‘Thor’ trailer teases hero’s retirement and replacement
Is this the last dance for the god of thunder?
It seems like it in the first trailer for “Thor: Love and Thunder,” which teases the titular Avenger (Chris Hemsworth) going into retirement following his universe saving — and carbo-loading — events of “Endgame.”
And it seems a familiar face is returning to take over for the hero.
“These hands were once used for battle, now they’re but humble tools for peace,” Thor says after he’s shown through the years growing from a boy to man. “I need to figure out exactly who I am.”
Instead of more epic battles for the Asgardian, it appears the fourth “Thor” installment will focus on the broken god finding himself once again — all while traveling space with the Guardians of the Galaxy as “Sweet Child o’ Mine” by Guns N’ Roses plays.
“I’m going to choose my own path. Live in the moment. My superhero-ing days are over,” he says while walking away from the guardians as they prepare to fight an unseen enemy.
Later on, as Thor appears to be lost in his own head, Star-Lord (Chris Pratt) passes along this advice to the confused being of power.
“Remember what I told you, if you ever feel lost just look into the eyes of the people that you love . . . Not me!” Star-Lord says as Thor loving gazes into his eyes. “What?! Just listening,” Thor goofily responds.
Fans last parted with a heavyset and binge-drinking Thor emotionally devastated by the believed death of Loki (Tom Hiddleston), the known death of his parents, Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) and his own failure to defeat Thanos (Josh Brolin) in “Infinity War.”
He leaves the settlement of New Asgard in Tønsberg, Norway under the rule of Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson) and embarks on a mysterious interstellar adventure with the guardians.
She seems to be running the show just fine nowadays as a dapper-suited Valkyrie is shown in a boardroom with other leaders from around Earth in the new trailer.
Elsewhere in the universe, Thor is seen shedding his “Lebowski” blip weight by doing a workout with metal chains while sporting a trucker hat that reads “strongest avenger” and tank top as he meets a blue-haired, apparent love interest who plants a huge kiss on the retired Avenger.
The trailer also teases Russell Crowe’s Marvel Cinematic Universe debut as Zeus, who is seen holding a lightning bolt most likely in the kingdom of Olympus.
The living rock figure Korg, voiced by director Taika Waititi, also makes an appearance on one of the many worlds that the soul-searching god appears to visit.
But there’s a bigger cameo in the closing seconds that’s bound to have fans raving from this trailer.
Thor’s “old flame” of an Earthly girlfriend, Jane Foster (Natalie Portman), seems to have taken up his apparently open mantle as she’s seen wielding the magic hammer Mjolnir while sporting a winged helmet in battle.
Now worthy to rule Asgard, Foster returns to the franchise after being absent from “Ragnarok” on the grounds of having “dumped” Thor, which he argued was mutual.
The surprise twist mirrors a callback from that movie to when Thor fought the lost Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) on the planet Sakaar. It also resembles when Captain America (Chris Evans) unexpectedly summoned the weapon in “Endgame.”
“Thor: Love and Thunder” is in theaters on July 8.
