The MCU so far has been very light on in terms of LGBTQ+ characters and queer storylines, but that could change in Thor: Love and Thunder. Since Marvel Studios movies added their first openly gay character in the form of a cameo from Joe Russo in Avengers: Endgame, no major character in any of the 20+ movies in the Marvel Cinematic Universe has been overtly depicted as queer besides Phastos in The Eternals. That's despite many characters – from Loki to Korg to Captain Marvel – having a history of LGBTQ+ identity in the comics. Even heroes that are queer icons, like America Chavez (Xochitl Gomez) in Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness, had their sexuality watered down or erased. America Chavez's moms are a queer couple, but they're only mentioned by America and are seen onscreen together only briefly. Just as the MCU has a spotty record on depictions of female heroes or heroes of color, LGBTQ+ heroes seem to leave their queerness behind when they make it to screens, with Marvel Studios even being accused of queerbaiting in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.
Thor: Love and Thunder will draw from the beloved Mighty Thor series of Marvel Comics, written by Jason Aaron. It will feature many characters from previous MCU installments, including Thor (Chris Hemsworth) himself, Jane Foster (Natalie Portman), Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson), Korg (Taika Waititi), Sif (Jaime Alexander), and Star-Lord (Chris Pratt). The main villain of the movie will be the new MCU character Gorr the God Butcher (Christian Bale). The comics' story sees Thor lose his ability to lift Mjolnir, signaling his unworthiness, while Jane Foster inherits the weapon, granting her Thor's abilities while she deals with a cancer diagnosis. The film will also need to address Thor's state of mind and physical shape (he's still Fat Thor) and his place among the Guardians of the Galaxy as seen at the end of Endgame.
In both comics and MCU films, Thor has typically been depicted as romantically interested in – or guided towards a relationship with – either Jane Foster or Sif. With both confirmed to appear in the Thor sequel, and the trailers featuring heavy footage of Jane, the "Love" in Thor: Love and Thunder's title probably refers to the rekindling of Thor's passions for his now-godlike former-mortal beau. The pair have been separated since before the time of Thor: Ragnarok. However, Thor and Jane's romance isn't the only possible romance in Love and Thunder. There's some evidence that Valkyrie, one of the MCU's longest-standing and least closeted LGBTQ+ characters, might be getting the MCU's third on-screen queer romance.
Valkyrie Is The MCU's Biggest LGBTQ+ Character Yet
Tessa Thompson has said in interviews that she portrayed her character to be bisexual – even apart from the glorious image of Valkyrie walking the rainbow bridge of the Bifrost. Thompson was aware that the character was bisexual in the comics and brought that into her portrayal in the MCU – and Ragnarok director Taika Waititi even shot a brief scene (which was deleted from the final cut) where a woman is seen exiting Valkyrie's quarters on Sakaar, hinting at her sexuality. Thompson also says that one of the women who died in the Valkyrie flashback sequence was the character's lover. But all overt references to Valkyrie's bisexuality were cut from the film. Viewers last saw Valkyrie assuming the position of King of New Asgard on Earth in Avengers: Endgame and Thompson has gone on to say that the next Thor film will follow Valkyrie in this plot. At Marvel's 2019 Comic-Con presentation, per iO9, she said:
“As new king, she needs to find her queen. That will be her first order of business. She has some ideas. Keep you posted.”
Marvel Studios producer Kevin Feige has also confirmed this will happen in the upcoming sequel, though would not commit to how much of an impact it would have on the storyline of the film. Jaimie Alexander has also chipped into the conversation, saying offering up her character of Sif to play the part of Valkyrie's queen. Whatever form the relationship takes, it looks as though the "love" in the title of Thor: Love and Thunder doesn't only refer to Thor and his two main romantic interests. As well as the familial love and loss driving Gorr the God-Butcher, the title may be Marvel celebrating love of all kinds by finally embracing Valkyrie as an iconic queer hero with an open and unwatered LGBTQ+ romance. And if it's earned a mention in the title of the movie, surely it forms an important part of the narrative. It would be Marvel's first depiction of such a character – and hopefully not its last.
Is Valkyrie Fighting Gorr To Protect New Asgard Or Avenge Her Dead Partner?
Among the advanced footage for Thor: Love and Thunder was a CGI-rich fight between Valkyrie and Gorr the God Butcher, the movie's antagonist – and she may be avenging a lover's death. The pair are duking it out one on one, with Gorr wielding his signature weapon, All-Black the Necrosword, and Valkyrie parrying his blows with what appears to be Zeus' (Russell Crowe) lightning bolt. The fight is taking place on a monochromatic low-gravity wasteland that's falling to pieces- possibly because of the planet-smashing abilities Gorr shows in other footage.
Plot details haven't been released, so it's not known why Valkyrie and Gorr are going toe-to-toe. It could be that Gorr sees all Asgardians as gods, and Valkyrie's defending herself so she doesn't become the next butchered deity. Valkyrie might be with both Thor and Mighty Thor when Gorr and the God of Thunder inevitably collide at the film's climax. However, it's been noted that Valkyrie looks particularly enraged in the shots. Her duel with Gorr could mean more than avenging an attack on New Asgard or avoiding deicide. It could be personal.
Valkyrie is the female king of the Asgardians. The LGBTQ+ romance mentioned by Feige could be Valkyrie finding a Queen amongst the gods residing in New Asgard – maybe even Sif, according to some speculation. There are already scenes of Valkyrie with neither Thor in view, indicating she's getting a decent amount of screentime and plot relevance. However, Marvel has a habit of using side character deaths to emphasize the seriousness of its villains, and Gorr's moniker is the God Butcher. Valkyrie's Queen in Thor: Love and Thunder will likely be a god, so there's a chance Gorr the God Butcher's penchant for god-butchering means the MCU's third LGBTQ+ romance won't have a happy ending.
