There’s So Much Going on in This New Image From ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’

Details about Thor: Love and Thunder, the fourth solo outing for Thor, have been excruciatingly slow to come. The movie hits theaters in less than two months, and so far, we’ve only got one teaser trailer and a couple of images! Now, though, fans have been graced with one of the most exciting photos yet: a new look at Valkyrie, Jane (AKA the Mighty Thor), and an MCU goddess making her human debut.

The image came out yesterday, via DiscussingFilm’s Twitter feed:

There is SO MUCH HERE. Shall we dive in and see what we can see?

The Council of Godheads

The image seems to be from a meeting of some kind, with the various gods assembled in thrones. Their surroundings are clearly opulent, with the thrones featuring elaborate decorations, and grapes laid out as some divine snacks. There’s speculation on social media that this scene may focus on the MCU version of the Council of Godheads. In the comics, the Council of Godheads (also called the Council Elite and the Council of Skyfathers) is made up of the heads of various pantheons of gods, and members include Odin, Zeus, Vishnu, and others. They meet whenever there’s a god-level threat that needs to be dealt with. Odin is dead in the MCU, of course, so it looks like Valkyrie and Jane are representing the Asgardians in his place.

Why would the Council of Godheads be meeting? Why, to deal with Gorr the God Butcher, of course! Gorr (Christian Bale) is the main antagonist of Thor 4, and true to his name, his agenda is to murder every god in existence. (In the comics, this is because gods didn’t keep his family from dying, but we don’t yet know how the MCU will adapt his backstory.) It’s very likely that this meeting is being called in response to Gorr’s threat. In fact, in the teaser, we see Thor and Valkyrie leave Asgard and travel to what looks like Olympus (with Jane apparently joining them by the time they arrive, although the shot is quick and hard to make out), so it’s possible that this meeting is the reason for their trip. This is all pure speculation, though, and we know Marvel loves to use its trailers as misdirection.

If this meeting is the Council of Godheads, though, that means we might get to see a whole boatload of gods in Thor 4. That’s an exciting thought.

Valkyrie and the Mighty Thor

Tessa Thompson has said that King Valkyrie will be looking for her queen in Thor 4, and many fans have been hoping she’ll choose Sif (Jaime Alexander), who will be making her return to the Thor franchise. Looking at Valkyrie and Jane together, though … what if Valkyrie chose Jane?

There are some other cool details revealed in this shot. You can see the Valkyrie symbol displayed prominently on Valkyrie’s armor, showing that she’s remaining true to her roots even as she embraces the title of King. We also get a good look at Tessa Thompson and Natalie Portman’s gigantic arm muscles. Finally, Jane’s presence at the council (again, if that’s what this meeting is) signals that she’s considered a full-fledged god, even though she’s technically human. Her evolution into the Mighty Thor should be really interesting to watch.

Bast!

By far the most exciting detail of this new image, though, is the debut of Bast in her human form, played by Akosia Sabet. Bast is the matron goddess of Wakanda, and we saw her in the more mystical form of a giant panther in the prologue of Black Panther. The prologue explains that she appeared in a vision to the first Black Panther, guiding him to the Vibranium-enhanced heart shaped herb that granted him and his descendants their superhuman strength and speed. Bast is also responsible for uniting disparate tribes into the nation of Wakanda.

How big of a role will Bast play in Thor 4? Will she play a significant part in the story, or is she there to tease future appearances in the MCU? Bast’s presence at the council may have huge implications for Black Panther 2: Wakanda Forever, which is due out on November 11. Will Shuri and the other Wakandans meet their matron goddess face to face?

Also, Bast’s presence doesn’t just tie Thor’s story to Black Panther. It also ties Love and Thunder to Moon Knight, since Bast is a member of the Egyptian pantheon. Could we see Egyptian gods like Khonshu or Taweret at the council, too?

Only time will tell! Thor: Love and Thunder hits theaters on July 8, 2022, and the full trailer is likely to drop within the next few weeks.

(featured image: Marvel)