How could Jane Foster choose a life of superheroics over her lifelong passion?
Was this magical weapon always available to those who don't prove themselves worthy?
And what makes Thor a hero instead of just a god?
These are the confusing moments in "Thor: Love and Thunder" explained.
Major spoilers ahead.
Gorr and his daughter are the first people seen in "Thor: Love and Thunder," as they
walk through a barren desert, dying of starvation and thirst.
All of this sets up the story of how Gorr loses his faith and becomes the God Butcher.
However, because Gorr and his daughter appear to be human, viewers may be confused as to
whether the scene takes place on Earth.
While the movie doesn't provide an explanation, the comics offer some clues.
In the comics, Gorr is more obviously alien in his design, and his loss of faith explicitly
happens on an alien planet.
With that, we can safely assume that movie Gorr is also an alien.
When the prologue takes place is more difficult to answer.
"Love and Thunder" leaves this to viewers' imaginations.
However in the comics, Gorr lost his faith thousands of years ago, and even meets Thor
for the first time in the Middle Ages.
While Thor doesn't encounter Gorr until the present day in the movie, based on the comics,
it's fair to believe that Gorr has been on his god-killing quest for centuries, if not
millennia.
After Hela shattered Thor's hammer Mjolnir into pieces at the beginning of "Ragnarok,"
Thor needed a new weapon to take on Thanos in "Infinity War."
So with the help of some of the Guardians of the Galaxy, he traveled to Nidavellir to
ask Eitri the Dwarf to forge Stormbreaker for him.
Thor and his allies then heroically flew in mid-battle to join the fight against Thanos
on Earth, and Thor demonstrated the awesome power of his shiny new weapon.
Stormbreaker remains Thor's weapon of choice in his latest adventure, but when Jane shows
up wielding Mjolnir, Stormbreaker exhibits all the signs of being jealous of Thor's close
relationship with his ex-weapon.
While it's a hilarious take on a love triangle, some viewers may find themselves wondering
why Stormbreaker seems sentient while Mjolnir never did.
The answer has been supplied by "Thor: Love and Thunder" director Taika Waititi, who pointed
out that the ax's handle was made out of Groot's arm.
Groot is currently a teenager, making his former arm a teenager too.
Because of its connection to Groot, not only does Stormbreaker have a certain level of
consciousness, like many teenagers, it's also fairly temperamental.
Jane and Thor fell in love during 2011's "Thor," but after breaking the Bifrost, they didn't
see each other again until two years later in "Thor: The Dark World."
After that, Jane and Thor embarked on a romance, but as Korg explains in "Love and Thunder,"
soon fear and their commitment to their jobs led to their break-up.
"Sorry to hear that Jane dumped you."
"She didn't dump me, I dumped her.
It was a mutual dumping."
While it's not entirely clear when this happened, we know Jane and Thor were no longer together
by "Ragnarok," and their reunion offers an opportunity for further clarity.
When Thor and Jane meet again, Jane casually asks how long they've been apart.
"What's it been, three, four years?"
"Eight years, seven months and six days, give or take."
Some fans may be confused about why the discrepancy between their recollections of the timing
of their break-up is so different, but there are a couple of potential explanations.
On the one hand, it points to the fact that Thor has been literally counting the days
since they parted, while Jane has had other things on her mind.
That would indicate Thor's been holding a much bigger and brighter torch for Jane than
she has for him.
However, Jane's belief that it's been somewhere between three and four years might suggest
she may have been snapped away by Thanos — meaning that in her mind, their break-up is far more
recent than it is for Thor because, for five of the eight-plus years since, she technically
didn't exist.
Is it a subtle nod to Thanos' actions or are we reading too much into things?
You decide.
"Thor: Love and Thunder" introduces several new locations, but perhaps the most impressive
is Omnipotence City, an embassy for gods of all kinds from across the universe.
Yet, while all gods are welcome there in the comics, that isn't the case in the film.
Thor indicates that their attendance at the meeting of gods where they plan to ask for
Zeus' help to take on Gorr is by invitation only.
In fact, they're so concerned about getting kicked out before they can make their request,
that they don the clothes of a set of gods that were invited as a disguise.
Still, it's hard not to wonder why Thor hasn't been invited to Omnipotence City before.
After all, he's a god from a pretty powerful family that's made waves across the Nine Realms.
Moreover, in the comics, Thor once went to Omnipotence City to seek information about
Gorr's whereabouts from its vast library.
Yet, while his destination in the movie is the same, Thor's not exactly welcome in the
MCU's version of Omnipotence City, In fact, while Thor may seem like a big deal in other
contexts, Zeus indicates he doesn't think too highly of the space Viking, noting that
once Odin died, he was under the impression his whole pantheon was gone.
In the comics, the denizens of Olympus and Asgard are usually friends and allies.
Of course, there are always exceptions, but it seems that there's not a whole lot of goodwill
between the two pantheons in the MCU.
Perhaps that's why Thor has never landed an Omnipotence City invite before.
When we first met Thor more than a decade ago, he reveled in war and sought out fights
even when there was no need.
