The flashbacks for Thor: Love and Thunder can complete Avengers: Endgame's attempt to fix Thor: The Dark World. While Marvel Studios was able to easily establish Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) and Captain America's (Chris Evans) place in the MCU, it took them quite a while to decide on what approach is best for the God of Thunder. It wasn't until director Taika Waititi's Thor: Ragnarok that the Asgardian Prince became a fan-favorite power player in the franchise, and much of that film undid what went down in its predecessors.

Instead of the dark and brooding color palette of the original Thor film and its sequel, the 2017 flick was bright and lively; it fully embraced Jack Kirby's aesthetic. This visual change was reflected in Thor's personality change as he became more lighthearted and humorous. From there, Joe and Anthony Russo took over the God of Thunder's arc and continued it in Avengers: Infinity War. But unlike Ragnarok which shied away from anything that reminiscent of anything that came before it, Avengers: Endgame decided to revisit Thor: The Dark World — initially, a questionable choice since it's largely dubbed as one of the lesser loved MCU films.

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Ultimately, it made sense. As part of the time heist, Thor and Rocket Raccoon (voiced by Bradley Cooper) went back to 2014 Asgard to steal the Reality Stone/Aether. But, it also allowed the God of Thunder to reconnect with his mother, Frigga (Rene Russo) at a time where he needed the most maternal love. This effectively reframed how people remember Thor: The Dark World. Granted that it doesn't totally fix it, Frigga's subsequent death suddenly has more weight to it. Now, Thor: Love and Thunder is attempting to continue this trend with a flashback to the 2014 Alan Taylor flick. Hemsworth and Natalie Portman, who returns to the MCU as Jane Foster, were recently spotted filming a dating scene. The actors' wigs imply that it's something that takes place before the events of the upcoming Waititi-directed movie. Considering the fact that Thor: Ragnarok didn't provide a proper explanation for the couple's split, this mystery can finally be resolved in the upcoming Thor standalone adventure.

Thor and Frigga talking in Avengers Endgame

For context, Thor: The Dark World ended with Thor refusing the Asgardian throne; instead, he came back to Earth to be with Jane. In Avengers: Age of Ultron, it sounded as if the pair was still going strong. However, by Thor: Ragnarok, it was unceremoniously revealed that they have split. Since then, the matter hasn't been broached again. The dropped romance between the God of Thunder and Jane had something to do with Portman's disinterest in reprising her MCU role beyond Thor: The Dark World. But, for some reason, Marvel Studios was able to convince her to come back, and now they need to properly explain what really went down between the couple, at the very least. If Thor: Love and Thunder is able to achieve with Jane what Avengers: Endgame did with Frigga, then it could continue Marvel Studios' attempt to make up for Thor: The Dark World's flaws.

After Jane assumes her superhero role as Mighty Thor in Thor: Love and Thunder, it's safe to say that she'll continue to factor in the MCU for the foreseeable future. Perhaps, instead of just explaining what went down between Thor and Jane, Marvel Studios can fully revisit their romance. While the pairing wasn't exactly well-received, this is an opportunity to change that by giving them a more compelling love story.

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