Taika Waititi's next Marvel movie Thor: Love and Thunder is gathering steam. We already know that Natalie Portman's Jane Foster will be crowned The Mighty Thor, with Tessa Thompson's Valkyrie as the new ruler of Asgard. We heard a while back that Christian Bale has been cast as the bad guy. And now, word has come in that Chris Pratt's Star-Lord will be featuring in the movie.
Yes, The Hollywood Reporter confirms that the the retro rock-loving space cowboy has a role to play in the movie. Of course, we don't yet know what that is. But it comes on the heels of Vin Diesel's announcement that the Guardians of the Galaxy would indeed feature in Waititi's movie. Does this mean more on-screen progression for Groot as he advances from surly arboreal adolescent to fully-fledged adult?
Either way, this is clearly establishing continuity with the climax of Avengers: Endgame. That movie culminated with Chris Hemsworth's titular Thor jetting off into the unknown with the Guardians of the Galaxy. Amusingly, he clashed with Star-Lord as to who was the captain of the ship. So, are we assuming a two-stranded narrative, one with Jane on Asgard and the other set in the far reaches of space with Thor and the Guardians?
Whatever happens, it will surely allow Waititi to open the taps, both visually and in terms of the soundtrack as he did with Thor: Ragnarok. Thor: Love and Thunder is a key puzzle piece in the Marvel Phase Four slate, which is set to kick off in May 2021 with Black Widow, starring Scarlett Johansson. Meanwhile, the Guardians are set to get their third solo adventure in the not-too-distant future, with director James Gunn again at the helm.
Thor: Love and Thunder is due for release (at the time of writing) on 11th February 2022. Tweet us @Cineworld if you think Star-Lord is a valuable asset to the movie.