"Through your arrogance and stupidity, you have opened this peaceful realms and innocent
lives to the horror and desolation of war."
But after Odin stripped him of Mjolnir and banished him to Earth, Thor learned his lesson:
His ability to help people was his true superpower.
It was this realization that led him to join the Avengers and become a defender of Earth
and its people.
Yet, the other gods we meet in "Love and Thunder" don't seem to share Thor's concern for the
greater good.
In "Love and Thunder," the gods come across as vain and complacent and they believe mortal
beings' only purpose is to worship them.
This is a bit confusing.
After all, Thor's nothing like these other gods.
Part of the reason for this may be simply that Thor's Viking background means he was
an especially talented fighter and it gave him a skill that he could use to benefit others,
a skill that many other gods may not share.
That said, gods like Zeus used to be powerful forces on Earth but aren't anymore.
It's possible that just as their worshippers have rejected them, they've turned against
their former worshippers.
However, it's more likely that Thor is so different from the other Gods directly because
of his humbling experiences on Earth.
Once he realized that human beings could be worth protecting, he became a true hero, instead
of just a god.
It doesn't seem as if the other gods in Omnipotence City have had the same humbling moments.
When Thor gets the attention of Zeus in Omnipotence City and asks him to raise an army of gods
to help him take on Gorr, Zeus is unwilling to help, arguing that the gods are safe where
they are.
The only measure he's willing to take to protect the gathered deities from Gorr is to force
Thor and his allies to stay there so Gorr can't learn the location of Omnipotence City
from them.
Yet, some fans may scratch their heads at this, not because Zeus' reason for holding
Thor is flawed but because if he wants to keep Thor in Omnipotence City, he should want
to do the same with every other god in existence.
After all, if Thor knows where Omnipotence City is, it stands to reason that all the
other gods do too.
So even if Zeus doesn't want to take on Gorr, if he wants to ensure none of the gods Gorr
goes after reveals the location of Omnipotence City, it seems he should send someone to gather
up any gods who aren't already there.
That way the gods will all be safe in Omnipotence City and Gorr will never learn their location.
It's a win-win, and since Thor is the only god who seems to want to confront Gorr, Zeus
probably wouldn't get much pushback to keeping all the gods in the City.
When Zeus tries to have his soldiers take Thor and his friends into custody so they
can't leave Omnipotence City, it leads to a brutal brawl.
Yet, despite all the gods surrounding them, the only one that helps the soldiers is Zeus.
Zeus wreaks plenty of havoc with his weapon, Thunderbolt, including almost obliterating
Korg.
When he attempts to take Thor out with it, though, Thor catches it and throws it back
at Zeus, seemingly landing a killing blow to the shock of the other gods watching.
Despite appearing to meet his demise, however, it's revealed in a mid-credits scene that
although Zeus was wounded, he's far from deceased.
This could lead some to wonder if Zeus can truly die at all.
Zeus is still alive in the comics, so there's no definitive evidence one way or another.
Plus, we know that, regardless of how poetic it might have been, Zeus' own weapon can't
kill him, which likely means no other divine weapon can either.
However, even though Zeus is unwilling to seek out Gorr for the good of gods everywhere,
his attempt to prevent Thor from going after him so Gorr can't discover the location of
Omnipotence City indicates he's scared of Gorr's weapon, the Necrosword.
So while it may be almost impossible for Zeus to die, it seems there's at least one weapon
in the universe that can kill him.
After Gorr takes up the Necrosword it grants him all kinds of powers that ironically mimic
those of a deity.
Gorr is immortal as long as the sword exists, has enhanced strength that allows him to overcome
gods, and is able to create shadow monsters that do his bidding.
Yet, it's only when Thor, Mighty Thor, and Valkyrie reach the Shadow realm where Gorr
resides that we see he possesses one more unexpected skill: the ability to read minds.
When the trio initially arrives, the God Butcher is nowhere to be found, and when he finally
appears he's like something out of a horror movie as he immobilizes them and then taunts
them with their darkest memories, impulses, and feelings.
While his ability to use each individuals' own thoughts against them makes Gorr even
scarier than he already was, it's hard not to wonder where this particular power comes
from.
In the comics, the Necrosword granted Gorr plenty of abilities, but telepathy wasn't
one of them.
Yet, earlier in "Love and Thunder" the Necrosword appears to have the power to not only call
out to Gorr but to know that he would be a worthy successor to the individual who previously
wielded it.
This indicates that, at least in the MCU, the Necrosword grants its user the ability
to see into others' minds.
It may not be the most useful skill when your goal is to slay gods, but it's sure freaky
when Gorr uses it to torture Thor and his allies in the movie.
"Where were you?"
Outside of a brief appearance in "Endgame," Jane hasn't been seen in the MCU in almost
a decade, and when we catch up with her in "Love and Thunder," she isn't in a good place.
Jane has advanced-stage cancer, and even though she's getting treated for it, it isn't getting
better.
Nonetheless, Jane continues to work, even sleeping in her lab so she can get more done.
