Well, we may have gotten Iron Cruise in Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness, but honestly, the fans did a pretty good job of predicting the film’s impressive cameos. And a current theory of social media may just have identified a hidden character in the upcoming MCU tentpole, Thor: Love and Thunder.
The film’s trailer has already answered months of speculation that it would feature the Jane Foster version of Thor, with the latest version showing a blonde-locked Natalie Portman in all her superheroic glory. But there is another Thor. And no, it’s not the frog version.
Reddit user TheMediocreCritic has posited that the film’s space opera elements are the perfect excuse to introduce the “alien” Thor, Beta Ray Bill.
The trailer introduces us to an array of different settings, including the Grandmaster’s planet Sakaar, the realm of Zeus (presumably some sort of analog to Olympus), Earth, and more than a few unnamed locations. But why all the travel? The Redditor says the heroes are obviously seeking allies in their fight against the film’s antagonist, Gorr, the God Butcher. Olympus seems a likely spot to recruit a god or two, but why Sakaar? TheMediocreCritic thinks he has the answer.
If Thor’s ally Korg requests Thor seek out allies among the former champions of the Grandmaster, it’s a perfect opportunity to introduce Bill, a member of an alien race that was deemed worthy of the powers of Thor. Not only would this provide a link to Thor artist/writer Walt Simonson’s legendary run on the Thor comic in the Bronze Age, it would also fall in line with the Jason Aaron/ Gorr storyline which features all three Thors fighting the God Butcher.
It’s a pretty good theory. Of course, it’s all speculation, but so was the MCU’s Illuminati making an appearance in Doctor Strange, and here we all are, still trying to recover from the trauma of that scene.
So keep your fingers crossed, true believers. Bill is on his way. And he hopefully won’t have anyone spill all his powers to Wanda.
You can find out the answers after Thor: Love and Thunder hits theaters on July 8.