Thor would have the longest-running franchise when Thor: Love and Thunder was officially confirmed at SDCC 2019, as the first movie hit theaters way back in 2011.
With Taika Waititi as director, Thor: Ragnarok rejuvenated the Thor franchise with its comedic tone and fresh new take on Chris Hemsworth's character. So it wasn't too surprising when it was announced that Taika Waititi was returning to direct the fourth installment in the series. Titled Thor: Love and Thunder, the movie was originally scheduled for a November 2021 release, but due to the coronavirus delays, the film was pushed back to February 2022. The movie will serve as Thor's eighth appearance in an MCU movie, all of which being main roles, as Thor was a key character in all four Avengers movies.
Aside from its titular character, Thor: Love and Thunder will also star Natalie Portman as Jane Foster, who will follow in the footsteps of her comic book counterpart Christian Bale is confirmed to play the film's villain, though it's not clear what threat Thor and his friends will be up against. Regardless of the villain's identity, the plot of Thor: Love and Thunder can do what Thor: Ragnarok couldn't by offering a satisfying ending for the classic Marvel Comics hero.
Thor: Ragnarok Didn't End Thor's Story
Thor: Ragnarok added an exciting chapter to Thor's life, but it wasn't an ending - or at least, not for the character himself. For others, though, it did amount to a conclusion, as Odin (Anthony Hopkins) died, and Asgard was destroyed by Surtur when the Ragnarok prophecy was at last fulfilled. Thor: Ragnarok effectively scrapped the status quo by killing off most of Thor's ing characters and destroying his iconic hammer, but what this ultimately did was make room for Thor's next movie to be an all-new story, complete with a different cast.
Thor: Ragnarok ended by putting the character on a spaceship with Asgard's refugees, but there was no clear resolution for him. Thor was temporarily with his people again, but he had yet to decide what his place in the world should be. Odin wanted him to be king, but Thor wasn't quite there yet. Similar to the third films in Marvel's Avengers: Endgame.
How Love & Thunder Can Finish Thor's MCU Arc
Avengers: Endgame killed Iron Man and gave Captain America a happy ending, and saw Sif (Jamie Alexander), who missed out on Thor: Ragnarok, could appear in the fourth film and have a role in Thor's last MCU adventure.
As for how the movie can conclude his arc, this can be done by either killing Thor or having him decide what he wants to do with the rest of his life. It could be that Thor will change his mind about ruling Asgard. If so, he may do what Odin always wanted and become king, providing that Valkyrie steps down, of course. If Thor's adventuring days are over by the end of Thor: Love and Thunder, a new character could take his place. The most obvious candidate for this position is Jane Foster - since it's already known that she'll be taking up the hammer - but another option exists. Beta Ray Bill, was proven worthy of wielding Mjolnir in the 1980s and could make a fitting replacement for Thor. The hero, who has long been rumored for Thor 4, could even be given Thor's Stormbreaker hammer as a way of ing the mantle from one character to another (Stormbreaker is rightfully Beta Ray Bill's in the comics).
Why Thor 5 Shouldn't Happen
Its thanks to Taika Waititi's ability to breathe new life into the series with Ragnarok that Thor became the first hero to have four solo movies in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Waititi will take the character out for another spin in Thor: Love and Thunder, but a fifth installment doesn't seem necessary, as Thor 4 should be able to resolve any lingering plotlines. Four solo films and four Avengers movies should be more than enough to tell a complete story for Thor. To go any further would run the risk of audience fatigue, which Marvel managed to avoid in the past by not making Iron Man 4.
Marvel has always made it clear that it wanted Avengers: Endgame to be the end of an era so Phase 4 can help usher in a new wave of heroes. Marvel let go of Captain America and Iron Man, but at the moment, is still holding on to the God of Thunder. By the time Thor: Love and Thunder is released in 2022, the MCU will have already new franchises, such as Eternals, that can lead the way for them in the future.
