’t know much about the actual story ofThor: Love and Thunder, but we know that Natalie Portman is returning to the franchise as the Mighty Thor. In the comics, Jane Foster is battling cancer while also being a superhero with the help of Thor’s hammer, Mjolnir.
Portman has confirmedthat the film will tackle this storyline in the movie and that she will indeed receive the power of the gods. Like most Marvel films, this likely won’t be a direct adaptation but will definitely draw inspiration fromJason Aaron’s comic book run onThor.
Waititi said during Comic-Con:“When we were shooting Ragnarok, I was reading one storyline by Jason Aaron, The Mighty Thor… And for those of you who know that storyline, it’s incredible, it’s full of emotion, love, and thunder, and it introduces, for the first time, female Thor. So, for us, there’s only one person who could play that role. Only one.”
Alongside the film’s first trailer, Marvel Studios released the official synopsis for the fourth entry in theThorseries:
The film finds Thor (Chris Hemsworth) on a journey unlike anything he’s ever faced – a quest for inner peace. But his retirement is interrupted by a galactic killer known as Gorr the God Butcher (Christian Bale), who seeks the extinction of the gods. To combat the threat, Thor enlists the help of King Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson), Korg (Taika Waititi) and ex-girlfriend Jane Foster (Natalie Portman), who – to Thor’s surprise – inexplicably wields his magical hammer, Mjolnir, as the Mighty Thor. Together, they embark upon a harrowing cosmic adventure to uncover the mystery of the God Butcher’s vengeance and stop him before it’s too late. Directed by Waititi (“Thor: Ragnarok,” “Jojo Rabbit”) and produced by Kevin Feige and Brad Winderbaum, “Thor: Love and Thunder” opens in theaters June 24, 2025.
