Taika Waititi to Direct Thor: Love and Thunder (2022)

[Vegas Disney Fan]

Marvel Comics continues to work on inclusion and adding more queer characters (with the latest being the forthcoming gay Spider-Man). The movies and streaming series are slowly following suit.

However, in this specific case - if the Thor demographic actually was teenage boys and men (assuming that refers to straight ones), they wouldn't from the first film have regularly featured gratuitous shirtless Hemsworth scenes to ogle and the latest trailer for this film would not show Thor's naked rear end.

Most women I know - straight, gay, etc. - freaking adore Valkyrie and the out bi actress who plays her. (I actually forget Tessa was into guys, too, until the behind the scenes pics of her making out with director Taika Waititi & his girlfriend came out a while back!)

The same women Marvel fans were also thrilled by Loki coming out as canonically bi. Not to get too deep in the fandom weeds but there have always been a LOT of Thorki and Stucky fangirls from the very beginning amongst many other gay 'ships. Heck, that stuff goes all the way back to K/S slashfic in the original Trek fan days.

This film may or may not be a hit depending if Taika has gone too far with his own sense of humor, but it's one Marvel franchise segment where the Marvel nerds skew plenty female and more tolerant.

This post makes me feel so old… not only did I not realize Valkyrie, the character, was supposed to be gay but I couldn’t even tell you the name of the actor who plays her let alone her personal sex life.

And when did Loki become bi? I missed that one also.

This countries fascination with characters and peoples sexual preferences is so bizarre to me, does it really matter for anyone but them and their significant others?

My gf saw Thor tonight with her adult son and all she told me was it was good and Thor gets naked, followed by a swooning emoji, she didn’t mention who was straight or gay or bi, my guess is she didn’t notice, probably true of 99% of the audience when it doesn’t become politicized, they wont care or notice so it’s not a factor worth mentioning.

 

[TP2000]

However, we are most likely to get a lot of "man-on-man gay stuff" with the relationship between Wiccan and Hulkling in Young Avengers. Wiccan is Wanda's son Billy and Hulkling is his shapeshifting half-skrull boyfriend.

I must confess that I have absolutely no idea what, or who, you are talking about.

But I trust that at least they are kind of cute?

 

[TP2000]

So if Thor is a huge hit as expected then I guess people are ok with that darn gay agenda in this movie and not in other movies like Lightyear. It’s almost like people have absolutely no idea what they are talking about. Must be some selective wokeness.

Or, it might have to do with age-appropriateness and movie ratings?

Thor, just like Doctor Strange, is rated PG-13 and is aimed at teenagers and young adults who don't need their parents to accompany them to the theater. Lightyear was rated PG and was aimed at parents taking their children to the movies.

Kind of like the difference between teaching a 2nd grader about human sexuality in school, and teaching an 8th grader about human sexuality in school.

 

[TP2000]

This countries fascination with characters and peoples sexual preferences is so bizarre to me, does it really matter for anyone but them and their significant others?

Exactly. It's not 1963 any longer. It's not even 1995. It's 2022. America has moved on and can deal with it.

But just don't try to drag the 2nd graders into it. Let that wait until at least Junior High. Which I think is most parent's very valid point in all of this.

 

[TP2000]

Totally different target audiences?

No, no. Every PG-13 movie aimed at horror-obsessed teenagers like Doctor Strange...

Is exactly like every PG movie like Lightyear aimed at parents taking their grade-school aged children to the multiplex.

It's like people can't detect major differences or MPAA ratings, let alone nuance. According to some folks here, every movie is apparently all the same, whether it's X Rated Debbie Does Dallas or G Rated Mary Poppins. It's a movie, so it all can be equally profane, or graphic, or sexually explicit.

And if you refuse to subject your child to that, you are a bigot. Got it? Good.

 

[Disneyfanman]

Saw it tonight. This thing will be polarizing. I didn’t like it at all, except for the scenes focusing on Thor and Jane. For me, it was worse than Dark World. It reminded me of the 70’s Flash Gordon movie in its writing and direction style. Very disappointed.

 

[Ghost93]

Saw it tonight. This thing will be polarizing. I didn’t like it at all, except for the scenes focusing on Thor and Jane. For me, it was worse than Dark World. It reminded me of the 70’s Flash Gordon movie in its writing and direction style. Very disappointed.

