Thor has a deep rogues' gallery, so Marvel Studios has plenty of choose from when selecting the villain of Thor: Love and Thunder. Other Marvel movies have already utilized Loki, Malekith, Executioner, Hela, the Frost Giants, and Surtur, so the fourth installment in the Thor series will have to introduce another comic book character to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
2019's Avengers: Endgame wrapped up with Chris Hemsworth's Thor giving up the chance to be the King of Asgard and joining up with the Guardians of the Galaxy for an adventure in space. However, despite his decision to throw in with Star-Lord and the Guardians, his next appearance in the MCU will be a solo outing. Directed by Taika Waititi, Thor 4 reunites Thor with Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson) and Jane Foster (Natalie Portman), who hasn't appeared in the MCU since 2013's Thor: The Dark World. The movie will see Jane Foster, who was previously Thor's love interest, follow in the footsteps of her comic book counterpart and become "The Mighty Thor".
Not much is known about what the story of Thor's fourth film will entail, or what comics the movie will draw upon. Fan-favorites like Beta Ray Bill and Hercules are among the characters who might finally make their MCU debut, but of course this remains to be seen. One of the biggest questions hovering over Thor: Love and Thunder regards the villain of the movie, especially considering that Thor has already gone up against Hela, who is powerful enough to shatter Mjolnir, and Thanos, who erased half of the universe. Here's who the God of Thunder might have to contend with when he returns in 2021.
Karnilla
A character who supposedly nearly appear in Thor and another major omission from the Thor franchise is Balder the Brave, an Asgardian hero whose death is prophesied to bring about the destruction of Asgard. Asgard's fall happened in a different way, but Thor 4 could still introduce Balder the Brave and Karnilla, the woman whose affection for him has caused numerous problems for Thor and the people of Asgard. Karnilla, the Queen of the Norns and the ruler of Nornheim, is a sorceress who uses magic and evil schemes to win Balder's love and defeat her old enemy, Thor.
How would Thor: Love and Thunder use Karnilla? Why she would fight Thor is unclear, but it's worth noting that a potential role in the MCU for Karnilla was already set up with the inclusion of the Norn Cave in Avengers: Age of Ultron. Also, as someone who has a history of fighting both for and against Asgard, Karnilla is the kind of character who could work as a wild card of sorts. She could be introduced as either an ally or an enemy, but could switch sides by the end of the film.
Dario Agger
After it was reported that The Dark Knight trilogy star Christian Bale might be cast Thor: Love and Thunder, discussions heated up about who Bale could be playing. The most popular idea is that Bale is bringing Beta Ray Bill to life, but longtime Thor comic book writer Jason Aaron has a different suggestion: Dario Agger. Dario Agger, a relatively new villain in the comics, would be a new kind of villain for the franchise, as he'd be the first human to be the main villain of a Thor movie.
Dario Agger is the CEO of Roxxon, a powerful oil company, and a person driven by power and self-interest. Dario used his company to plunder the Earth's resources and didn't give a second thought to the harm he caused. His efforts brought him into conflict with Thor, but it was revealed that Dario was much more than just a corrupt oil executive. Dario also possessed the ability to transform into the Minotaur, the bull-like monster from Greek mythology. As the Minotaur, Dario was able to pose a great, physical challenge to Thor as well.
Ares
Not all of Thor's villains have to be from Norse mythology. The Marvel Universe is full of characters from multiple pantheons. Thor has crossed paths with gods of Egypt, Greece, and more. One of the most important gods in Marvel Comics is Ares, the Greek God of War. Ares is a master of weapons, a ruthless killer, and a character with enough power to rival any Marvel hero. Normally, he's depicted as the archenemy of Hercules, but he could easily work as an opponent of Thor.
With the original Asgard destroyed, Marvel may indeed want to look at another pantheons for its next villain. If so, Marvel Studios can introduce the Greek gods of the Marvel Universe, such as Zeus and Ares. This would be the perfect opportunity for Marvel to make use of Hercules, who currently stands as the most important Avenger still missing from the MCU. A storyline involving Hercules and the Greek gods could see Ares and possibly Hera (Hercules' scheming stepmother) as the instigators of the conflict.
Gorr
Marvel may have a challenge if they want to top or even equal Hela in terms of the threat that she posed to Thor in Thor: Ragnarok, but one character who may be able to rise to the task is Gorr the God Butcher, a vilain who debuted in 2013. Gorr was an incredibly powerful being from an alien planet who blamed his tragic past on the gods' failure to help him in his time of hardship. For this reason, Gorr has sworn to use his weapon, the Necrosword, to purge the world of all gods.
It was Gorr's struggles with Thor that caused Thor to doubt himself and his belief in the importance of the gods. As a result, Thor became unworthy of Mjolnir and was succeeded by Jane Foster. Since Thor: Love and Thunder is adapting at least some version of this story, the movie could also bring Gorr to the big screen as a villain capable of tearing down everything Thor believes in.
Enchantress
Having first appeared in Journey into Mystery #103 in 1964, Amora the Enchantress is one of Thor and the Avengers' earliest antagonists. Enchantress is an Asgardian sorceress known for her beauty and prowess in the mystical arts. Typically, Enchantress was one half of a duo that included the Executioner, though for the most part, the Enchantress was just stringing Executioner along to accomplish her goals. For years, Enchantress was motivated by her love for Thor and her desire for them to be together, but her ambitions have since grown. On occasion, she's even tried to conquer Asgard.
Her comic book partner, Executioner, was killed off in Thor: Ragnarok, but her reputation for using powerful men as pawns means that she could always find different allies to help serve her interests. It's likely that if Enchantress is indeed the villain of Thor: Love and Thunder, the movie may incorporate her romantic feelings for Thor, which would fit in well with what the title suggests about the story.
Key Release Dates
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Black Widow
Release Date:2021-07-09 -
Eternals
Release Date:2021-11-05 -
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
Release Date:2021-09-03 -
Doctor Strange In the Multiverse of Madness
Release Date:2022-05-06 -
Thor: Love and Thunder
Release Date:2022-07-08 -
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Release Date:2022-11-11
