After what felt like an agonising wait, the first teaser trailer for Thor: Love and Thunder arrived yesterday and it didn't disappoint. Despite being only a brief taste of what's to come in the movie, the signs are all pointing to Taika Waititi delivering another MCU adventure unlike any other.
While we've already taken a look at some of the biggest moments (such as Thor's classic comic book costume and the introduction of Russell Crowe's Zeus), we're now taking a deeper dive into this footage. There are a lot of hidden reveals and potential spoilers to be found, all of which drop some exciting hints about this story's place in the wider Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Those include big changes to New Asgard, characters like Kraglin and even Thor himself, surprising locales, and an epic nod to the comic books. This may be a teaser, but it packs a lot in!
To take a look through this in-depth breakdown, all you need to do is hit the "Next" button below!
8. Return To Sakaar
Much to his chagrin, the God of Thunder found himself trapped on Sakaar in Thor: Ragnarok, and it was there he met Korg and Miek. When we last saw the planet, The Grandmaster had been overthrown, but it seems as if we can expect to pay it another visit here. However, it looks almost abandoned at this point, so we can't help but wonder if that villain's decadent arena is no more.
Why would the Guardians leave Thor and Korg on Sakaar? Well, chances are Star-Lord doesn't want to return to Earth again after Avengers: Endgame, and would much prefer his "teammate" be forced to travel through one of this planet's many wormholes (such as the Devil's Anus).
Based on the final scene before the title card, this is where Thor bids farewell to the Guardians, and it seems likely that Korg will be on hand to take his pal home. There has been some speculation that a third character is missing from this scene, and we'd bet on it being Miek due to unfinished VFX.
7. New Asgard, Tourist Hotspot
Well, this small Norwegian town has certainly expanded since we last saw it! With Thor and the Asgardians making this their new home on Earth, it's clearly become something of a tourist hotspot, with Asgardian architecture mixed in with the village that was already there. This is, of course, also near where Odin died, and set photos have confirmed there will be a monument to the fallen God.
The cruise ships in the background suggest New Asgard is attracting a lot of visitors, but you have to believe that's going to eventually make it a target for the nefarious Gorr the God Butcher.
In the comic books, Asgard just floated about Oklahoma caused a great deal of political upheaval in the United States, but will the Norwegians be more accommodating? That seems to be the case, though there is a hint a little later on that all is not well with New Asgard's place on the world stage...
6. Falligar
Aside from Korg being there, this is a literal recreation of a moment from Jason Aaron and Esad Ribic's Thor run (right down to the blood on that giant creature's snout). While you might be thinking this is some great foe the God of Thunder has vanquished, Falligar is actually one of the hero's many allies.
The Patron God of the Galactic Frontier and Champion God of the Tournament of Immortals, Falligar doesn't have the most storied history with the God of Thunder, but they'd often pass each other on the spaceways. However, he vanished until his corpse was found by Thor on his old friend's homeworld.
Poor Falligar was an early victim of Gorr the God Butcher, this moment in the comic books was meant to drive home just how powerful that villain is. Clearly, this God will serve the same purpose in the MCU.
5. Welcome To Olympus
In Thor: Ragnarok, Asgard was destroyed when Surtur unleashed his full might and laid waste to the God of Thunder's home. There's no coming back from that, but not every realm has been quite so unlucky. This is indeed Olympus, and we're pretty sure that's Zeus with Thor, Valkyrie, and Korg.
In the comic books, Olympus was one of the God Realms among the Inner Planes, a small "pocket" dimension adjacent to Earth and accessible via an interdimensional nexus. It resembles Asgard, but is no bigger than a large city and is an asteroid-like landmass suspended in space, surrounded by what its inhabitants call "the Abyss." That probably makes it fairly safe from Gorr.
We can imagine New Asgard's heroes taking refuge there, seeking help from Zeus, or (most likely) both. Zeus clearly enjoys the admiration of his people (look at that statue), but is he going to be a trusted ally or just another of Gorr's victims? We're curious to see how that lightning bolt fares against the Necrosword, but can only hope this is leading to Hercules' long overdue MCU debut.
4. Kraglin's Upgrade
The events of Thor: Love and Thunder clearly take place not too long after Avengers: Endgame as Groot is still a teenager at this point. Remember, it's been said that Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 will feature the sentient tree's next evolution, with Vin Diesel claiming we'll get to meet King Groot.
The Guardians of the Galaxy have new costumes, while Thor is rocking his Thunderstrike-inspired gear for much of his interactions with the group (we're not sure why he's still in his classic suit in the screenshot above, but it seems he's growing disillusioned with his place in the team here). The biggest reveal, however, is that Kraglin is now rocking Yondu's fin on his head.
That was the case for his cut Avengers: Endgame cameo, but it's fully extended and clearly something he's making good use of now. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 pointed to the Ravager hanging out with the Guardians, and his presence here makes us think we'll see him play a key role in Vol. 3.
3. Thor's Eye Has Been Fixed
Thor is still showing the scar from his battle with Hela, but his eye has been replaced since we last saw him. That's not overly surprising because it saves Marvel Studios having to swap the eye's colour during each of Thor's scenes, and why wouldn't the God of Thunder have gotten himself an upgrade?
After all, his replacement eye was a "gift" from the light-fingered Rocket, so we're sure Thor decided to find one that actually matched his real eye colour as soon as the opportunity presented itself.
We're not expecting this to be addressed in the movie itself, though it could depend on how much time we spend with Thor and the Guardians of the Galaxy. Either way, it appears Thor: Love and Thunder will focus more on the hero's emotional scars as he contemplates his future as a superhero.
2. Cool Hat, Bro
In Avengers: Endgame, a bereft Thor gained a tonne of weight, but looked like a badass Viking heading into that final battle with Thanos. Here, we see him working out and burning off those extra pounds, but it's the hat the God of Thunder is wearing that's actually grabbed our attention in this scene.
Thor is wearing a cap with the classic Avengers logo on it, though he appears to have modified the hat so that it reads "Strongest Avenger," a fun throwback to one of Thor: Ragnarok's best gags.
There, the hero really wasn't happy that Tony Stark had decided The Hulk the strongest member of Earth's Mightiest Heroes, and this is clearly Thor's way to remind everyone he's most powerful. It's a funny Easter Egg, and we do hope Disney has plans to sell replicas of that hat...
1. King Of Asgard
In Spider-Man: No Way Home, a headline was spotted that read, "Political turmoil continues in New Asgard." Could this be some of it? Clearly, Valkyrie is meeting with various world leaders, though it doesn't appear as if the former King of Asgard is enjoying her newfound role as a politician.
The sign in the background suggests this is some sort of energy conference, and there are no doubt ways New Asgard's technology can help. It's also possible that the world has taken issue with powerful Gods making Earth their home, especially if it brings threats like Gorr to the planet (which does happen based on a LEGO set). Unfortunately, there's not much more we can glean from this.
It's worth noting that this sneak peek also does nothing to elaborate on who Valkyrie's "Queen" might be, but that's a surprise we have to believe Marvel Studios is saving for the movie itself.