Lightyear was a much more mature and sophisticated movie than Thor: Love and Thunder.

 

[Prince-1]

Or, it might have to do with age-appropriateness and movie ratings?

Thor, just like Doctor Strange, is rated PG-13 and is aimed at teenagers and young adults who don't need their parents to accompany them to the theater. Lightyear was rated PG and was aimed at parents taking their children to the movies.

Kind of like the difference between teaching a 2nd grader about human sexuality in school, and teaching an 8th grader about human sexuality in school.

You may have a better argument if Lightyear was rated G. . I saw Thor yesterday and there were a lot of impressionable young kids there. Stupid gay agenda from Disney.

 

[LSLS]

Or, it might have to do with age-appropriateness and movie ratings?

Thor, just like Doctor Strange, is rated PG-13 and is aimed at teenagers and young adults who don't need their parents to accompany them to the theater. Lightyear was rated PG and was aimed at parents taking their children to the movies.

Kind of like the difference between teaching a 2nd grader about human sexuality in school, and teaching an 8th grader about human sexuality in school.

LOL, I've been taking my kid to Marvel movies since she was in 1st grade. Guess I suck as a parent. BUT, I also don't think two gay people kissing is any more of a sexualization of a movie than the princess and the prince kissing in every other Disney animated movie. And if I REALLY wanted to point out the kisses that make me uncomfortable, I'd be looking at 16 year old Aurora and Ariel.

 

[TP2000]

You may have a better argument if Lightyear was rated G. .

You might have a better argument if Disney Animation and Pixar actually still made G Rated movies.

G Rated movies hardly exist in the movie industry as a whole, and are apparently no longer released by Pixar or Disney.

PG is the new G, as all of the Pixar or Disney Animation releases the last several years have shown.

Disney's Frozen II = Rated PG
Pixar's Onward = Rated PG
Pixar's Soul = Rated PG
Disney's Raya = Rated PG
Pixar's Luca = Rated PG
Disney's Encanto = Rated PG
Pixar's Turning Red = Rated PG
Pixar's Lightyear = Rated PG

 

[TP2000]

Thor is doing well at the theaters as of last night. A box office take that Burbank desperately needs!

Just like Frozen, it's Scandinavians to the rescue again!

‘Thor: Love and Thunder’ Box Office Heads for $135M-$145M Opening

That's ahead of the $122 million opening of 'Thor: Ragnarok.' Both films were directed by Taika Waititi.

www.hollywoodreporter.com

 

[Ghost93]

You might have a better argument if Disney Animation and Pixar actually still made G Rated movies.

G Rated movies hardly exist in the movie industry as a whole, and are apparently no longer released by Pixar or Disney.

PG is the new G, as all of the Pixar or Disney Animation releases the last several years have shown.

Disney's Frozen II = Rated PG
Pixar's Onward = Rated PG
Pixar's Soul = Rated PG
Disney's Raya = Rated PG
Pixar's Luca = Rated PG
Disney's Encanto = Rated PG
Pixar's Turning Red = Rated PG
Pixar's Lightyear = Rated PG

Yeah, Tangled, Frozen, Big Hero 6, Zootopia, Frozen II, Onward, Raya, Luca and Soul would have ALL been rated G if they came out in the 90s. There's no way 90s movies like Lion King, Pocahontas and Hunchback of Notre Dame would get a G-rating in today's age.

Turning Red would have probably still been PG-rated in the 90s (due to the discussion of periods which for some strange reason is a taboo subject), and Lightyear would have been PG-13 in the 90s due to homophobia at the time (keep in mind, in the 90s, gay sex was unfortunately still illegal in many states and things like Ellen coming out dominated national headlines and were filled with controversy).

 

[MarvelCharacterNerd]

This post makes me feel so old… not only did I not realize Valkyrie, the character, was supposed to be gay but I couldn’t even tell you the name of the actor who plays her let alone her personal sex life.

And when did Loki become bi? I missed that one also.

This countries fascination with characters and peoples sexual preferences is so bizarre to me, does it really matter for anyone but them and their significant others?

My gf saw Thor tonight with her adult son and all she told me was it was good and Thor gets naked, followed by a swooning emoji, she didn’t mention who was straight or gay or bi, my guess is she didn’t notice, probably true of 99% of the audience when it doesn’t become politicized, they wont care or notice so it’s not a factor worth mentioning.

