Merchandise from the upcoming Marvel movie Thor: Love and Thunder hint at two of its plot points: Thor becomes a Ravager and the dark storyline of Jane Foster being diagnosed with cancer. Thor: Love and Thunder, again directed by Thor: Ragnarok filmmaker Taika Waititi, is set to release in theaters in July 2022. The 29th installment of the MCU will star Chris Hemsworth returning as Thor Odinson, alongside Tessa Thompson as King Valkyrie and Natalie Portman as Jane Foster.

When the movie was announced in 2019, Waititi revealed that it would adapt elements of Jason Aaron's Mighty Thor comic run, given Natalie Portman's return in Thor 4 after being absent from Thor: Ragnarok. The director has since labeled Thor: Love and Thunder a romance movie, as evident by its subtitle. Meanwhile, Portman coming back has sparked the question of just how her character would re-enter the MCU after her apparent exit and the brief explanation as to why in the previous Thor movie.

Related: Thor: Love And Thunder - Who Will Be Valkyrie's Queen (Every Theory)

A trailer for Thor: Love and Thunder has yet to be unveiled, making this the shortest gap between the release of an MCU film and the launch of its marketing campaign. With no other official look at the movie being available, merchandise tie-ins visible online and in stores are providing preliminary glimpses instead. So far, items have revealed initial impressions of the movie's characters, offering hints at which stories will be present in the sequel. From the first look at Christian Bale's Gorr the God Butcher to the confirmed title of King Valkyrie after the events of Avengers: Endgame, the merch has provided some insight. Among the most exciting, however, are the toys concerning Thor and Jane Foster, hinting at the two MCU veterans' potential arcs for the movie.

Jane Foster's Cancer Storyline Hinted At For Thor: Love & Thunder

Blended image showing Mighty Thor and Jane Foster

With Waititi stating that Jason Aaron's Mighty Thor would be an inspiration for Thor: Love and Thunder, this began speculation as to whether Jane's cancer storyline from the comics would be used for her Thor origins in the movie. In the comics, Jane originally becomes worthy of Mjolnir and the powers of Thor after she is diagnosed with breast cancer. While undergoing treatment, Jane, in the absence of Thor, defends Asgard from multiple threats, with her willingness to do this while undergoing cancer treatment deeming Jane worthy of wielding Mjölnir to become Mighty Thor. With the Marvel Legends toy release (via Reddit), this storyline is all but verified with the reveal of Jane's superhero name as "Mighty Thor," taken directly from Aaron's run. Rather than Jane being simply another version of Thor, the Mighty Thor moniker confirms the links to Aaron's initial storyline will be stronger than initially thought, adapting Jane's cancer storyline with this being her Mighty Thor origin.

For now, toys, merchandise, and any other information offered up by Marvel Studios are all that audiences have to go on as to what will be shown in the movie until the release of Thor: Love and Thunder's first trailer. However, if these toy lines are anything to go by, it means that it may take both the likely and unlikely routes in terms of characters. Thor joining the Ravagers is certainly unexpected, as opposed to Jane's Mighty Thor storyline. It remains to be seen, though, just how these storylines will play out when Thor: Love and Thunder hits theaters this summer.

Thor Joins The Ravagers, Not The Guardians Of The Galaxy

The end of Avengers: Endgame saw Thor leave his mantle of being Asgard's king behind and join the Guardians of the Galaxy. This led to much speculation about Thor officially becoming a member of the Guardians going into the MCU's Phase 4 and beyond. However, the Thor: Love and Thunder merchandise confirms something altogether different: Thor joins the Ravagers instead. Thor's new look is labeled "Ravager Thor," seemingly hinting that he joined the criminal smuggler network sometime between Avengers: Endgame and Thor: Love and Thunder. Though the Ravagers are a crime syndicate comprised of thieves and rogues from across the galaxy, some famous MCU heroes such as Peter Quill and Yondu have come from their ranks.

Next: Will Love & Thunder Kill Off Chris Hemsworth's Thor?

 

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