The tone ofThor: Love and Thunderreceived a great deal of criticism following theMCUsequel’s release in 2022, but a new theory explains why the movie was so silly, and reveals hidden details about Marvel Studios' previousThormovies. Currently, Chris Hemsworth’s Thor is the only main MCU hero to receive four solo feature film adventures, making him one of the longest-running and most prominent characters in the franchise.Marvel Studios’Thorfranchisehasn’t always been popular, however, and a new theory could explain why.
2022’sThor: Love and Thundercaught up with the Asgardian God of Thunder in the wake of his traumatic experiences inAvengers: Infinity WarandEndgame,but was not a popular installment forThor in the MCU.Director Taika Waititi tried to repeat what worked so well in 2017’sThor: Ragnarok, but the silly comedy inThor: Love and Thunderwas too much for some viewers.Criticisms aimed atThor:Love and Thundermay have been misplaced, however, as a new MCU theory posits that the movie’s narrative was always supposed to be that silly.
Every MCU Thor Movie Opens With Narration
Chris Hemsworth Debuted In The MCU In 2011’s Thor
While the style of eachThormovie in the MCUhas been changed depending on what adventure the titular superhero has been embarking on, one narrative trick has remained constant.Each movie in the MCU’sThorfranchise opens with a character narrating some backstory, catching the audience up on key events that will become important later, or filling in the gaps between movies. This exposition provides key context for the story ahead, and while Anthony Hopkins' Odin began this trend, both Thor and Taika Waititi’s Korg have since taken the reins.
$449.3 million
$644.8 million
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Thor: Love and Thunder
Taika Waititi
$760.9 million
Thorbegan with Odin giving a brief rundown of Asgard’s history, whileThor: The Dark Worldopened with him going further back to his father’s battle against Malekith and the Dark Elves.Thor: Ragnarokbegan with Thor himself explaining what he had done in the two years since 2015’sAvengers: Age of Ultron, whileLove and Thundersaw Korg explain Thor’s historyand reveal his new journey with the Guardians of the Galaxy to a group of children.At first glance, this narration has no impact on the stories of theThormovies, but a new theory suggests otherwise.
Thor Movie Narrators Set The Tone For The Adventures: MCU Theory Explained
Odin, Thor & Korg Set The Tone Of The Thor Franchise
Many have already considered that Korg narrated the entire storyline ofThor: Love and Thunderto the children in the cave, but a new theory shared byReddituser YouShouldLoveMore69suggests thateach of theThormovies should be watched from the perspective of their narrator. This perfectly explains the varying tones and styles of eachThormovie. Odin’s more traditional and classical personality is reflected in the serious, Shakespearean tone ofThorandThor: The Dark World, while Thor’s comedic but vulnerable nature can be seen inThor: Ragnarok.
This theory could be confirmed if theMCU’s as-yet-unannouncedThor 5once again opens with narration, especially if this is delivered by a character audiences haven’t heard from before.Taika Waititi has confirmed he won’t return forThor 5, and there have been calls for the overt comedy to be avoided in favor of a darker, more serious tone. Perhaps featuring narration from Hercules in Omnipotence City, Jane Foster in Valhalla or even Loki on his new throne could contribute to this tonal change, though this theory does makeLove and Thunder’stone much more palatable.
MCU Theory Makes Thor: Love & Thunder’s Silly Storyline Better
Korg Is An Unreliable & Jokey Narrator In Thor: Love & Thunder
Korg is one of the most outlandish and ridiculous characters in theThorfranchise, and his silly nature evidently leached intoThor: Love and Thunder’sstorylinethroughout the movie.Some have noticed many instances whereLove and Thunder’sstory didn’t quite add up or make sense, suggesting that Korg is an unreliable narratorwho made up a lot of information or included many jokes to please his child audience, but this didn’t work for the movie’s real-world audience. When watchingLove and Thunderthrough Korg’s eyes, the Phase 4 movie is much more enjoyable.
The comedy was more overwhelming inThor: Love and Thunderbecause Korg tries to be funny to placate difficult situations much more than Thor himself does. This allowedThor: Ragnarokto contain more tender, emotional and raw moments, whileLove and Thunderconstantly tried to avert its hard moments with jokes. Unfortunately, this culminated in the movie receiving a huge amount of criticism, but it perhaps still won’t stop a sequel toThor: Love and Thunderfrom being developed, so there is hope for the franchise andThor’s own future in the MCU.
Cast
In Thor: Love and Thunder, the Norse god teams up with King Valkyrie, Korg, and the Mighty Thor, Jane Foster, to thwart Gorr the God Butcher’s quest to eradicate the gods. This cosmic adventure sees Thor confront new challenges as he navigates his return from retirement.