Tessa made a lot of headlines a few years ago talking about how she couldn't wait for her character, King Valkyrie, to find her queen.

Tessa Thompson Says Valkyrie 'Needs To Find Her Queen' Of Asgard

Valkyrie already "has some ideas" on the queen front, Tessa Thompson teased.

www.cinemablend.com

And Loki came out in the Disney+ series. The internet exploded that day. Subsequently, the bi showrunner noted that her major goal for the series was to make Loki canonically bi in the MCU.

Loki Director Wanted To Confirm Loki Was Bisexual From The Start

Loki’s bisexuality is important to Herron.

screenrant.com

While frankly, I'd prefer the nudity kept out of the MCU, Taika clearly likes showing men's bottoms as he did so previously with naked Hulk in Ragnarok.

 

[Ghost93]

While frankly, I'd prefer the nudity kept out of the MCU, Taika clearly likes showing men's bottoms as he did so previously with naked Hulk in Ragnarok.

I think many people bought a ticket to Love and Thunder for the sole purpose of seeing naked Thor.

 

[MarvelCharacterNerd]

I think many people bought a ticket to Love and Thunder for the sole purpose of seeing naked Thor.

Exactly why it was included in the trailer.

But I personally don't think gratuitous exploitation of actors is any better than gratuitous exploitation of actresses. So all those shirtless (and now pantsless) shots of Hemsworth always felt uncomfortable for me. Especially when you read how much actors are really pushing themselves to get into the kind of unrealistic shape necessary for these super hero roles, including giving some body dysmorphia.

Kumail Nanjiani Says Getting Jacked Gave Him Body Dysmorphia

"I'd look in the mirror and I'd see my abs—and when I looked again, they would fade. I would just see the flaws."

www.menshealth.com

 

[flynnibus]

L&T is kind of what a Mel Brooks Marvel movie would be.

I recommend going after a good round of drinking with friends

 

[Ghost93]

L&T is kind of what a Mel Brooks Marvel movie would be.

I recommend going after a good round of drinking with friends

I thought the movie had major tone problems. Too much of the movie is ridiculously silly, but then you have some aspects — like Jane dealing with cancer and Christian Bale's creepy and dark villain character — that are played super seriously. Bale, while he gave a great performance, felt like he belonged in a completely different movie from everyone else in the cast. Imagine Joaquin Phoenix's Joker or Javier Bardem's character from No Country for Old Men appearing in Monty Python and the Holy Grail and being played super seriously. That's the level of tonal dissonance that Bale had with the rest of the film.

Overall it felt more like a parody of a Thor movie than an actual Thor movie. What saved the movie was Jane Foster's character arc and a strong final 30 minutes. The movie ended on a high note that I think will make people forgive and forget the flaws that plagued the majority of the film.

 

[TP2000]

Exactly why it was included in the trailer.

But I personally don't think gratuitous exploitation of actors is any better than gratuitous exploitation of actresses. So all those shirtless (and now pantsless) shots of Hemsworth always felt uncomfortable for me. Especially when you read how much actors are really pushing themselves to get into the kind of unrealistic shape necessary for these super hero roles, including giving some body dysmorphia.

Kumail Nanjiani Says Getting Jacked Gave Him Body Dysmorphia

"I'd look in the mirror and I'd see my abs—and when I looked again, they would fade. I would just see the flaws."

www.menshealth.com

I love that guy! Even if I have no idea what body dysmorphia is. In the 2000's I did Atkins a couple times though, does that count?

But anytime I see him, whether he's "jacked" or not, I can only think of that skit he was in a decade ago on Portlandia where he was the Portland cell phone salesman.... "There's also Even More Family Plus, or the Simply Everything Plan Plus, or the This Changes Everything Plan. The colors are Metallic Pumpkin, or... Pumpkin."



And now I'm ready to pick out my sunglasses.

 

[BubbaisSleep]

I think many people bought a ticket to Love and Thunder for the sole purpose of seeing naked Thor.

I bought it in 3D 4DX for that exact reason.

 

[Animaniac93-98]

L&T is kind of what a Mel Brooks Marvel movie would be.

And I can absolutely see Mel Brooks playing the role of Zeus.