CHRISTIAN BALE LOOKS UNHOLY IN NEW TRAILER FOR THOR: LOVE AND THUNDER

There are many wild reveals in the trailer for Thor: Love and Thunder, but few take the cake as the absolutely creepy Gorr the God Butcher.

THOR ODINSON IS RETIRING, but that doesn’t mean his final days as a superhero will be a bore. Or easy.

The new trailer for Thor: Love and Thunder, which aired during the fourth game between the Celtics and the Heat in the NBA Eastern Conference Finals, showed how Chris Hemsworth’s post-Endgame Thor went “from dad bod to god bod,” to Jane Foster (a returning Natalie Portman) hoisting the mighty hammer of Mjolnir to be the new God of Thunder.

That’s not all the trailer showed, however. From the new villain Gorr the God Butcher, played by an astonishingly creepy Christian Bale, to Russell Crowe’s once-rumored-now-confirmed role as Zeus, Love and Thunder is poised to be one heck of a farewell party for the self-proclaimed Strongest Avenger.

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WHAT HAPPENED? — During Game 4 of the NBA finals between Miami and Boston, Marvel Studios unleashed the trailer for Thor: Love and Thunder, set for release on July 8.

Just as Boston showed dominance in the second quarter, the Thor: Love and Thunder trailer similarly dominated Marvel fans’ senses. Natalie Portman, back as the brainy Jane Foster since 2013’s Thor: The Dark World — which is referenced verbally by Thor, who said the last time he saw her was “eight years, seven months” — is visibly comfortable in her new role, as she’s seen effortlessly mowing down bad guys with the ease of a true veteran.

It is still unclear how Jane Foster came to be worthy to lift Mjolnir, but surely that will be explained in the movie. It’s also apparent Jane was dusted in the Blip, as she thinks only a few years have passed since she last saw her ex-boyfriend. (I’m too lazy to do the math but Thor’s quip about “eight years, seven months” sounds like the right amount of time between November 2013 and July 2022.)

One of the most bizarre elements in the trailer, though, was a look at the movie’s villain.

One of the most bizarre elements in the trailer, though, was a look at the movie’s villain.

Lastly, we can’t ignore Russell Crowe as Zeus, who didn’t account for Thor’s shredded physique to win over his own people.