While the movie suggests that part of what Jane is doing centers on finding a cure for
her cancer, it's reasonable to assume she's still pursuing the astrophysics work that
was established as her passion early in the "Thor" franchise.
Yet, after she travels to Asgard, reconnects with Mjolnir, and becomes the Mighty Thor,
Jane completely abandons her life's work to travel across the cosmos and fight Gorr.
While the movie doesn't put too fine a point on it, some viewers may feel this seems out
of character for Jane, whose brilliant mind balanced Thor's spectacular brawn in the first
two "Thor" films.
Ultimately, the reason behind her changed focus is supplied by Jane herself.
The cancer is making Jane feel weak and incapable, but picking up Mjolnir and becoming the Mighty
Thor makes her feel strong and powerful.
To Jane, it's like she's been granted another life.
So if her choices are only to continue to pursue her physics work until she's too weak
to do so anymore or to periodically feel strong as the Mighty Thor, it's understandable why
she'd choose the second option.
"Let's bring the rainbow."
Throughout its time in the MCU, Mjolnir has never demonstrated the same level of sentience
that Stormbreaker does in "Love and Thunder."
Nonetheless, it's clear Mjolnir knows how to listen.
Not only does it refuse to let the God of Thunder reclaim it on Odin's orders in the
first "Thor" film, but in his fourth solo adventure when Thor tells Mjolnir to always
protect Jane while the pair are a couple, the hammer clearly takes the instructions
to heart.
So when Jane's cancer doesn't appear to be improving, Mjolnir calls to her from New Asgard,
and once she arrives, it puts its shattered remains back together and grants her the power
of Thor.
Yet, it soon becomes clear that wielding Mjolnir is actually accelerating Jane's cancer.
As a doctor on New Asgard tells Thor, Jane is rapidly declining, and it seems her taking
up the mantle of the Mighty Thor is the reason.
But this is a confusing revelation.
After all, if Mjolnir's goal is to protect Jane, how is it possible that it's actually
making things worse for her?
Unfortunately, Mjolnir's options for helping Jane are pretty much limited to granting her
superhero powers.
In the comics, when Jane uses Mjolnir to become the Mighty Thor, it removes all toxins from
her body including the chemotherapy and other drugs treating her cancer, while leaving cancer
behind because it's a part of her.
So while it's doing the best it can to keep Jane safe, Mjolnir doesn't realize its form
of protection won't actually do much to assist a terminally ill human.
It's a reasonable oversight when you're used to being wielded by space Vikings, but it
hastens Jane's sad end.
Ever since Thor was introduced in the MCU, a major part of his story has centered on
whether he was worthy of wielding Mjolnir.
As a result, it's understandable that when he was forced to switch weapons, many fans
believed that same worthiness clause applied to his newly forged ax Stormbreaker.
After all, Stormbreaker certainly seems to be as powerful as Mjolnir in many ways.
So these same fans may be very confused when the seemingly unworthy Gorr is able to take
Stormbreaker from Thor and carry it off with him in "Love and Thunder."
But it won't be the first time fans have wondered if characters have to be worthy to lift Stormbreaker.
The question was raised after Groot lifted the ax to offer his arm as a handle in "Infinity
War," with that film's directors Joe and Anthony Russo clarifying
"Mjolnir requires worthiness, not Stormbreaker."
In fact, even Mjolnir didn't require worthiness until Odin whispered the words that gave it
this property.
Considering that, it makes sense that pretty much anyone can lift Stormbreaker if they
want to.
The Necrosword has granted Gorr an unnaturally long life, but that longevity has come with
a trade-off: If the Necrosword is ever destroyed, Gorr will die quickly afterward.
So when Thor returns to the Shadow realm to rescue Asgard's children and once again attempt
to defeat Gorr, his main goal is to shatter the Necrosword.
Thor manages to get this done with an assist from the kidnapped Asgardian kids who he temporarily
shares his powers with, and Jane, who he'd begged to stay on New Asgard, as another fight
as Mighty Thor is likely to kill her.
Despite the demise of the Necrosword, Gorr still opens the doors to Eternity before he
dies, which was his goal all along.
In "Love and Thunder," Eternity is a being at the center of the universe who will grant
the individual who finds it a single wish.
And even though he's dying, Gorr still has enough life in him to see his plan through
to the end.
Thor and Jane follow him into Eternity, where Jane collapses, and Thor admits Gorr has won.
Yet, it's not clear why it has to be that way.
After all, Gorr no longer has the power of the Necrosword, so it seems Thor could easily
kill him before he made his wish, saving himself in the process.
Plus, with Gorr out of the way, presumably, Gorr's wish would pass to Thor, and he could
wish Jane's cancer away, saving her and enabling them to pursue their rekindled romance.
Instead, the pair convinces Gorr to wish for his daughter to live instead of all gods to
die, which ensures Thor's survival, but leaves Jane to perish.
Why would Thor choose to spare the life of his enemy instead of killing him in cold blood?
Well, as he says in Thor: Ragnarok,
"Because that's what heroes do."
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