Thor: Love and Thunder just premiered around the world, registering another solid success for the MCU and the Thor franchise. Now that we know what happens, we can’t help but wonder whether we’ll get a Thor 5 movie in the near future or whether the God of Thunder will join the Avengers in Avengers 5 once Marvel is ready for another team-up.
It turns out that Taika Waititi has thoughts about making another Thor movie. He would only return under one condition. Before we talk about it, know that big Love and Thunder spoilers follow below, so click away if you haven’t seen it yet.
The Avengers 5 teaser
Before the Love and Thunder premiere, Chris Hemsworth teased that he would be willing to keep playing Thor in the MCU. In one interview, he even listed Avengers 5 in a list of movies where Thor might show up beyond the first movie.
This seemed to indicate that Thor wasn’t destined to die in Love and Thunder. And should he retire, he could always return to being one of the universe’s main heroes.
Then the Love and Thunder plot leak dropped, complete with detailed post-credits scenes. That’s how we knew that Jane (Natalie Portman) died in Thor. As for Thor, he will continue to help those in need alongside Gorr’s daughter. Separately, Hercules (Brett Goldstein) has a mission from Zeus (Russell Crowe) to find and kill Thor.
Marvel would have to tie these loose ends in a future MCU movie, whether it’s Avengers 5 or a Thor 5 release. However, it’s too soon to talk about either of them, considering the plethora of distinct stories that Marvel has to tell in Phase 4.
On top of the Love and Thunder finale and the Hercules post-credits scene, there’s one more detail at the end of Thor 4 that hints a sequel is possible. At the end of Love and Thunder, Marvel told the audience that “Thor will return.”
Taika Waititi on a Thor 5 movie
That’s the kind of message you expect from MCU movies part of specific franchises. But that’s not something that Taika Waititi expected. He found out that Thor will return while he was watching Love and Thunder:
Well, guess what? That was a surprise to me, too. I’m not joking. I saw it in the theater and I was like, ‘Oh, shit. Really?’ Even Chris was like, ‘What?” But, of course he’ll be back. He’s the best character. I mean, I may be a little biased, but he’s the most fun to watch.
The surprise couldn’t have been that big, considering how the movie ends. You can’t have that finale in Love and Thunder and not expect some sort of events featuring Thor to follow in the MCU. Not to mention that Jane’s story doesn’t seem complete. She might find a way to return to life from Valhalla. And she is Mighty Thor. But Marvel did not specify which Thor would return.
Waititi commented on a potential return to the MCU for a Thor 5 movie. That’s where he dropped his main condition. Hemsworth would have to be back too:
Now, I don’t know what would be next. I would definitely do one, but only if Chris did it. But it would need to be something surprising and unexpected for me to want to do it. Like what would be the new take? The battles and all the fighting is fine, but I would want something that feels unexpected when it comes to the story. Like making just a $5 million movie with no fighting at all, just Thor on a road trip. Like Nebraska.
When will Marvel release Thor 5?
Ragnarok premiered in 2017, and Love and Thunder should have been released on November 5th, 2021. Then the pandemic hit, and the movie saw delays, in line with the other MCU projects.
With that in mind, we’d expect at least three years between Thor 4 and Thor 5, assuming Marvel releases another movie in the Thor franchise. That’s because Thor could return in Avengers 5 or a different MCU project altogether. There’s no guarantee that a fifth Thor will see the light of day.
As for any standalone Mighty Thor projects, they should be part of a different franchise.
This year, Marvel should unveil additional details about the MCU at Comic-Con and D23. But it might be too early to expect a Thor 5 movie release date announcement from these events.
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