Thor: Love and Thunder Likely to Move Filming Locations in Australia Due to COVID-19

Following the success of Thor: Ragnarok, which was filmed in New South Wales, Australia, franchise star Chris Hemsworth has told local reporters that the next instllment in the franchise, Thor: Love and Thunder from filmmaker Taika Waitti, will also be shot there. The actor, who hails from Australia and is raising his kids there, said that working on Ragnarok was an experience that helped steer him toward shooting closer to home as often as possible -- a decision his wife is behind ,as shooting in Australia means he can be home to see his family during off-hours...of which Love and Thunder might provide more than past films.

The schedule is brutal for actors playing the title role in a blockbuster film, but Hemsworth is only one of two "Thor" characters in Love and Thunder. Natalie Portman will reprise her role from the first two installments in the Thor franchise as Jane Foster, who will take on the powers of Thor in Love and Thunder.

"Being able to stay at home and put the kids to bed in their own home as opposed to dragging them across the globe to various hotels is, as a parent, hugely important," Hemsworth is quoted as saying. "My wife's certainly happy."

In the comics, Jane Foster briefly took on the powers of Thor by wielding Mjolnir -- and Thor's godlike abilities helped her briefly stave off the cancer that was killing her. It is not yet clear whether Foster's character will face the same struggles in Love and Thunder, although it seems likely.

New South Wales, which will also serve as the backdrop for Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, reportedly secured Thor: Love and Thunder with a $24.1 million federal government grant. It is expected that the production will bring more than $175 million into the local economy.

WandaVision is officially the first title in Phase 4 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It will most likely be dropping only one episode in 2020, as The Mandalorian will premiere new episodes every Friday until December 18. A December 25 premiere for WandaVision looks like a possibility.

Still to come on the movie front from Marvel Studios is Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Thor: Love and Thunder, a Captain Marvel sequel, Black Panther II, and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. The Disney+ platform will soon house Loki, What If...?, Hawkeye, She-Hulk, Moon Knight, and Ms. Marvel.