Warning: Contains SPOILERS for Thor: Love and ThunderThe Marvel Cinematic Universe has once again reiterated its dislike of the Warriors Three with the release of Thor: Love and Thunder. The three characters, Volstagg, Fandral, and Hogun start off strong as major supporting characters in Thor alongside Odin, Lady Sif, and Loki. However, as Loki and Thor have become more popular and evolved under the direction of Taika Waititi, the director and the studio's contempt for these beloved heroes has become more and more obvious.

Introduced as Thor's best friends in the original Thor, Volstagg, Fandral, and Hogun feature heavily in the first two Thor films, Thor and Thor: The Dark World. However, after Taika Waititi took over the Thor franchise with Thor: Ragnarok, their inclusion was minimal. That films sees them killed off very quickly by Thor's sister Hela, the Goddess of Death, during the movie's first act. While Hogun is granted a slightly more heroic end, Volstagg and Fandral are taken out as if they were nameless Asgardian foot soldiers. Thor: Love and Thunder features a brief flashback with voiceover by Thor's Kronan friend, Korg, that summarizes Thor's life in the MCU so far, including the deaths of his friends, the Warriors Three.

Related: Thor: Love & Thunder’s Unanswered Question

The insultingly brief mention of the Warriors Three in Thor: Love and Thunder is just the latest sign that Marvel Studios could care less for these Asgardian supporting characters. The flashback is played mostly for laughs, as Korg mentions that he can not even remember the names of the warriors. As Korg is voiced by director Taika Waititi, it seems that this scene is directly set up to show his dismay for the characters of the first two Thor films. Those movies feature far more serious tones that clash with Waititi's vision for Thor and his disregard for the Warriors Three in Ragnarok and now making a joke out of their deaths in Love and Thunder shows his dislike for Volstagg, Fandral, and Hogun despite their close connection to Thor himself.

Love And Thunder Reaffirms Waititi’s Dislike Of The Old Thor Movies

Reaching the spiritual world of Valhalla after death is a major part of Thor: Love and Thunder, as Natalie Portman's Jane Foster manages to reach the Nordic afterlife following her and Thor's confrontation with Gorr the God Butcher (Christian Bale). Lady Sif (Jaimie Alexander) also wishes to reach Valhalla, but she is reminded that a warrior must die in battle by Thor. Sif's inclusion is also indicative of Waititi's dislike of the original Thor movies, as this previously serious character is played for comedic value, as she disregards the fact that Gorr has cut off her arm and speaks in a quippy, MCU way: far different to her original appearance in Thor.

Yet, despite Love and Thunder's post credits scene showing Jane reaching Valhalla and meeting Heimdall (Idris Elba), the Warriors Three are not confirmed to have reached the afterlife. As they died in battle against Hela, it stands to reason that they did, but ignoring them once again just shows how little interest in Volstagg, Fandral, and Hogun Taikia Waititi and the broader Marvel Cinematic Universe has. The Warriors Three only appear for a split second in Thor: Love and Thunder but Waititi still manages to show his contempt for these beloved friends of Thor and his disregard for the Shakesperean vibe of the first two movies.