Following the theatrical release of Thor: Love and Thunder, reviews from fans and critics have been varied in terms of its comic tone and the disproportionate screentime given to its all-star cast. While some audience members wished for more of Natalie Portman’s Mighty Thor and Christian Bale’s Gorr the God Butcher, others felt that some characters, such as the Guardians of the Galaxy, were underutilized.
Thor, played by Chris Hemsworth, first met the Guardians of the Galaxy in 2018’s Avengers: Infinity War, shortly after Thanos killed Heimdall and Loki.
The connection between Thor and the Guardians team was one of the film’s best crossover moments, and Thor travels to Nidavellir alongside Rocket Raccoon (aka “Sweet Rabbit”) and Groot in search of a Thanos-killing weapon.
When Thor chooses to join the Guardians at the end of Avengers: Endgame, many fans anticipated an As-guardians of the Galaxy project or more of this successful crossover before Thor: Love and Thunder. Unfortunately, that is not what occurred.
Reality vs. Expectation
The rest of this article includes Thor: Love and Thunder spoilers.
Fans were naturally pleased to learn that the Guardians of the Galaxy would play a role in Thor: Love and Thunder, given their interactions in both Infinity War and Endgame.
People had yet to see Thor or Star-Lord and company in Phase 4, and because early promotion for Love and Thunder emphasized Thor’s hilarious encounters with Star-Lord, audiences expected these bits and exchanges to be only the tip of the comedic, cosmic iceberg.
However, the majority of what was revealed in the Thor 4 trailers and TV advertisements was the extent of the Guardians’ role in the film.
Due to the casting of Natalie Portman, Christian Bale, and Russell Crowe in the project, few expected the Guardians to be a part of the entire film due to its already crowded call sheet. Few expected the funny ragtag group to be reduced to background characters with less to say than the unremarkable alien ruler who gave Thor his screaming goats.
Why Did Thor 4 Require More Star-Lord?
Before the Guardians parted ways with Thor, each member of the cast had a brief exchange of words, with only Star-Lord having a genuine chat with the film’s star.
Even though Quill was essential in lowering Thor’s emotional shields and choosing love over heartache, the situation of their own relationship lacked context.
Quill certainly feels the urge to compete with the God of Thunder in Infinity War. Their final scene in Endgame seems to lay the setting for a comedic power struggle about who is in charge of the crew.
However, in Love and Thunder, while Thor is still seeking for dominance, Quill appears to have surrendered himself to Thor’s pranks and passively tolerates him.
Again, this is a 180-degree turn from Infinity War and Endgame, where Quill was starving for recognition. Clearly, their dynamic has shifted, but that shift is never articulated. It not only denies the audience that amusing relationship, but also the potential to relate back to previous MCU flicks.
Also, given Gorr’s danger to all gods, it’s strange that Quill wasn’t brought in for that phase of the plot. Quill did give up his godlike abilities in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, but given his heritage, he had a chance to contribute to the tale.
Why Did Thor 4 Require More Rockets?
Thor and Rocket formed a humorous, unusual team in Avengers: Infinity War. And, despite his own troubles, Rocket counseled Thor through Infinity War and Endgame, and even supplied the God of Thunder with a new eye.
But, other from a few quips in Love and Thunder, there was no catch-up between Thor and his “Sweet Rabbit,” which was especially odd given their previous personal encounters. In fact, it would have made more sense for Rocket to be Thor’s voice of reason rather than Star-Lord.
Why Did Thor 4 Need More Groot?
While Thor’s armory has always been an important part of his saga, Love and Thunder established that both his hammer Mjolnir and his new ax Stormbreaker are sentient.
Given Stormbreaker’s jealousy of Mjolnir in Thor 4, and the ax serving as a MacGuffin for the film’s third act, it’s remarkable that Groot was never reintroduced or even mentioned after sacrificing his arm to build Stormbreaker’s handle.
And, while Rocket and Thor had the closest relationship in the most recent Avengers films, Groot was along for the trip. Plus, Thor is one of the only characters who understands Groot!
Why Did Taika Waititi Restrict the Guardians in Thor 4?
When asked if there was a version of Thor: Love and Thunder with more Guardians, director Taika Waititi admitted that there was.
The following is the director’s statement:
“The plan was always to have one at the start and then move one. Because they have their own feature film. There was talk of having them return at the conclusion.”
Waititi felt that returning as a source of reinforcements would have been too repetitive and preferred Jane instead, saying:
“The issue is, it happens in every film. No more. There will be no more cavalry at the end. So we put that notion on the back burner. We only wanted Jane to enter at the end.”
Waititi has a valid point. Someone will swoop in at the last second to change the tide at a hero’s darkest moment, when all hope is lost, according to a long-standing trope in cinema and television.
The issue here is that Waititi created the very cliche he stated he intended to avoid, and he also stated that the Guardians were substituted out because they wanted Jane.
Was the decision appropriate for the story being told?
Absolutely. However, by electing not to employ the Guardians at this point in the film, their brief appearance at the beginning of the film feels less significant and more like an obligation.
While the film confirmed that the Guardians would travel to other planets to assist them in their grief over the loss of their gods, the lack of the MCU’s cosmic, comedic team appearing in any of that on-screen action – or even bothering to check in on their buddy Thor – makes their limited screentime all the more noticeable.
How Thor 4 Affects Infinity War, Endgame, and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
The issue now is that Thor’s team-up with the Guardians in Endgame will not have the same impact or enthusiasm as it had in Love and Thunder.
Because Thor’s time with the crew barely moved the needle on his own voyage and finished as swiftly as it began, it will appear as an useless detour or hiatus rather than an exciting next chapter in the God of Thunder’s adventure.
While Guardians director James Gunn has kept the script for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 under wraps, many expected Love and Thunder to handle some of the post-Endgame labor, allowing Vol. 3 to dive directly into its own tale.
Apart from Star-Lord mentioning his anguish for Gamora’s death, there was no mention of his desire to find her Variant (which is something Endgame seemingly laid the groundwork for).
Not only will Vol. 3 need to revisit that story point, but so will Thor’s departure from the Avengers and the Guardians’ assistance to planets that lost their gods in Thor 4. It’s almost as if they were assigned tasks to complete rather than adding to this story.
Overall, Marvel Studios granting creative flexibility to filmmakers and writers is a good thing for filmmaking, storytelling, and the Marvel brand. However, it can also be detrimental.
While the Marvel Cinematic Universe laid the scenario for the Guardians of the Galaxy to have an impact on Thor Odinson’s saga, Taika clearly did not want that to happen. He preferred a Jane Foster story.
Looking at Thor: Love and Thunder through the lens of the Thor franchise, Taika’s judgment is sound. The problem is that he’s much bigger than that.
Thor is a prominent protagonist in the larger cinematic universe, and he was coupled with an ensemble cast whose characters played important roles in Thor’s voyage in one of the biggest crossover blockbusters in cinema history.
Ignoring that, as well as the Guardians’ only capability for humor and action in the cosmos, explains why their little roles in Love and Thunder were not only unsettling but also a waste.
If there’s one thing Thor: The Dark World did better than Thor: Love and Thunder, it’s that the first Thor sequel included events from both 2011’s Thor and 2012’s The Avengers into its plot.
Aside from a training montage and the presence of Stormbreaker, Thor 4 appears to have had no interest in continuing or resolving storylines introduced in Endgame.
Yes, Thor: Love and Thunder is a Thor film and a Taika Waititi film, but it has little interest in being an MCU feature, except from a few Easter eggs.
Thor: The Dark World is currently in theaters.
