The latest edition in the seemingly never-ending Marvel Cinematic Universe arrives in UK cinemas tomorrow (July 7). Thor: Love And Thunder is the sixth MCU film to be released in the last year, following a slight hiatus during the Covid-19 pandemic, just a couple of months on from the release of Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness.
It can often be difficult keeping on top of all the various storylines within this vast universe. It has only continued to expand since the phase three finale Endgame, especially since the arrival of a number of Disney Plus series which have often linked into the films.
A direct sequel to Thor: Ragnarok, the latest film stars Chris Hemsworth as its title character, alongside Christian Bale, Tessa Thompson, Jaimie Alexander, Taika Waititi, Russell Crowe, and Natalie Portman. Portman played scientist and love interest Jane Foster in Thor and Thor: The Dark World but was omitted from Ragnarok.
Read more: MOVIE REVIEW: We make an appointment with 'Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness'
Where does Thor: Love and Thunder fit in the MCU sequence?
Thor: Love and Thunder is part of phase 4 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which officially began in 2021 with Black Widow. Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings, Eternals, Spider-Man: No Way Home and Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness then followed before the return of Thor and his trusty axe (which replaced his hammer in Infinity War).
In total, Thor: Love And Thunder is the 68th Marvel project, including TV shows and shorts, beginning with Iron Man in 2008. As for feature films, it is the 29th in just 14 years.
Chronologically, the film picks up after the events of Endgame. This year will also see the release of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (November 2022), which will become the MCU’s 30th film, and She-Hulk (August 2022) on Disney Plus.
Can you watch Thor: Love and Thunder as a standalone film?
With all these various universes intertwining, you’d be forgiven for thinking that to fully understand the story, you’d have to binge all 28 preceding films. Even those who have previously watched every single movie will likely forget countless details which could prove pivotal to the plot.
Fortunately, the filmmakers appeared to realise this and open up with a recap of the god’s previous exploits, allowing you to skip over the first two films in your preparation. This precursor provides many of the more basic elements prevalent in films gone-by.
However, there is one film which represents a must-watch beforehand - its predecessor Thor: Ragnarok. Without giving away too much, there is some important history for Thor and Valkyrie in Ragnarok that could resurface in Love and Thunder.
Other key points to be aware of include a major event involving Loki in Infinity War, and that Thor is now hanging out with the Guardians Of The Galaxy. That should hopefully be sufficient in allowing you to enjoy all the fun and drama of Thor’s latest adventure without getting confused about the goings-on - although to get the full reward of Thor's character development, you may wish to watch all three previous Thor films as well as the main Avengers movies.
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