The Marvel Universe is having a moment for mythology. In its Phase 4, the MCU has delved deep into mythologies from all around the world. Throughout its movies, the MCU has touched on Egyptian mythology, Mesoamerican mythology, European mythology, and more. But inarguably, the very first character from mythology that Marvel ever borrowed for the big-screen is Thor. And in Thor: Love and Thunder, we can expect even more gods, characters from mythology, and divine beings. We know Gorr: the God Butcher is on the loose as the film’s main villain. And if you have a God Butcher, we guess you’re going to need some gods. Here are all the gods and mythological characters that may appear in an MCU form in Thor: Love and Thunder.
Jump to:
- Gods of Mythology Confirmed for Thor: Love and Thunder: Thor // Valkyrie // Sif // Zeus
- Gods of Mythology That May Appear in Thor: Love and Thunder: Bast // Hercules // Other MCU Olympians // Other Gods of Mythology That Have Impacted Thor
Which Gods and Mythological Characters Are Confirmed for Thor: Love and Thunder?
The Norse God Thor, Of Course, Appears in the MCU Movie
Naturally, Thor will appear in Thor: Love and Thunder; it wouldn’t be much of a movie if he didn’t. In fact, we will be getting two Thors in this MCU movie because Jane Foster will be transforming into the Mighty Thor, another version of Thor.
The MCU’s Thor has been through a lot, between losing Loki, the destruction of Asgard, and his own personal emotional journeys. In Love and Thunder, it seems like he’s looking for direction in his life. Perhaps his journey will be informed by his mythological counterpart.
Thor in Mythology
In Norse Mythology, Thor is also the God of Thunder, and, like in the MCU, he carries a powerful weapon in his hammer, Mjöllnir. Mjöllnir, it’s worth noting, doesn’t have a completely clear etymology, but it seems to be related to the Old Church Slavonic and Old Prussian word for lightening. The sound of Thor’s chariot, pulled by his immortal goats, Tanngnjóstr (Tooth Gnasher) and Tanngrísnir (Snarl Tooth), was said to be the cause of thunder, or sometimes, the tides.
Mythology’s Thor represents the honorable warrior and is a major god. In his myths, he often defends the Godly realm of Asgard and the earthly realm of Midgard from great threats. Although Thor is associated with battle and war, his primary purpose as a god is to offer protection. As much as Thor’s hammer can destroy, it can also purify. As a god, people called on Thor to bring agricultural abundance, to consecrate marriages, and to offer other comfort and blessings. Perhaps the MCU’s Thor will find himself leaning into this side of his mythological background. He doesn’t want his hands to do battle anymore, but his power can do more than that.
It is worth noting that mythology’s Thor is fated to die in a battle with his chief foe, the serpent, Jörmungandr. Although Ragnarok has already occurred, it’s possible mythology’s fate still awaits Marvel’s Thor.
Valkyrie Returns in Thor: Love and Thunder
King Valkyrie of New Asgard is making her return in Thor: Love and Thunder. When we last saw our King, she was newly appointed to the crown by a melancholy Thor. Valkyrie, also known as Brunnhilde, will have to adjust to the crown since she’s much more used to seeing battle. Before becoming King of New Asgard, she was once a part of the Valkyries, a team of elite warrior maidens who protected the throne of Asgard. But sadly, before the events of the MCU, all of the Valkyries except Brunnhilde were slaughtered by Hela while on a mission from Odin. Ultimately, though, we can’t wait to see Valkyrie take charge. She’ll even, it seems, sit on a council of gods.
Valkyries in Mythology
In Norse mythology, the Valkyries and Brunnhilde also appear. Like in the MCU, the Valkyries of myth were a group of warriors that served the god Odin. In addition to their battlefield duties, they also decided which slain warriors were worthy of finding a place in Valhalla, a kind of warrior heaven. While we haven’t yet seen Valkyrie put these skills to use in the MCU, it sounds like this mythology-inspired power will play a role in Love and Thunder.
Tessa Thompson recently shared:
She has weird skills, to be honest. She can sense when someone is close to death, and she takes them into Valhalla, which is essentially the afterlife. Also, she can revive people. But when she revives people, sometimes she ends up in their body. It’s a weird thing. It can be quite erotic. And then she has superhuman strength and is essentially a god.
Brunnhilde in Mythology
Mythology’s Brunnhilde, meanwhile, takes several different forms. We can see hints of these different stories in the MCU’s Valkyrie. In some myths, Brunnhilde is a warrior Valkyrie who gets punished by Odin for disobeying him. Meanwhile, in others, she is Odin’s daughter and a supernatural figure. While still in other myths, she is a powerful princess who swears only to marry a man stronger and braver than she. We don’t know about any men… But when it comes to Valkyrie’s MCU future, there may be a pretty strong woman on the horizon. The Mighty Thor has landed in the MCU, after all.
The Norse Earth Goddess, the Lady Sif, Appears in the Thor Movie
After an absence from the Thor movies, Jaimie Alexander returns as Lady Sif in Thor: Love and Thunder, according to the film’s official poster. While we haven’t seen Lady Sif in any of the promos yet, her return does make us think again about her mythological origins.
