Thor: Love and Thunder, the latest installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, has officially hit theaters and fans lucky enough to catch an early screening are already buzzing about the film AND its mid- and post-credits scenes. What exactly did we see in those scenes and what could they mean for both the characters we know and love and for the future of the MCU? We’re here to dig into those questions. But be warned: we’re headed into spoiler territory!
SPOILER WARNING! DO NOT PROCEED IF YOU HAVEN’T SEEN THOR: LOVE AND THUNDER! WE ARE NOT TO BLAME FOR YOUR REBELLIOUS NATURE!
First, let’s discuss the ending of the film and the possibilities it raises for the future of Thor in the MCU. When we leave the God of Thunder, he has become a surrogate father to the orphan daughter of Gorr, who we are told in the narration is called Love (as in Love and Thunder). While this specific character doesn’t come directly from the comics, there are more than a few characters that she could be drawing inspiration from. In Jason Aaron’s epic run on the title, Thor actually meets his three granddaughters from the distant future and fights Gorr alongside them, so there is precedent for Thor as a parental figure.
When we see her reflection after she’s brought back to life by Eternity, Love also bears a strong resemblance to a character known as Singularity, first introduced in the comic A-Force in 2015. Many Marvel fans have been calling for the studio to adapt A-Force, an all-female superhero team, and this will likely have that faction of fans feeling newly optimistic.
In the mid-credits scene, we’re introduced to a new character that has a long and beloved history in Marvel Comics, the mighty Hercules himself, played by none other than Ted Lasso star Brett Goldstein. The classical Greek hero made his first appearance in Marvel Comics all the way back in 1965, when he was summoned by a version of Kang to fight Thor. Over the years, Hercules became not only a hero in the Marvel Universe, but an ally of Thor’s and eventually a member of the Avengers. The appearance of Hercules not only sets the stage for a fifth Thor film but could mark the introduction of a future Avenger in the MCU.
In the post-credits scene we see Natalie Portman as Dr. Jane Foster, who succumbed to stage-4 cancer in the movie’s final scenes, finding herself in the Asgardian afterlife realm of Valhalla. She is greeted by Heimdall, another Asgardian hero tragically lost in Avengers: Infinity War. He invites Jane to join the rest of the gods, having earned her way into the famed halls of Valhalla, and Jane appears pleased with her fate.
What actually is Valhalla in the MCU? Is it a cosmic realm that can be reached by our other living heroes? Does this mean we will eventually see Jane or Heimdall again one day? Perhaps it’s nothing more than a well-earned happy ending for Jane, but it feels like maybe the cosmic door is being left open, if only a tiny bit.
