MCU Can Introduce TWO Thor Replacements In Love & Thunder

Thor: Love & Thunder could be setting up not one, but two replacements for Chris Hemsworth’s God of Thunder. Making his MCU debut with the first Thor solo movie in 2011, Hemsworth is now very much considered a franchise veteran, appearing in a trio of solo movies and all 4 installments of The Avengers. Indeed, virtually all of Hemsworth’s superhero contemporaries have moved onto pastures new; Tony Stark and Steve Rogers both (probably) departed with Avengers: Endgame, Bruce Banner’s story appears to be over and Hawkeye is set to pass his bow onto the next generation via Disney+. Meanwhile, Black Widow likely would’ve said goodbye to the MCU herself were it not for her solo movie being delayed by the pandemic.

Of the original Avengers, only Thor is guaranteed another cinematic appearance – his fourth solo movie arrives in 2021. The God of Thunder’s stay of MCU execution can perhaps be attributed to the arrival of Taika Waititi. After a pair of middling efforts, Waititi’s Thor: Ragnarok elevated the character’s more comic, alien elements and reined in a little on the Norse mythology. The formula was successful, so it made sense to explore this approach further in one more solo effort before Hemsworth hung up his hammer for good. Reports continue to suggest that Hemsworth could still rock up in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, but as things stand, Thor: Love & Thunder does look to be the actor’s MCU swansong.

Related: Thor: Why Mjolnir Is More Important Than Stormbreaker (Despite Being Weaker)

Many of those departing OG Avengers either have successors waiting in the wings (Falcon, Kate Bishop, She-Hulk), or have potential replacements yet to come (Ironheart, Yelena Belova) and Thor is no different. Love & Thunder is confirmed to feature the return of Natalie Portman as Jane Foster, the Asgardian’s love interest from his early MCU days. The pair apparently broke up, but Portman’s return will transform her character from a humble scientist into the Mighty Thor. This story comes straight from the Marvel comic books, where Jane became worthy of wielding Mjolnir in “Original Sin” and effectively took her ex’s job.

However, Jane Foster might not be the only Thor-placement in Love & Thunder. Although Waititi is refusing to confirm or deny, his forthcoming Thor offering is heavily rumored to introduce Beta Ray Bill to the MCU. Hailing from the planet Korbin, Beta Ray Bill and Thor fall victim to an intergalactic misunderstanding and end up fighting each other in the Marvel comics. Bill proves himself to be worthy of lifting Mjolnir and defeats Thor in battle, earning himself an Asgardian weapon of his own: Stormbreaker. This weapon was created for Hemsworth’s Thor in Avengers: Infinity War but is almost exclusively tied to Beta Ray Bill in the comic books, where the Korbinite fights as a trusted ally to the God of Thunder.

When MCU fans last saw Chris Hemsworth’s Thor, he was dual-wielding both Mjolnir and Stormbreaker (when Captain America wasn’t borrowing them), and this means a retiring Thor would have 2 weapons to pass down. Mjolnir is almost certainly going to Jane Foster, but it would make sense if Thor passed Stormbreaker on to Beta Ray Bill in Love & Thunder. Not only would this be faithful to the Marvel comics, but Bill is the surviving member of a once-mighty empire whose home planet was destroyed. This is a tragic backstory that Thor can very much relate to, having witnessed the destruction of Asgard and the massacre of his own people. This shared trauma could motivate Thor to hand over Stormbreaker, leaving behind 2 characters to carry on his work – Jane wielding Mjolnir and Bill armed with Stormbreaker.

It’s not yet known how Foster, or any of the other Avenger successors, will factor into the future of the MCU. The likes of Falcon, Mighty Thor, She-Hulk and Kate Bishop could form the backbone of a new superhero team, or they could dip in and out of the franchise, supporting more established figures such as Black Panther, Captain Marvel, Doctor Strange and Ant-Man. Whatever the case, it appears that the spirit of Asgard will not subside after Thor: Love & Thunder.

More: Why Anyone Can Lift Thor’s Stormbreaker – But NOT Mjolnir