In Norse mythology, Lady Sif is the goddess of Earth. But, in addition, she is also the god Thor’s wife. While Thor’s main MCU romance was Jane Foster, it doesn’t escape our notice that there’s a second Thor around now. Could Lady Sif and the Mighty Thor hit it off in Love and Thunder? The movie does tell tales of many kinds of love after all. It certainly would be a fun way for Marvel to nod at its mythological roots.
Thor: Love and Thunder Will Introduce the MCU’s Zeus
We’ve seen from Thor: Love and Thunder‘s trailers that the latest Thor movie will introduce Zeus into the world of the MCU. The Olympic pantheon has long existed in Marvel’s comics and now we’ll get to see them come to life on the big screen.
Zeus in Mythology
In mythology, Zeus is a powerful but mercurial god. In addition to being king of the gods, he controls the sky and the weather. We see his primary weapon, the thunderbolt, in the trailers for Thor: Love and Thunder. According to Greek myths, it is Zeus who first brought the Greek gods to power, rebelling against the rule of the Titans. As the king of the gods, Zeus omnisciently observed mankind, protecting their cities and doling out justice.
Although Zeus was married to Hera, queen of the gods, he was known for being an incredible flirt and was constantly having affairs. From what we’ve seen of MCU’s Zeus, we wouldn’t feel surprised to see those mythological aspects coming through. Whether we’ll meet Hera or the other Greek gods in the MCU, we don’t yet know.
Zeus in Marvel Comics
In Marvel’s comics and mythology, Zeus rules over his fellow Olympians as king of the gods. In the comics, the Greek gods live in a pocket dimension known as Olympus. This Marvel dimension is accessible from the same place where mythology’s Greek gods actually live, Mount Olympus.
Marvel Comics’ Zeus is the strongest of all the Greek gods and he can transport himself between dimensions. In the MCU, we’ll see Zeus display some of that power as well when he accidentally flicks too hard and disappears all of Thor’s clothing. Oops. Zeus and the gods of Olympus are also immortal in Marvel’s comics. However, they rely on Ambrosia to keep themselves this way, a potential weakness enemies might exploit.
Which MCU Gods and Other Beings From Mythology May Appear in Thor: Love and Thunder?
Jump to:
- Gods of Mythology Confirmed for Thor: Love and Thunder: Thor // Valkyrie // Sif // Zeus
- Gods of Mythology That May Appear in Thor: Love and Thunder: Bast // Hercules // Other MCU Olympians // Other Gods of Mythology That Have Impacted Thor
The Cat Goddess Bast May Appear in Thor: Love and Thunder
A still from Thor: Love and Thunder seemed to reveal King Valkyrie and Jane Foster’s Mighty Thor at a conference of some sort, perhaps one for gods. Seated next to them, we theorize is the goddess Bast. (Check out the cat ears! Or perhaps they are panther ears.)
Bast in Mythology
In mythology, Bast was widely known as the Egyptian cat goddess. In Egypt, cats were seen as protectors, vermin killers who protected the home and crops. And thus, Bast became a protective goddess, though she was also the goddess of pleasure and good health. Despite these aspects of her, Bast was also an incredibly ferocious god, a daughter of Ra with a predator’s heart. She was often presented as a woman with a cat’s head.
Bast in Marvel’s Comics and the MCU
In Marvel’s comics, Bast also serves a protector goddess. Marvel’s Bast is a panther goddess and the protector of Wakanda. Additionally, it’s worth noting that Bast is part of the Ennead with Khonshu, who we just saw appear in Moon Knight. At some point, Moon Knight and Thor: Love and Thunder could have had more overlap, so it’s possible we could see Bast bridge the gap between these two properties as well as Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.
Technically, we already saw Bast appear in the MCU. In Black Panther first scenes, Bast appears as a giant panther and offers the heart-shaped herb to a warrior shaman. This warrior, of course, transforms into the first Black Panther and protector of Wakanda. Despite this brief appearance, we haven’t yet met the goddess Bast in human form. We wonder if we’ll also see a version of the goddess that looks more like the Bast of mythology in Marvel’s universe. After all, we loved what they did with the Egyptian goddess Tawaret.
The Hero of Greek Mythology Hercules May Appear in Thor: Love and Thunder
The confirmation of Zeus’s appearance in Thor: Love and Thunder left us wondering whether any other of Greek mythology’s famous heroes would appear in the movie.
Hercules in Greek Mythology
The figure of Hercules, of course, is not a full god, instead, he is half-god and half-mortal, a son of Zeus. (One of many.) Throughout the Greek myths, Hercules performed many feats on his quest to achieve godhood. Some of the most famous of Hercules’ accomplishments are the 12 labors of Hercules. From killing the Nemean Lion, a vicious creature that no arrows could pierce, to stealing Cerberus, the three-headed guard-dog of the Underworld, to slaying the Hydra, a familiarly-named monster with many heads, these labors would certainly fit right into the MCU’s other adventures.
Of course, given that Hercules is a figure of Greek mythology, many of his heroic feats had dark shades to them, like penance for killing his wife after being driven out of his mind by the goddess Hera, jealous of her husband’s infidelities. Though the MCU is getting slightly darker in tone, we’re not sure if it’s ready for all of Greek mythology’s nuances yet.
