Credit: Marvel StudiosThor: Love and Thunder is currently in theaters. Director Taika Waititi’s second outing in the Marvel Cinematic Universe is currently racking in cash for Marvel Studios, and just like every Marvel movie before it, as soon as the post-credit scene dropped, Marvel fans have begun theorizing about what it means for the future.
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Thor: Love and Thunder stars Chris Hemsworth as Thor, the Asgardian God of Thunder, in his fourth solo appearance in the MCU. Chris Hemsworth was joined by Natalie Portman as Dr. Jane Foster/The Mighty Thor, Tessa Thompson as King Valkyrie, Christain Bale as Gorr the God Butcher, and Taika Waititi as Korg.
Thor 4 was a fun romp full of Taika Waititi’s style and humor. It introduced new characters and gods to the Marvel Universe, like Russell Crowe’s Zeus. And Love and Thunder set up a new storyline for Marvel Phase Four, for once not focused on the Marvel Multiverse like Loki, Spider-Man: No Way Home, and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.
But Marvels fans seem unsure about who one new character introduced in Thor: Love and Thunder is supposed to be and what she could mean for the future of the MCU.
**Spoilers for Thor: Love and Thunder Below***
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Who was introduced in Love and Thunder?
The main villain of Thor: Love and Thunder was Gorr the God Butcher, played by Christain Bale (Batman Begins). He originally debuted in Marvel Comics in Thor: God of Thunder #1 (2013) by Jason Aaron and Esad Ribic. Jason Aaron’s God of Thunder series was the basis of Love and Thunder.
In both the film and the comics, Gorr has a singular goal – to eradicate the Marvel Universe’s gods to avenge the loss of his family. This includes Falligar the Behemoth and his own god Rapu, played by actor Jonny Brugh. In the comics, Gorr’s pregnant mate Arra was killed during an earthquake; one by one, his children perished until he was left with one son, Agar.
In the Marvel movie, Gorr is wandering the desert of his planet, which has run out of water, with his daughter, known only as Love, played by India Rose Hemsworth, the daughter of Thor himself, Chris Hemsworth, and actress Elsa Pataky. Much like Agar, Love dies at the beginning of Gorr’s story to send him on his violent quest.
But in a twist at the end of the film, Gorr uses his wish from Eternity to bring her back rather than kill all the gods. The film ends with Love being raised by her Uncle Thor and going into battle with new cosmic powers. However, it is unclear who Love will be in the MCU’s future, but multiple theories are gaining traction.
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Who is Singularity?
One leading theory is that Love is actually Singularity. After Gorr wishes Love back from the dead, the first shot shows a cosmic being that looks like Eternity, full of the cosmos and stars. However, the little girl’s reflection has bright white eyes, unlike Eternity, whose features are hidden within his galaxy design. This makes Love a dead ringer for Singularity.
Singularity debuted in Secret Wars following the collapse of the Multiverse. She joined the female team of Avengers known as A-Force with Captain Marvel, Nico Minoru, and Medusa, Queen of the Inhumans. Singularity is a cosmic being who first appeared as a meteorite streaking across the sky and crashing into the Battleworld domain of Arcadia.
Singularity is a sentient quantum singularity within which a pocket dimension exists. She can travel through time and space and has the ability to deploy herself as an enveloping shroud to protect her teammates. However, despite the initial physical similarities, Love’s powers that are seen at the end of Love and Thunder are not the same as Singularity, which is why fans continue to theorize who she could be.
Who is Captain Universe?
Another female character bears a striking similarity to Love’s appearance at the alter of Eternity. Captain Universe first appeared in Micronauts #8 (1979) by Bill Mantlo and Michael Golden. And Captain Universe has a connection to both Eternity and Gorr the God Butcher tangentially.
Captain Universe is not a single person. It is really the Uni-Power (an aspect of the Enigma Force) and a manifestation of the Universe itself, a sentient symbiotic energy field that seeks out people in great peril and bonds with them. Captain Universe chooses a partner who takes on the mantle, beginning with Ray Coffin and including Mr. Fantastic. Most recently, Tamara Devoux became Captain Universe and the Guardian of Eternity, the sum of all life.
During the recent Marvel Comics event, King in Black, the Silver Surfer, was Captain Universe, and he helped stop Knull, the creator and King of the Symboties in the Marvel Universe. Knull was the original wielder of All Black, the Necrosword, which would eventually fall into the hands of Gorr the God Butcher.
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Who is Thorsdóttir?
Torunn Thorsdóttir was the daughter of Thor and Lady Sif. She was introduced in Marvel Comics in Avengers (Vol. 4) #1 (2010) by Brian Michael Bendis and John Romita Jr. She existed on alternate Earth (Earth-10943) and also appeared in Next Avengers: Heroes of Tomorrow.
Thor: Love and Thunder ended with Thor taking custody of Love after Gorr’s death. While Love calls Thor “Uncle Thor,” she seems to have powers like Thor. Thorsdóttir is an expert sword fighter, and she can absorb and control lightning just like her father. Much of Thor’s arc in Love and Thunder involved Thor thinking about having children and wanting to be a father. In the final moments of the Marvel movie Korg even calls Thor a “Dad God.”
Love could be an amalgamation of different characters or a brand new character created by Taika Waititi for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Other Thor characters are original to the MCU, like Erik Selvig (Stellan Skarsgård) and Darcy Lewis (Kat Dennings).
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Where can Love show up next in the MCU?
Since it is not clear who Love is supposed to be, it’s not clear where she could appear again. Thor was promised to return, and Love would probably still be traveling with him. This could bring Love into play in Thor 5, if when and that is announced. No current Avengers film is planned, so fans are not sure when they will see the Asgardians again.
Love could also show up in Young Avengers, which is in the works with Billy/ Wiccan (Julian Hilliard) and Tommy/ Speed (Jett Klyne) from WandaVision, Kate Bishop/Hawkeye (Hailee Steinfeld) in Hawkeye, and America Chavez/Miss America (Xochitl Gomez) in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. The version of Young Avengers in the MCU will be different than the Marvel Comics by adding Kamala Khan/Ms. Marvel (Iman Vellani).
Or, if Love does not return a younger hero, she could join Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel’s (Brie Larson) secret project, which is rumored to be the MCU’s A-Force. The secret project has been teased multiple times since Avengers: Endgame and is expected to feature Thor: Ragnarok alumni Tessa Thompson’s Valkyrie.
Let us know in the comments who you think Love really is in Thor: Love and Thunder.
You can stream Scarlett Johansson’s Black Widow, Simu Liu’s Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Eternals, Benedict Cumberbatch’s Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, and the seven series in Marvel’s Phase Four so far — Elizabeth Olsen and Paul Bettany’s WandaVision, Anthony Mackie and Sebastian Stan’s The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Tom Hiddleston’s Loki, Marvel’s What If…?, Jeremy Renner’s Hawkeye, Oscar Isaac’s Moon Knight, and Iman Vellani’s Ms. Marvel — on Disney+ anytime