When will Thor: Love and Thunder release in the US? Run time, trailer, and more details explored

Marvel's Thor: Love and Thunder is scheduled to arrive in US theaters next week on Friday, July 8, 2022. The follow-up to the 2017 film Thor: Ragnarok, Thor: Love and Thunder was announced at the 2019 San Diego Comic-Con but was delayed due to COVID-19 restrictions. Filming finally began in January 2021.

The world premiere of the movie took place on June 23, offering glimpses of Chris Hemsworth's Thor, Natalie Portman's Jane Foster/Mighty Thor, and Christian Bale's Gorr the God Butcher.

While this is Portman's first MCU appearance since The Dark World in 2013, Oscar-winning Batman actor Bale graced his first-ever Marvel red carpet in honor of his villainous character, Gorr.

Now that Thor: Love and Thunder is only days away from making its blockbuster debut in the US, here's everything you need to know about the Marvel movie in preparation for its arrival.

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Everything you need to know about Thor: Love and Thunder ahead of its premiere

Coming to theatres next week on July 8, Thor: Love and Thunder will reportedly follow a story arc from Jason Aaron's The Mighty Thor. The storyline will follow the former God of Thunder, Thor, as he is deemed unworthy of weilding his hammer, Mjolnir, thus giving Jane Foster an opportunity to wield the age-old powerful weapon as Mighty Thor.

The official full-length trailer premiered over a month ago on May 24, and fans got their first look at Portman's Mighty Thor/Jane Foster, Hemsworth's Thor, Tessa Thompson's Valkyrie (the current ruler of Asgard) and Bale's Gorr the God Butcher. A few stars from Guardians of the Galaxy also appeared in the trailer, hinting at the possible return of the crew. Chris Pratt has even confirmed his role in the movie, as per reports.

The two-hour movie will feature an abundance of filmmaker Taika Waititi's signature wit and action-packed scenes as everyone's favorite God of Thunder gets back in shape, something that becomes evident when Zeus strips him off his clothes. Unable to reclaim his title and his hammer, which is now wielded by his ex-girlfriend Foster, Thor finds himself entagled in an unforeseen escapade as he fights against a new villain to secure the fate of all gods.

The official synopsis of Thor: Love and Thunder states:

"The film finds Thor (Chris Hemsworth) on a journey unlike anything he’s ever faced – a quest for inner peace. But his retirement is interrupted by a galactic killer known as Gorr the God Butcher (Christian Bale), who seeks the extinction of the gods. To combat the threat, Thor enlists the help of King Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson), Korg (Taika Waititi) and ex-girlfriend Jane Foster (Natalie Portman), who – to Thor’s surprise – inexplicably wields his magical hammer, Mjolnir, as the Mighty Thor. Together, they embark upon a harrowing cosmic adventure to uncover the mystery of the God Butcher’s vengeance and stop him before it’s too late."

The movie comes with a nearly four-hour long director's cut as well as an unexpected, twisted revelation. Portman's Foster is fighting breast cancer in the plotline. Each time she morphs into Thor, the transformation process negates the medicinal value of her chemotherapy and worsens her condition. This is perhaps one of the most compelling aspects of Thor: Love and Thunder as it explores Jane's willingness to risk her own well-being to defend Earth.

Earlier at Comic-Con, director Waititi spoke about the movie's emotional arc and Natalie Portman's role in the film:

"That storyline is incredible, is full of emotion, love and thunder and introduces for the first time female Thor. For us there’s only one person who could play that role… Natalie Portman."

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Thor: Love and Thunder is set to arrive in theatres on July 8, 2022.