Hercules in Marvel’s Comics
In Marvel’s comics, Hercules has a similar origin story to his mythological counterpart, though he begins his life as Herakles. He, too, is the son of Zeus and a mortal woman, whom Zeus seduces. And he, too, faces the ire of Hera’s jealousy. Similarly to the Hercules of myth, Herakles ends up slaying his family out of anger and changes his name to Hercules to distance himself from the deeds. Eventually, Hercules does become a full-fledged god and interacts with some of Marvel’s heroes such as Wolverine, Thor, and Hawkeye. Hercules even becomes an Avenger for a time.
Should the MCU introduce the hero Hercules to their roster in Thor: Love and Thunder, it will be fascinating to see how Marvel chooses to tell this mythological hero’s tale.
Other Greek Gods May Appear in Thor: Love and Thunder
Where there’s Zeus, there are usually other Olympians. And it does look like we’ll be paying a visit to the Olympus dimension where Zeus rules. In Thor: Love and Thunder‘s trailer, we see a few other godly-looking women surrounding Zeus, although they don’t have many defining characteristics. It’s possible they are just Zeus’ dalliances, but they could also be some other popular Greek gods including Athena, Aphrodite, Hera, Artemis, and more.
After all, the Greek gods Aphrodite, Apollo, Artemis, Ares, Athena, Demeter, Dionysus, Hephaestus, Hera, Hermes, and Poseidon are just a few of the gods of mythology who have made appearances in Marvel’s comics, paving the way for an MCU debut.
In the comics, Olympus’ gods, the Olympians, are the gods the ancient Greeks worshipped. These Greek gods should not be confused with their Eternals counterparts because they are not the same. In the comics, the two do often get mistaken for one another, though… An issue the MCU will likely have to address.
As mentioned, Marvel Comics’ Olympians have all the powers of gods and other superhumans, including superhuman strength, speed, stamina, healing abilities, and more. Although the Olympians are technically “more immortal” than the Asgardians, they still rely on Olympian Ambrosia to maintain their deathless and perfect state. Without it, they lose their immortality. The Olympian gods also all possess the Allspeak and can understand any language. Like their mythological counterparts, the Greek gods of Marvel have specific powers and abilities that match whatever they are in charge of. For instance, Ares, the God of War, has a great knowledge of combat.
These Greek gods of mythology will likely just cameo in the MCU. But we wouldn’t mind seeing them join in the fray more fully.
From Loki to Frigga, the Gods of Norse Mythology That Impact the MCU’s Thor
Jump to:
- Gods of Mythology Confirmed for Thor: Love and Thunder: Thor // Valkyrie // Sif // Zeus
- Gods of Mythology That May Appear in Thor: Love and Thunder: Bast // Hercules // Other MCU Olympians // Other Gods of Mythology That Have Impacted Thor
Norse mythology and its gods and characters have already played a big role in the MCU, especially in Thor’s movies. Although not every mythologically-based character we’ve seen surface in the MCU will appear in Love and Thunder, a number of them will continue to influence the narrative.
Of course, we don’t know if Loki will appear in Thor: Love and Thunder but the question is one that is top of mind for many Thor fans. In the MCU, Loki is a trickster god and Thor’s brother. While Marvel’s Loki does draw inspiration from his counterpart in mythology, in Norse folklore, Loki isn’t specifically related to Thor or Odin. Instead, he is one of the other gods of the Aesir, one of the main groups of gods present in Scandinavian myths. Both versions of Loki, however, are able to shapeshift and remain spectacularly tricky while being a pain in Thor’s side.
Thor’s MCU parents, Odin and Frigga also find their origins in mythology. However, while Odin is Thor’s father in mythology, Frigga’s counterpart Frigg, is not his mother. Frigg is the wife of Odin and the Norse goddess of marriage of fertility in mythology. But it seems that Thor’s mythological mother is actually Jörd, a giantess about whom not much is known. It is interesting that the MCU chose to give Loki jotun roots when it seems to be Thor that actually has them in mythology. Thor’s MCU half-sister, Hela, or Hel, as she’s known in myth, also gets her start in the Norse tales. There she is actually Loki’s daughter. Other characters, such as Heimdall, also take inspiration from mythology.
The MCU’s Mythological Future
From Eternals to Moon Knight to Ms. Marvel and more, the MCU is focusing heavily on mythology in its Phase Four movies and TV shows. With Thor: Love and Thunder‘s heavy emphasis on gods, we can only assume we’re going to continue in the same vein. And we’re thinking we’ll get introduced to a whole new set of MCU characters inspired by mythology in the upcoming movie. With Marvel’s comics already setting a precedent for heroes inspired by mythology, we can’t wait to see what else the MCU has in store for us.
Jump to:
- Gods of Mythology Confirmed for Thor: Love and Thunder: Thor // Valkyrie // Sif // Zeus
- Gods of Mythology That May Appear in Thor: Love and Thunder: Bast // Hercules // Other MCU Olympians // Other Gods of Mythology That Have Impacted Thor
